News Closeup can be seen at 6 a.m. this Sunday on WPIX. THIS WEEK:What happens after our troops leave Iraq? Is Iran hovering at Iraq's doorstep? Ned Parker, Edward R. Murrow Fellow at the Council On Foreign Relations and Jean Marc Oppenheim, professor of Middle Eastern History at Columbia University's Teachers College provide insight as what the future holds for Iraq after American forces leave December 31st. >

PIX News Closeup Now in Its 19th Year

The recipient of numerous awards, including three Emmys, "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" has a loyal following of viewers who either watch or record the program each Sunday at 6 a.m. "We're on early, but we're worth watching," says Senior Correspondent Marvin Scott, who has hosted the program since its inception. Produced by veteran journalist Ellyn Marks, "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" remains current, dealing with newsmakers and issues that range from abuse of the elderly, to stem cell research, to gun control, the economy, the conflicts in Iraq and the Middle East and of course politics. Political discussion and analysis have dominated the broadcasts over the past 16 years. The program's guests are a virtual who's who of political and community leaders from the New York, New Jersey area. New York Governors Hugh Carey, Mario Cuomo, George Pataki, and Eliot Spitzer, have been guests, as have New Jersey Governors James Florio, Christie Whitman, Jim McGreevey, and Jon Corzine. New York City Mayors Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg appeared regularly. Former Mayor Giuliani was on the program 16 times during his administration. In a pre-Christmas broadcast from Gracie Mansion, then First Lady Donna Hanover, recited "Twas the Night before Christmas" on "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP." Mayor Dinkins and his wife Joyce opened the doors to the mansion for a taping, and former First Lady Libby Pataki gave the program a tour of the Governor's Mansion in Albany.

On the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Rudy Giuliani granted Scott the only local one-on-one sit-down television interview. The program won a first place award from New York State Associated Press Broadcasters for "Best Interview."

"PIX NEWS CLOSEUP'" most frequent guest has been Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Peter King has often provided the Republican point of view. Senators Chuck Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, and Bob Menendez have also found the program to be a good forum for discussion. A more recent interview lifted a page from history, when Nixon White House Counsel John Dean, whose testimony in the Watergate scandal, helped bring down the Nixon presidency, appeared on the program to promote a new book. In another interview, Ted Sorenson provided compelling insight into his years as advisor and speechwriter for President Kennedy.

PIX News weekend news anchor Mary Murphy co- hosted some of the programs at its inception, and did memorable interviews with disgraced New York State Chief Judge Sol Wachtler, and John Cardinal O'Connor. Mary and Marvin conducted pr-election interviews with Governor Mario Cuomo and challenger George Pataki. Some analysts believe Cuomo's performance on that program had a negative impact on his campaign. The head of the FBI's New York field office was forced into early retirement after appearing on the program following the first terror attack on the World Trade Center. James Fox apparently told Murphy more about the investigation than he was supposed to.

Along with matters of domestic concern, "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" has focused on international issues, and guests have included a 1993 interview with Nobel Prize laureate Shimon Peres, (then Israel's Foreign Minister and currently the country's President). Palestinian leaders have made separate appearances as well as the former U.N. Ambassador to Libya.

Non politicians have also joined the program. Comedic icon Jerry Lewis provided two candid and insightful interviews, one of which won a 2006 Emmy award for "Outstanding Entertainment Programming." Tom Cruise was featured in another program in which Ellyn Marks did an exclusive interview with the actor about his controversial detoxification program to help ailing Ground Zero workers.

There have been a number of heartwarming and heart-wrenching programs. Each Thanksgiving, Marvin Scott and Ellyn Marks produce a special program entitled "Giving Thanks." In 1994, Vito de Leo talked about his love of family and how much more meaningful his life was after he narrowly escaped the 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Seven years later he was one of those killed on 9/11. 12 year old Stephanie Collado reflected on how her faith in God helped her survive a heart transplant in 1998. The donor heart failed her eight years later when Stephanie died. Scott delivered the eulogy and was a pallbearer at her funeral.

"PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" has often traveled beyond the studio. Some programs have been outstanding documentaries or reports from the location of major news developments, such as the crash of John F. Kennedy Jrs plane off Hyannisport in 1999. A special "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" program on the tragedy received an Emmy nomination and recognition from the Associated Press. Another program entitled "Understanding Whitewater" received an Emmy award in 1996 for "Outstanding Political Programming." As host, Scott received an Emmy for the same broadcast for "Outstanding on Camera Achievement." A 1993 documentary "The Men of the Intrepid Come Home," was a moving tribute to the former crewmembers of the U.S.S. Intrepid who were celebrating their 50th reunion. The program won a "National Headliners Award," two Associated Press awards, an Emmy nomination and the Chicago Museum of Broadcasting has placed it in its permanent documentary collection. Another Emmy nomination was received for Scott's coverage of the assassination and funeral of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. "Tears for Rabin" was recorded in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Palestinian West Bank.

The Rev. Al Sharpton has aired his views, as has subway gunman Bernard Goetz. Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated by a major political party as its candidate for Vice President in 1984, spoke candidly about her political career, and on a subsequent program spoke emotionally about her bout with cancer. Producer Marks and Scott have produced in-depth programs on the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions in 1996, 2000, and 2004, and 2008.

In a unique segment on the 40th anniversary of the JFK assassination, Scott added a voice to the historic film of the President's murder. He used an excerpt from a 1965 radio interview he did with Abraham Zapruder and matched it to the 8 mm film the Dallas dress manufacturer had taken of the assassination, providing a narrative to the 26 second horrifying clip. Scott donated the original tape of the interview to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. That, along with the "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" program are now part of the JFK assassination archives in Dallas.

"One of my favorite programs was the one in which we debunked the myth of the Amityville horror story," says Scott. A lawyer for the man convicted of murdering his entire family in the Amityville house admitted helping to concoct the haunted house story with the family that subsequently moved into the house. "The story got better with each bottle of wine," he proclaimed on the program. Scott recalls one of his most difficult programs was the one in which he interviewed a Neo-Nazi who denied the Holocaust ever happened.

Scott is particularly proud of three broadcasts that were done in Iraq in 2004, 2006 and 2008. "A PIX Christmas in Iraq," produced by Scott and cameraman Dave Kimmel, focused on local soldiers far from home for the holiday, and presented them with a taste from home, including bagels, hotdogs and cheesecake. The broadcasts received special recognition from the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters and two Emmy nominations.

"PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" is taped on Friday afternoon for the early Sunday airing. Of the almost 800 broadcasts, only one had to be canceled. During a taping, former Congresswoman Susan Molinari talked at length about how she was considering running for Governor of New York. Less than 24 hours later and before the broadcast was aired, she announced her decision not to run. Rather than run an outdated interview, we aired a previous program.

In accepting the 2006 Emmy awards for the Jerry Lewis interview, Scott described "PIX NEWS CLOSEUP" as "The little engine that could, a program nestled away in the early hours of Sunday that has found a loyal audience that appreciates the caliber of guests and issues we tackle each week. It's worth getting up for," he quipped. Scott and Marks are proud of the recognition and awards the program has received from their peers, and are equally grateful for the positive feedback they've received from viewers over the past 16 years. Many have said they regularly record the program. Current and previous programs can also be seen using the video player above.