Walter Cronkite on Larry King!!!

[Caoimhe]

I absolutely adore him! I wish he could live forever!

[madaboutharry]

1. I wonder what he thinks about

Katie Couric's new job. Jeez Louise! I think the transition from Walter to ditzy is a sad reflection of how shallow we have become.

[w4rma]

3. What do you mean "we"? "We" don't have any control over who sit in that

chair.

[madaboutharry]

10. I am talking about society as a whole, not

about the evening news!! If "we" as a society weren't so shallow.... oh, jeez.

[Radio_Lady]

11. OT: Jeff Wadlow, Katie Couric's nephew -- WOO-WOO!

Young HOT filmmaker -- reminds me of George Clooney.

[Faygo Kid]

2. Thanks! A living legend; a great American.

He was the Best. Still is a great person.

[Sydnie]

4. Oh I love him too!!

Come back Walter -- we need you! :loveya: :hug:

[AlamoDemoc]

5. Larry couldn't give Mr. Cronkite an hour alone on the show

instead he invited; former producer of Today's show, a nephew of Ms. Katie, and his extras on media purification (clips of Katie)!

[Radio_Lady]

12. Alamo, Larry has had Walter Cronkite as a single guest -- you must

have missed those shows.

This one has a different focus. I think the program is well-done tonight. The news is Katie, not Walter.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[AlamoDemoc]

16. Thanks...I recall seeing sort of program Larry run with Mr. Cronkite

....it was kind of boring, and served Larry's hobby of journalism/ratings.

[Radio_Lady]

17. Since I replaced Larry King on the air, and dated him briefly years

ago, I can't help but have a warm place in my heart for him. He was taken off the air in December 1971, a few days before Christmas. I was his volunteer screener (answering the telephone lines before the calls went on the air). After his arrest, the program manager, Biggie Nevins, told me I could take the job -- 11PM to 5AM talk and music show -- until they found a male host to replace him. I was heard by a station in Boston and got a new job in May 1972, first female talk show host with a full-time call-in show in that city.

I like to tell people, "I dated Larry, but didn't marry him." I am really not objective about the guy. He's changed a lot since he was in his 20s (my goodness, who hasn't?), when he was a funny and talented disk jockey on a local AM station in Miami, Florida. At that time, I was a children's TV star in my own right. Here's the picture to prove it. My co-host here, Chuck Zink, just passed away in January at age 80. I go back a long way in broadcasting, and Larry is a big part of my past. By the way, I did call him years ago one night when he was on Westwood Radio. He didn't remember me... so much for that.



In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Radio_Lady]

6. He is so gracious on this program. What a class act!

I wish Katie Couric the best of luck. She has done one helluva job in my opinion, and on top of that has survived getting up at 3 AM every weekday!

The first woman anchor on network! I am savoring just saying it! It might have been a few other women, such as Jessica Savitch or Leslie Stahl, whom I worked with in 1972 in Florida during the primary elections. This job is one that many women in broadcasting have coveted for decades. We've come a long way since I was at NBC in the 1960s when a woman couldn't get a shot at this in a million years (no women above secretary or production assistant).

Katie Couric was also at WTVJ (where this photo was taken) in Florida long after I was there in 1957-58 while in college.

Here I am in my first job, and beginning a long career in TV and radio broadcasting. I'm not done yet. See my journal page for directions on hearing my Internet program (also available as an SAP program in Oregon and southern Washington).

[Rick Myers]

7. Back in the mid-70s I did TV and radio for AFRTS

In the Air Force... Did the news as a wee lad... Half the base called me 'Walta Cronkite,' and I was HONORED... He is a great man. Should have been President!

[HereSince1628]

8. Suppose anyone actually remembers him? Or cares about his opinion

I sure doubt it.

[Vidar]

20. A lot of us do-- Most admired man in America, during Watergate.

[BlooInBloo]

9. Did he come back to tell us the war is unwinnable?

[Radio_Lady]

13. You must not be watching. The focus is on CBS's choice of Katie

Couric as news anchor, starting next September.

It's a good gig, friend. Take it from a broadcaster who will be 67 next month.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Hamlette]

14. a note on Katie. . .

I hate to be so vague but I read an article online a month or so ago, my guess is I followed a link from here or another political site...it was about a woman who had been interviewed by Katie. The woman thought Katie was a complete lightweight before the interview and was prepared to hate her and the whole process. She didn't. She said Katie asked intelligent questions and had obviously read her "stuff" (book?). Whoever wrote the piece said she came away with a lot of respect for Couric that she didn't have before.

Maybe someone here remembers the article. I've thought of it throughout this latest promotion. Let's hope.

[Radio_Lady]

15. Clearly, she is talented, bright, attractive, and ready for the challenge.

I'm cheering for her all the way. It's what underneath her perky face that counts -- it's what's in her mind and heart. Thanks for the post.

(Oops, Larry just called her a "girl" at age 49. Some things just never change.)

My first promotional flyer, at WEEI-AM Radio, Boston, said, "Have we got a girl for you!" (May 1972).

I'll have to scan the thing in and post it sometime! It's hysterical!

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[AlamoDemoc]

18. I don't meant to sound negative, but you do realize that

men and woman like Larry and Katie where the silent type who never questioned King George, right? They had, or have had, every opportunity to question their morning, or night show to question everyone who lied about the WAR...and they still have the same opportunity to do so, right?

[Radio_Lady]

19. I really have no idea how much pressure either talent is under to

conform to this or that ideology. People here on the DU can't even decide whether the media is LIBERAL or CONSERVATIVE.

I was on-air from December 1971 through the early 1980s when I moved into sales and marketing for a large company. So, we were talking politics a lot during the Vietnam War period, during Watergate, during the time when Nixon resigned and Ford took over. Clearly, I supported the anti-war movement at that time and still do. But we had plenty of Boston veterans and other conservatives to argue with -- don't get me wrong. I also had shows on abortion vs. pro-life, Catholic women as priests, capital punishment, women's liberation -- all the hot topics that are still being discussed today.

The difference is that we were working in an environment where we had to present both points of view -- and allow them on the air. We also had to take telephone calls every three or four minutes. No one would have been allowed to harangue for as long as Rush Limbaugh, Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz, etc. We were told that there were to be "no monologues." "Get right to the telephone calls," was what we were told.

That was the CBS radio management point of view at that time. Although Larry King has married a Mormon woman from Utah, I find it hard to believe that he is NOT a liberal. He very well may have changed -- or maybe politics were not so prominent on his entertainment and comedy-oriented show. (We also played music so the all-night program had a very different feeling to it.) Actually, I never thought Larry was much interested in politics. But I do remember the year he had every presidential candidate on his show? He talked to all of them, including Ross Perot, the cock 'o the walk. I'd say that was pretty even handed. He is simply not a hardball interviewer. I really don't even remember him getting mad on the air.

Interestingly, all the talk show hosts were pretty liberal at the Miami and Boston stations; I'm trying to remember all of them: Len Lawrence, Paul Benzaquin, Jerry Williams, Les Woodruff, and Ben Farnsworth. I only had one convervative who was a lead-in to my show. I "inherited" a tough audience from him, but somehow we made it play.

I probably didn't answer your question, but in truth, I'm not dodging it. I just don't know. Let's see how Katie handles herself in this new environment. I didn't know she will be the Managing Editor of the CBS program. More power to her. Larry may be an old liberal, or something else, but I just can't believe he has a huge political agenda, IMHO.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[AlamoDemoc]

22. Thank you...you did answer my question to a certain extend

I am glad you are DU member...I value your opinion indeed. Thank you.

[Radio_Lady]

23. Thank you for valuing my opinion. In other cultures, people my age

are venerated for having the knowledge acquired over the decades of their life.

In this culture, there are quite a group of people my age (66) who are still alive and kicking. There is some evidence that we even can help the younger generation with their responsibilities, as well as keeping it pretty together physically and mentally ourselves. We do have a different view as we begin to put on years, maybe more mellow, maybe more thoughtful -- and maybe having more fun while taking this wild ride of life!

I appreciate your comment and I thank you again.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Hamlette]

21. they were all silent

I can't think of anyone in broadcast news who was against it.

[Radio_Lady]

24. Perhaps you are right. I can't recall either. But you recall we went

into the war in Afghanistan first, and that seemed appropriate because the intelligence was supposed to show that Osama Bin Laden was there.

However, the administration then squandered the good will and the support that we had around the world when we were pulled into Iraq.

The right wing broadcasters were fully engaged in the Republican struggle during the Clinton years. Some of them just seems to segue into supporting Bush; however, I believe the tide is turning and we'll see what happens to them in the coming months.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Chris Matthews on NBC this morning touting the sinking Republican polls and checking in on how the new revelations have the Republicans on the ropes.

Boy, I gave a big "YES!" with both fists to the ceiling when I heard that.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Booster]

25. Just my opinion, but I say let's wait til she actually gets on air

before we trash her - give her a chance; away from Matt Lauer, Katie just might become a flaming liberal, ya never know. I'm willing to see what she can do in her new job before judging her.