July 20th, 2009 
joel Over half of P&T poll respondents think that Erie Police Chief Steve Franklin’s withholding of information from the media and public is an actionable offense. 57% who answered the poll thought the chief should go.
The airwaves are full of history as television news celebrates the life of former CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, and the 40 year anniversary of the event that was at the center of Cronkite’s passion, the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.
Cronkite was the originator of the anchorman role, and many in the decades since have filled that role at the three major broadcast networks with varying success. But everyone has a favorite.
Who was your favorite former TV anchor?
- Peter Jennings (27%, 18 Votes)
- Walter Cronkite (24%, 16 Votes)
- Tom Brokaw (23%, 15 Votes)
- David Brinkley (9%, 6 Votes)
- John Chancellor (5%, 3 Votes)
- Connie Chung (5%, 3 Votes)
- Bob Schieffer (2%, 1 Votes)
- Frank Reynolds (2%, 1 Votes)
- Harry Reasoner (2%, 1 Votes)
- Dan Rather (2%, 1 Votes)
- Chet Huntley (2%, 1 Votes)
- Max Robinson (0%, 0 Votes)
- Howard K. Smith (0%, 0 Votes)
- Barbara Walters (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 66
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No one has, or ever will have, the chops of Cronkite. Many of today’s talking heads would like to think so, but they aren’t even qualified to put the microphone on his tie. he influenced a country without trying to do so. Unlike those of today, who have their agendas that they don’t even try to hide.
Cronkite spoke against the consultant driven news formats of the last quarter century, and he was right. Today’s newscasts rarely serve the public’s interest…we don’t care about the viewer…all we care about is another rating point in the key demographic, that way we can raise rates on commercials.
When I started I had the opportunity to learn from newspeople. People who cared about the viewer. They knew that the money was important, but they believed in the news that they presented. If that still happens…it is certainly not the norm in TV news.
It has become a sad state of affairs when info-tainment stories…Michael Jackson anyone…overshadow war, economic downfall and the many other important stories of the day. What would Cronkite have led with ? I think we know the answer to that question.
I think you should expand this poll to include former local anchors. Two that immediately come to my mind are Bob Sutherland (“Sudsy”) and Hyle Richmond (anyone know his wherabouts?)…both very solid journalists.
I’m sure that others can add to this local list.
Jim,
Sounds like a good idea for next week’s poll! There’s a huge list out there.
Joel
I think I read somewhere that he retired to Arizona.
My favorite Hyle Richmond memory is a personal one. In 1982-83, I was the Weekend Director/Fill-in Director at ICU. It was Christmas Eve, and the show (remember this is when ICU did news at 7pm) was done by about 5:30. Unless there was some sort of major accident or shooting, the show is in the can – rundown set, scripts marked, shots set, everything backtimed, stories editted, graphics done. We’re ready to go. Hyle comes into the control room, sits down next to me at the director’s desk and asks me: “Bob, do you like to drink beer?” Just totally out of the blue. Of course, I answered in the affirmative. He agreed with me, got up out of the chair and went back to the newsroom.
Hyle refused to use the teleprompter, always worked off of a handheld script. ICU consequently only had one camera equipped with a teleprompter (thinking of ways to cut costs even back then!), so you had to format your show so that Hyle always had the camera without the prompter. That way when he tossed it to Frank, Frank had the prompter. It was only an issue at 7.
Hyle was one of the greats of Erie tv news – a true journalist and a true gentleman.
I’ll echo that sentiment Bob. Hyle proved that you don’t have to be a jerk to get the story…I think most of the folks who helped create TV in Erie were like that.
A quick Suds story. I was a young buck who filled in everywhere at the time and I was training as a news photographer. We had the TK-76s at the time, a rather expensive piece of gear. Suds walks up to me and says, “That costs as much as the house you live in, don’t drop it.” Needless to say, I didn’t.
Perspective is a wonderful thing.
As an intern at WICU, I worked with either Frank Rizzone and Dale Evanoff or the team of Joe Toscanno and Hyle Richmond. I was always amazed at how Hyle worked the courthouse, both county and federal from top to bottom as well as City Hall. He had the trust and
respect of the decision makers and I learned alot.
When Hyle retired, I was working in Columbus where a chain of fast food restaurants called Daddy-o’s was located. Hyle’s standard greeting was “Hey daddy-o.”
So I cut a video greeting outside the restaurant saying something about Hyle starting his own chain after retirement.
I remember working with Hyle back in the 70′s when we had the old 16mm sound cameras. Trying to follow him around the county court house was like trying to keep up with a mad mouse in a maze. He was in one office after another. Fijnally I got smart, I would go into the news breakroom and have coffee until he found his story, then drag my gear to wherever he was. He was great to work with, don’t think I ever saw him mad.
The most memorable time was once when he was interviewing the Late Gordon Kenndey, Erie County DA. Gordy grabbed the mike from Hyle and started to interview him. I almost dropped the camera from laughing so hard.
I heard just yesterday that the media folks up north in Toronto have a TV museum where Walter Cronkite lives on. The MZ (pronounced Em Zed) TV museum showcases analog television sets with Walter himself being broadcast on them….. Wow, what a neat idea! Does anybody have enough money for a passport?
Dave…head to Washington DC and the Smithsonian…lots of analog TV’s and old memories. Or better still, make a trip to NYC and the Museum of broadcasting.