Remembering Cronkite
Posted by Kirk Varner, News Director
on July 17th, 2009 at 10:42:40 pm , 3894 views
On this Friday night, the news is that Walter Cronkite has passed away at age 92.
There will be countless tributes in the hours and days to come, both to the man and his remarkable career as the anchorman of "The CBS Evening News" from 1962 to 1981. Charles Gibson, the current anchor of ABC's "World News" on our station, may have said it best tonight with these words to The New York Times: "He, as much as anyone, is responsible for developing network television news."
Gibson, along with Katie Couric who now anchors CBS's "Evening News" and Brian Williams who anchors NBC's "Nightly News", all owe something to the man who was once billed as "the most trusted man in America." Williams may have spoken for an entire generation of broadcast journalists, when he said, "Walter Cronkite was the man I grew up wanting to be."
Anyone working in television news, at least those of us of a certain age who grew up in the 60's and 70's, were likely inspired to join the profession in no small part, by watching Walter Cronkite's nightly national newscast. In many households, everything came to a halt each night, as soon as he said "Good Evening." He was the voice who informed the nation in both the best and the worst of times.
Charles Gibson also said that Walter Cronkite would always be "the gold standard." There simply can be no argument on that point.
On a personal note, I was working in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, on the evening of Walter Cronkite's last night as anchorman of the CBS Evening News. I was watching a television monitor in offices in the same building, but at the same time nowhere near the studio where Cronkite sat and faced the cameras, saying for the final time, "and that's the way it is."
A colleague turned to me and said "and that's the end of an era."
It was true that March night in 1981, and it is again on this evening in July, 2009.
20 comments
A real class act.
We won't see the likes of such again for we no longer have true news, but rather sensationalistic entertainment.
Kirk, will you please do a story on this, I will meet a crew there today and show them this "secret state park" no one knew about.
Apparently there is Ct River front land that we Ct taxpayers own across from the Goodspeed Opera House that Senator Eileen Daily is going to give away.
Yes Folks, apparently that entire strip with four huge docks where the Camelot cruises used to run out of is ours.
It was bought by the state last year, for 1.35 million.
There is no sign to tell us it is a State Park unless you pull down that road before the bridge. Why? they never wanted us to know about it.
She is going to give it to Steven Rocco, a developer with an attitude problem and owner of Goodspeed Station and Michael Price executive director of the Goodspeed Opera House.
This BS, this was a pre arranged deal, they take OUR money and buy this river front land for 1.35 million, then they set up a phony "land swap" for land that would abut Cockaponsett state forest, but they do not own the land YET, they say they will swap for.
I smell something.
More of the Ct Corporate Welfare System I am always trying to tell you about.
Will WTNH PLEASE DO A STORY ON THIS AND PRESSURE THE GOVERNOR TO STOP IT??
for more info see this story
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-bill-called-backroom-deal-07.artjul19,0,7233297.column
Please call Governor Jody Rell and ask her to stop this.
860-566-4840 or 800-406-1527
at the very least they should have to pay the 1.35 million it cost us to buy it
and check it out, on 82 from Haddam just before going over the Goodspeed bridge pull into the parking area on the right, follow the road, all of that, the docks, the fields, gazebos, is ours
if they over ride the bill there is not much she can do
anyone have any ideas?
and please for gods sake people in my area STOP
RE ELECTING EILEEN DAILY!!!!
He was able to make a name for himself at a time the country was awaking from an innocence.....
While he was a likable person, I hope that there is NEVER another like him - he had too much control over the American public and too much influence as well; even he needed some competition....
you are personally addressing Kirk in this forum supposed to be for Cronkite.
you, yourself told me on Ann's forum I should directly write to her or email her, since it had nothing to do with the subject.
What a HYPOCRITE!!!!
Judging by your above posting #3, seems like you're one of those people!
you posted on 12 to 15 blogs
'oh please help me wtnh, I cannot afford cable"
if you listen carefully I am playing the worlds smallest violin ; )
I think what I posted had merit in that it affected every person in CT
our elected idiots paid 1.35 million for that property and were going to give it to scumbags in exchange for land worht about 100k
forgive me but I fail to see why you think your problem is more important than our govt ripping us off......again
thanks for doing the story at 5
Cronkite would've liked it
it seems we dodged that bullet, but Daily has an attitude, if you noticed she said she would try to get it passed it would just take longer
the people in charge there do not seem to understand that people go to the Goodspeed in part because of the charming antique theatre
building a new theatre would ruin the character of the area
it is the Victorian charm, not the musicals themselves that bring them in
In your 12:26 post above, you are quoting part of what ** I ** said previously .... but you're talking to Robin Hood.
How you could confuse me with Robin Hood is beyond me. Are you related to Glenna?
you'd think the tights, hat&feather and the bow and arrows would be a dead giveaway ; )
I have no doubt that he was a sincere and honest man, but I think his "most trusted" status is being over-hyped by a media that has lost its way these days.
He was a major source of propaganda that caused great pain anmd suffering to our country.
May he rot in HELL !
It should have been tossed at the drawing board(deliberate).
When we leave what are we going to leave behind.
Who is a geneius?
One who leaves a nuclear wasteland or what he knew or didn`t know as the truth?Brainwashed.
~Peace Glenna~
Comment feed for this postThe short version -- be nice and be respectful of other's opinions, even if they don't agree with yours, or your comment may be deleted.
Leave a comment
| « Naming Names | Goodbye to a colleague and friend » |