CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley - Cronkite's anchoring debut celebrates 50th anniversary

Fifty years ago, Walter Cronkite moved into the anchor chair and changed the future of CBS News. Scott Pelley looks back on how his broadcasts paved the way for the Evening News for years to come.

[@altfactor]

I believe Walter Cronkite first used he "And That's The Way It Is" sign-off at the end of CBS's live coverage of John Glenn's orbital space flight in February, 1962 (two months before he replaced Douglass Edwards on the "Evening News"). I have heard an urban legend that CBS and Cronkite had almost half of the total viewing audience at the moment of Glenn's launch, and when the ratings came out, CBS executives decide "If Cronkite could decisively beat NBC and ABC during a space shot, he could do the same on the 'Evening News'", and that was how and when the network put Cronkite on the "Evening News". Of course, thanks to his work as anchorman for live coverage of special events and breaking news (not to mention his role as host and narrator of the history documentary series "Twentieth Century", which by 1962 had become quite popular), Walter Cronkite's name, face, and voice were very familiar to TV viewers for a decade before taking over the "Evening News". CBS would eventually become number one in the evening news ratings, but if would be three years before his ratings would pull even with those of his then-top-rated NBC rivals, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley; and another two years before Cronkite moved ahead.

[@russell2550]

Monday September 2, 1963 will be another milestone for CBS News The CBS Evening News celebrates 50 years in the half hour format and Walter Cronkite's first debut in the half hour format it has been 4 years since CBS lost Walter Cronkite

[@brianarbenz7206]

Telling people to read more about these stories in the newspapers was more sincere than declaring, "That's the way it is."

[@fromthesidelines]

Cronkite appeared twice each evening for CBS affiliates; at 6:45pm(et), and a 7:15pm "feed" for those stations who didn't carry the 6:45 broadcast; most of them (including WCBS-TV in New York) had expanded their local news to 7pm by that time. In September 1963, he started appearing at 6:30pm [with a 7pm "feed"].

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Did they have an anchor, then, for the west coast feed to update stories from the Cronkite Broadcast? We should never forget Douglas Edwards, the man who Walter replaced (and Cronkite always described him in the kindest terms as Edwards lost his seat). Douglas Edwards was a superior anchor and in my opinion, the best news reader ever.

[@AarHan3]

And that's the way it was: Monday, April 16, 1962.

[@fromthesidelines]

He'd taken over from Doug Edwards- who moved into the daytime hours with a five-minute newscast {"THE CBS AFTERNOON NEWS"} that lasted through the 1960's. It didn't become "THE CBS EVENING NEWS" until late 1962.

[@shahrulamar5358]

@@fromthesidelines Cronkite look older than his age. 😮😮

[@fromthesidelines]

1:32- Don Hewitt had been Edwards' director during most of the 14 years he anchored his newscast. At one point, he wanted Doug to learn Braille, so that he wouldn't have to look down at his desk to read his script. Edwards refused to consider such an idea..

[@MrJoeybabe25]

By 1962 was the Douglas Edwards newscast doing very poorly in the ratings, hence the change?

[@joerouse7908]

@@MrJoeybabe25 The Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC was either beating Edwards in the ratings or breathing down his neck fast and hard. In an interview with Tom Snyder, Edwards admitted that he knew things were getting tough and that CBS was probably going to have to make a change. You can find that interview here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/houQhYaMps2fgaM

[@Lafayette320]

Not to diminish the importance of Walter Cronkite's role in establishing and maintaining credibility to the evening newscast, somehow, the public fails to credit NBC News' "The Huntley Brinkley Report," 1956-1970. It was the number one watched network news program in that era. "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" took the number one position after Chet Huntley said, "Good night...,David. And good night for NBC News" for the last time.

[@professor1966]

The tide began turning in the summer of 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.. Cronkite and CBS were willing to go the distance to inform viewers about what was involved in the mission (technology, etc.), whereas NBC, particularly David Brinkley, couldn't seem to care less..

[@rtcp2020]

0:43 also where can I find that video.

[@BartlettTFD]

How Mr. Cronkite would report today’s news in 2022 would be a story in itself. From the crude language used by our politicians today, to Americans wanting to trash our democracy, Walter would be thoroughly disgusted, just as I am.

[@rtcp2020]

0:21 where I can find that video.

[@robemega]

Scott Pelley might be the last anchor to not yell the news at us. Everything is “BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT.”