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Author Topic: Walter Cronkite Dead at 92 Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-17-2009 08:38 PM                     This one won't mean much to the younger folks here, but those of us elder statesmen sure knew him well. Almost 40 years ago today, almost everything stopped (most workplaces shut down) as we watched the first man on the moon. Walter was there to be sure it all made sense. He told us of the death of both Kennedys. He was one of a kind and he told the news as straight as an arrow. There is no one quite like him around now.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-17-2009 09:02 PM                       They're talking about him over on the ham radio sites. Walter Cronkite was also a longtime ham radio operator, holding the callsign KB2GSD. He narrated a popular video several years ago which introduced people to the diverse Amateur Radio hobby, but he himself never upgraded beyond the entry-level Novice Class license. Amateur Radio Today, hosted by Walter Cronkite  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 07-17-2009 09:32 PM                     I recall he was forced into retirement by CBS in 1981 and replaced with Dan Rather. I won't comment one way or the other on Dan Rather but I feel CBS was too hasty in ridding themselves of Cronkite so soon.  |  IP: Logged Mike Babb Master Film Handler Posts: 250 From: Norwich UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-17-2009 09:42 PM                        http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/apollo11.html I watched a few of these with WC earlier today before I found out about his death, I was too young to remember but it's amazing to watch today...  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-17-2009 11:07 PM                     I grew up watching Walter Cronkite anchor the CBS Evening News. That was a time when objectivity in journalism meant something. These days so many "news people" commit the sin of throwing in their 2¢ and talking about themselves. Cronkite wasn't that type of guy. He was old school. The story was the only thing that mattered and Cronkite was the best at delivering it. Edward R. Murrow is the only other news guy I can think of who was anywhere near the titan that Cronkite was in news. The news clip of Cronkite delivering the word about the assassination of John F. Kennedy is an iconic piece of television history. Perhaps the best moment was Cronkite breaking his normally professional deadpan demeanor letting the joy come through as he reacted to the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. That moment has been immortalized in tributes to Cronkite and stories about the journalism craft itself. The same clip was blown up for the big screen in Apollo 13. It's kind of fitting in a way that Cronkite held on long enough to see the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission (I wish he would have made it past Monday for the landing). I've been kind of grumbling about how the Apollo 11 40th anniversary hasn't been getting much news coverage at all. This was an extremely important moment in American history. Much more important than the marathon drama coverage surrounding Michael Jackson's death. Walter Cronkite was a giant in American popular culture and his passing will dramatically elevate interest in the 40th anniversary of the moon landing on Monday. It may also be fitting that Cronkite passed at this time because real journalism is practically dead in the United States. I even see bullshit political spin and the infection of celebrity worship leaking into the traditionally boring financial news channels. Pretty sad. In the old school world of real journalism Walter Cronkite was one of the big dogs. R.I.P.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-18-2009 01:31 AM                        quote: Bobby Henderson That moment has been immortalized in tributes to Cronkite and stories about the journalism craft itself. The same clip was blown up for the big screen in Apollo 13. That's one of my favorite "life memories." Sitting at our kitchen table in front of a 12" black-and-white set, hearing "The Eagle has landed" and seeing Cronkite say "Man on the moon!" What a moment. One of my other favorite Cronkite moments was in the '90s when David Letterman had Hillary Clinton on as a guest. In the middle of Letterman's monologue, Cronkite came walking out, and said "Dave, tonight you'll be interviewing the first lady of the United States. Try not to screw it up."  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-18-2009 01:44 AM                    Cronkite had the luxury of only having to compete with two other networks. He won hands down. I remember watching him when growing up but mostly during the summer when I visited my grandmother, she always watched Cronkite but when I was home I didn't watch the news much unless there was something on related to the space program or something happened to break in during a program. I do remember watching the news on his last day in 1981. Don't remember the last date though.  |  IP: Logged Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 07-18-2009 02:39 AM                     I'm old enough to remember him. Walter took CBS News to number one. "And that's the way it is". RIP Walter.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-18-2009 02:48 AM                     Even Chet Huntley and David Brinkley of NBC couldn't even touch Cronkite in the 60's. But they gave him a decent race in broadcast journalism. It seemed that Cronkite, after he left CBS in 1981 and went independent, he was a much happier person. R.I.P. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 07-18-2009 01:16 PM                       quote: Darryl Spicer Cronkite had the luxury of only having to compete with two other networks. Good point, Darryl. We were a Huntley-Brinkley Report family.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-18-2009 02:04 PM                     While there were only 3 major national broadcast networks it also must be noted that newspapers, magazines and radio stations had a far stronger standing in delivering news during Cronkite's time than they do today.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 07-18-2009 03:38 PM                    ABC had Howard K. Smith and Harry Reasoner both former CBS alums.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 07-18-2009 04:19 PM                     I felt that he came off as one of the family, and I remember many times people referring to him as "Uncle Walter". He was truly a titan of journalism in a time when that meant something. RIP  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-18-2009 10:51 PM                     I agree Rick, He was like a member of your family and one that you definately trusted. A post I read today on You-Tube puts it perfectly... There should be a picture of him next to the word "Professional" in the dictionary. Mark  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-25-2009 06:34 PM                     quote: Bobby Henderson The news clip of Cronkite delivering the word about the assassination of John F. Kennedy is an iconic piece of television history Years later, Cronkite admitted he had a very low opinion of JFK the man. It seems Cronkite interviewed Kennedy during the 1960 Campaign in which some of the questions got under the candidate's skin and he gave somewhat of "frat-boy-like" responses. As Cronkite and the crew were leaving, Kennedy wanted to re-shoot the piece. Annoyed, Cronkite caved - acknowledging it was the only time he ever gave into that type of demand in his career, but his opinion of Kennedy dropped precipitously that day and, according to the journalist, never really recovered.  |  IP: Logged

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