In 1980, Sullivan was picked by Ted Turner to help launch his Cable News Network.

[1] During the 1980s, Sullivan reported live from party conference, summit, state funerals and the Olympic Games.

During her time at CBS, Sullivan was the only American journalist invited by President of the United States Ronald Reagan to a 1987 White House state dinner honoring General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and celebrating the end of the Cold War.

News Daily, which she hosted after anchoring full-time coverage of the 1995 O. J. Simpson murder case.

[2][9] She has made various cameo appearances as herself in various entertainment television programs including the episode "Millions from Heaven" (1996) of the television sitcom series Roseanne (1988–1997), reporting on the list of Roseanne and The Conners characters winning the lottery.