TV Agent Richard Leibner Dead at 85

Richard Leibner, a celebrated talent agent who represented some of the best-known anchors in TV news, first at a firm he helped build and then for UTA, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 85 years old.

In his time, Leibner served as an agent and adviser to Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer, Bob Simon, Steve Kroft, Bill Whitaker, Diane Sawyer, Chuck Scarborough, Paula Zahn, Brian Stelter and Fareed Zakaria, among others. He was a passionate advocate for clients, and was never been shy about delivering his opinion of the latest goings-on in the ever-churning news sector.

Leibner firmly believed that top news anchors should be treated akin to Hollywood royalty. “Decades ago, he made it his personal mission to see that big name news stars should be treated and compensated like traditional movie and television stars,” said Jay Sures, UTA’s vice-chairman, in a memo to staffers Tuesday.

Leibner helped position Dan Rather as the replacement for Walter Cronkite at CBS News, and was the business force behind many of the most memorable correspondents at “60 Minutes.” He helped Sawyer plan her move to ABC News, and Zahn when she left Fox News Channel for CNN. He helped staff CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNBC when they launched and played a significant role in the development of daytime TV as well.

Leibner began his career in 1963 with a master’s degree in taxation from NYU, a B.S. in Accounting from University of Rochester, and a C.P.A. license.  After working for his family’s accounting firm for a few years, he co-founded N.S. Bienstock with his former partner, Nate Bienstock, and together they built the premier powerhouse agency in news and broadcast talent representation. UTA purchased Bienstock in 2014. Leibner retired in 2021.

He is survived by his spouse, Carole Cooper, another longtime agent known for her representation of news anchors, two sons, Adam and Jonathan, and four grandchildren. Cooper and Adam Leibner continue to work at UTA, and were also at Bienstock.

Funeral services are to be announced at a later date.