Bylines   

Prime Time

Marlene Sanders , the first woman to cover the Vietnam War for network television and the first woman to serve as vice president of a network news operation, joins the soon-to-be-launched Prime Life Network as a news anchor. The new network, which will be aimed at viewers over 50, is going after what it describes as "one of the country's most attractive and underserviced population segments." Sanders, 64, says that the network won't be pushing "a geriatric agenda. It's simply for a grown-up audience. And when you say 'over 50' there's hardly an issue that doesn't fit into that category." Sanders, who spent 14 years at ABC and 10 at CBS , says she definitely won't miss working for one of the major networks; she's "been there and done that."

Around Broadcasting

CNN 's Bill Headline , the man with the coolest name in news, steps down as the network's Washington bureau chief after 12 years. He's succeeded by Frank Sesno , the bureau's executive editor for the past year. Also at CNN, Eason Jordan , senior vice president for international news gathering, is named head of CNN International , CNN's global news arm. Jordan became known at CNN as the " Henry Kissinger of journalism" for his skill at negotiating access in international venues... At CBS , correspondent Bernard Goldberg , formerly of the late "Eye to Eye with Connie Chung ," returns to "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather ." He'll have his own segment, "Bernard Goldberg's America," a mix of analysis and reporting from Goldberg's perspective.

A New L.A. Times Venture

In a surprising move in the wake of cutbacks throughout Times Mirror, the Los Angeles Times launches a new publication, La Opinion para ti , that will target Latinos in Southern California. The new Spanish-language weekly is a joint venture between the Times and La Opinion , the largest Spanish-language daily in the United States, with a circulation of more than 100,000. The new paper will focus on family, community and lifestyle issues and will be available at no cost by home delivery to 200,000 targeted households in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Moving Down the Street

Jane Daugherty , one of the leaders in the drive for more and better coverage of children's issues, moves from one strike-bound Motown paper to the other. Daugherty leaves the Detroit Free Press after 10 years, citing "significant personal reasons," to join the Detroit News . Daugherty helped launch the Free Press' "Children First" project three years ago to direct attention to issues ranging from infant mortality to teenage pregnancy to child abuse. An associate editor at the Free Press, she has the same title at the News. While she'll explore other social policy stories at the News, she'll continue to keep an eye on the children's beat. "The increase in the coverage of children's issues is one of the most dramatic trends in American journalism in the last 20 years," says Daugherty, "and it's not a fad."

A Reprieve

The embattled Philadelphia Daily News gets some good news for a change. Recent labor negotiations at the paper, whose days some thought were numbered, guarantee that the punchy tabloid, known for its world-class sports section and strong Philly flavor, will continue publishing at least until the year 2000. But everything isn't rosy in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News announce that they are looking to trim 230 to 250 full time positions in an effort to achieve a 7 percent payroll reduction. In addition, the Inquirer will merge zoned suburban sections with the main local news section in order to cut back on costs and staff... Baltimore's Sun announces a round of buyouts, its first staff trimming since the closing of the Evening Sun in September.

Wire Watch

Robert Reid , a 26-year Associated Press veteran, is the wire service's new United Nations correspondent. Reid, AP's Manila bureau chief for the past nine years and a onetime roving Middle East correspondent, admits that "airports and airplanes have lost their romance." But, he adds, he doesn't consider himself grounded. "I hope to travel some, in order to give the coverage reliability and authority," he says. "You can't cover the U.N. from rehashing reports promulgated in New York." In other AP news, Bruce DeSilva , formerly associate editor for writing and editing at the Hartford Courant , becomes the wire service's enterprise editor.... At Reuters , Stephen Jukes , formerly news editor for the Middle East and Africa, is named editor of Reuters America , replacing Paul Eedle , who resigned in September... Paul Ingrassia , a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the Wall Street Journal , is named executive editor of Dow Jones News Service .

On the Infobahn

Michael Kinsley leaves the television talk wars for a journey into cyber-space. He joins forces with Bill Gates ' Microsoft to launch a new online magazine of commentary on politics. Kinsley, former editor of The New Republic , leaves CNN 's "Crossfire" after six years of playing the designated liberal in high-decibel shouting matches with right-wing cohosts. Kinsley will be the editor of the new magazine, which has yet to be named and will be available to Microsoft Network customers and World Wide Web users next year... On Wisconsin , the online news and information service of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel , trims its staff from 17 to nine after attracting significantly fewer subscribers than expected. "We cannot justify a significant loss when other departments are making budget cuts to offset the 40 percent increase in the price of newsprint," Journal-Sentinel President Keith Spore told staffers. The eight exiting employees will be transferred elsewhere in the company... ABC News , Newsweek and the Washington Post 's online service, Digital Ink , launch ElectionLine , an online service that will cover the 1996 election on the World Wide Web.

Kristol Blue Persuasion

William Kristol , editor and publisher of the new conservative opinion journal The Standard , is named contributing political commentator and analyst for ABC News . Maybe the new TV gig will provide solace to the Reagan and Bush administration veteran after his unsuccessful, high-profile crusade to lure Colin Powell into the race for the White House.

Westward Ho

Andrew J. Schneider , assistant managing editor for investigations at Scripps Howard News Service in Washington, D.C., for the past four years, joins Portland's Oregonian as a senior investigative reporter. Schneider, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner at the now-defunct Pittsburgh Press during the '80s, says it was time to return to a daily newspaper. He says working the wires was very exciting, but he misses "the proprietary feeling you get when you work for a paper... It's nice to work your fanny off to put out a project in your paper."