“CEO Leslie Moonves, from his perch in Los Angeles, viewed her steely eyes, breathless delivery, and exotic accent as the raw material of a future star,” noted a story (5/4) in New York Magazine about Lara Logan, who is currently on suspension after her special story on “60 Minutes” about the attack in Benghazi was found to be totally discredited.

It is a story of how CBS took a relative unknown in the news business and promoted her far above where she belonged. And now the network must face consequences that may impact the top-rated show’s credibility for years.

“But last fall, after a deeply flawed 60 Minutes report on the attack in Benghazi, Libya, the trajectory of her career, along with that of CBS’s flagship news show, changed abruptly,” noted the article written by Joe Hagan.

CBS executives had considered Logan the total package. In addition to Moonves’ views above, Logan’s breathtaking looks did not hurt her meteoric career. She had been a swimsuit model in South Africa and was well-known to flaunt her “assets” or her connections.

“In London, she’d become a local sensation when the tabloids published swimsuit pictures of her and dubbed her “34D Lara.” In 2002, British newspapers claimed she wore a low-cut top and “flashed her cleavage” at soldiers in Afghanistan. One story was titled “Put Those Bazookas Away, Lara,” noted Hagan. Logan said those claims were sexist.”

Logan was also not shy about letting people know she had a direct line to the boss. “She was very fond of saying, ‘I could end your career with a phone call,’ ” says a former CBS producer.”

In just a few years she had catapulted to the lofty position of top correspondent at “60 Minutes,” arguably the top news magazine in all of television. This was done after Don Hewitt, the founder of “60 Minutes,” had refused to hire her because “she was not up to standards.”

“She got everything she wanted, always, even when she was wrong, and that’s been going on since the beginning,” says a former CBS News producer who worked with her.

While she may likely return to the show, her credibility is shattered and will take time to rebuild it.

“Her colleagues, including veteran CBS correspondents Steve Kroft and Bob Simon, were apoplectic about the damage to ‘60 Minutes’ reputation. Morley Safer, the only founding member of the cast left on the 45-year-old program, went into the office of CBS News chairman and 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager’s office last fall and demanded that he fire Logan,” noted the story.

“It’s not an accident that Lara Logan fucked up,” says a colleague at CBS News. “It was inevitable. Everybody saw this coming.”

With Logan’s future in doubt, as expected CBS has another future star in the wings.

“So Lara Logan may, or may not, return in the fall season. Either way, the show must go on. Waiting in the wings is a new up-and-comer. Attractive, blonde, fluent in three foreign languages. Everybody is talking about 34-year-old Clarissa Ward. “Jeff’s very high on her,” says a 60 Minutes producer.