Linda Ellerbee

Linda Ellerbee's Key Accomplishments Include . . .
Linda Ellerbee is an outspoken journalist, award-winning television producer, best-selling author, a breast cancer survivor, a mom, a grandmother and one of the most sought-after speakers in America.

Ellerbee began her career at CBS, and then moved to NBC News where, after years covering national politics, she pioneered the late-night news program NBC News Overnight, which she wrote and anchored. Overnight was cited by the duPont Columbia Awards as "the best written and most intelligent news program ever." In 1986, Ellerbee moved to ABC News to anchor and write Our World, a weekly primetime historical series. Her work on Our World won her an Emmy.

In 1987, Ellerbee and Rolfe Tessem, her partner, quit network news to start Lucky Duck Productions, first producing documentaries for PBS. In 1991, Lucky Duck began producing Nick News for Nickelodeon with Ellerbee writing and hosting. Fifteen years later, Nick News is watched by more children than watch all other television news shows put together—and has earned honors traditionally associated with adult programming. Known for the respectful and direct way it speaks to children about the important issues of our time, Nick News has collected three Peabody Awards (including one personal Peabody given to Ellerbee for her coverage of the Clinton investigation), a duPont Columbia Award and four Emmys, including last year’s Emmy for outstanding children's programming, given for the Nick News Special Edition, Never Again? From the Holocaust to the Sudan. 

More About Linda Ellerbee . . .
These days, Ellerbee and her work can be seen all over the television universe. Lucky Duck has and continues to produce primetime specials for ABC, CBS, HBO, PBS, Lifetime, MTV, Logo, A&E, MSNBC, SOAPnet, Trio, Animal Planet and TV Land, among others. In 2004, Ellerbee was honored with an Emmy for her series, When I Was a Girl, which aired on WE: Women’s Entertainment network. 

Ellerbee’s first foray into books for kids, an eight-part fiction series entitled Get Real, published in 2000, won her raves among middle school readers.  Both of Ellerbee’s previous adult books—And So It Goes, a humorous look at television news, and Move On, stories about being a working single mother, a child of the ‘60s and a woman trying to find some balance in her life—have been national  best sellers. Her new book, Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table, was released in paperback this year.

As a breast cancer survivor, Ellerbee travels thousands of miles each year giving inspirational speeches to others. She is as direct with women as she is with kids; they understand that she understands their lives.

Although Ellerbee has won all of television's highest honors, she says it’s her two children who’ve brought her the richest rewards. Ellerbee spends her personal time in New York City and Massachusetts with Rolfe, her partner in work and life and their two dogs, Ollie and Daisy.

• How To Be Successful and Hang Onto Your Values
• Kids, Television, and the News
• Surviving Breast Cancer to Laugh Another Day
• How to Survive a Changing World and How to Change Your World
• Adventures in Journalism

“Evaluations of your keynote presentation were extremely positive.  The attendees and staff obviously had great respect and admiration for you!  I would highly recommend you as a keynote speaker to anyone that inquires…”

--- Administrative Professionals Conference
Las Vegas, NV

“Your keynote address was a huge hit with our female audience and your ‘seven rules’ are applicable to any woman at any stage in her life.  Thanks for sharing your wit and wisdom with all of us…”  

--- Professional BusinessWomen of California
Sacramento, CA

“You provided the perfect kick-off to a day that went incredibly well...you were inspiring and provided lots of food for thought...For those of us who don’t always follow the “smooth path,” it was good to hear the words of encouragement and the reassurances that we will survive!”

--- Women’s Success Forum
Seattle, WA

“I’ve heard nothing but praise for Linda’s appearance!  She did such a wonderful job…She’s so well spoken…Our CEO was very impressed!...”

--- Sam’s Club
Kansas City, MO