FROM TV NEWSER
TVNewser has learned legendary CBS newsman Walter Cronkite, 92, who once held the title of "Most Trusted Man in America," is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources. The network began updating his obituary more than a week ago, a source adds.
CBS News executive Linda Mason, designated to speak on Cronkite's behalf, had no comment.
The avuncular Cronkite anchored "CBS Evening News" for 19 years, until 1981, when he was forced to retire. Dan Rather was named his successor. Cronkite maintained an office at CBS, where he was a special correspondent.A native of St. Joseph, Mo., Cronkite made his mark as a World War II correspondent for United Press. He joined CBS in 1950 as a Washington correspondent. In 1962, he was named anchor of "CBS Evening News," then 15 minutes in length. The following year, it became network TV's first 30'minute weeknight newscast
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Walter Cronkite Sick
Monday, April 7, 2008
Katie Couric Leaving CBS?
Katie Couric could leave CBS after the start of the new year, according to the Wall Street Journal. I love the concept that she could be leaving next year. How about asking those CBS O&O staffers who caught the blade recently if they would like to have had a year's notice. :)
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If it's true and if it happens, CBS will scale back its news gathering... hiring CNN to do it's news! Walter Cronkite must be so distressed that his once great news gathering home appears in shambles. Or, will it be a wise business move for CBS? The New York Times reports tonight that CBS may outsource work to CNN.
"Broadly speaking, the executives described conversations about reducing CBS’s news-gathering capacity while keeping its frontline personalities, like Katie Couric, the CBS Evening News anchor, and paying a fee to CNN to buy the cable network’s news feeds."
It's been an odd relationship so far. Two weeks ago I blogged about the awkward David Beckham profile by celeb-anchor Anderson Cooper.... appearing on '60 Minutes'. Can we say testing the waters? If this happens, it will be the second major sign that CBS News and local news stations are collapsing. The first was the massive round of high-dollar cuts at stations across the country.
Monday, December 17, 2007
KYW Anchor Arrested; Did She Call a NYPD Officer ‘Dyke Bitch’ During A Fight
Who else is tired of this kind of bad behavior from TV people? 
There’s a lot of scuttle today on the internet about the weekend arrest of KYW anchor/report Alycia Lane. If you believe the internet reports, which are fairly consistent, Lane (her official bio) was in a cab in Chelsea (New York) with her boyfriend and another couple when a car carrying four plain-clothes NYPD officers stopped in front of them. Supposedly a man from Lane’s cab jumped out of their cab to yell at the other drivers. As the officers exited their car, Lane jumped out and was involved in a confrontation in which she allegedly said "I don't give a fuck who you are. I'm a fucking TV reporter, you fucking dyke."
WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS HAPPENED TO TV NEWS PEOPLE? WHY DO THEY THINK WE AS VIEWERS SHOULD TOLERATE THIS BEHAVIOR? First, Lane is due in court in April. Her lawyer tells a different story of what happened. Let's remember she’s innocent until proven guilty.
But this incident is the latest in what seems to be string of on-air, local TV news talent getting out of control. What happened to the days when anchors and reporters saw themselves as true leaders in their community and beyond? What happened to the days when anchors and reporters understood the level of their leadership? What happened to the days when anchors and reporters recognized themselves as 'public figures'? I don’t buy the load of crap that many on-air talent claims is their right to a ‘private life.’ Here’s the point: if you don’t want the attention given to you as an on-air leader, then choose another profession. Whether you like it, you are 'public figures.' It’s not our fault that so many TV news anchors and reporters feel special privileges of attention and fame… when they want it. But when they don’t want it, it’s time for their ‘private life’ to take over.
TV journalists often wonder why viewers, people in general, don’t hold them to the same level of respect and authority as they did in the days of Walter Cronkite and company. How many surveys have we all seen that point to the diminishing respect for journalists? All of these troubled TV journalists should read those surveys… and then take a long hard look in the mirror. I believe in the great days of anchors and reporters being leaders in their newsrooms, in their community and in our profession. It's not a job any of us should take lightly. Our profession is slowly eroding from the days of being one of the most respected in the country to one driven by tabloid content and troubled talent.
Ms. Lane is certianly not alone in her public troubles. There’s a daily soap opera of other anchors and reporters drinking and driving, abusing a spouse or using illegal substances. Don’t get me wrong. I believe there are still plenty of true professionals out there who still anchor the news AND realize their duty off the air. But it’s time that some troubled anchors and reporters hold themselves to the standard of ‘public figure’ of which they are very quick to challenges others.
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