cbs evening news with katie couric drops cronkite’s newscast intro
UPDATE: CRONKITE’S VOICEOVER STAYS WITH NEWSCAST
UPDATE: With thanks to @VoicesDotCom via Twitter where I first saw this new news posted, the family of Walter Cronkite has told CBS News this morning that it would an honor to have the voice of the late news legend remain as part of the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric”. Read about it here.
As you might guess, I LOVE this decision.
You don’t think any of them read the blog post below earlier this morning, do you? Nah, nobody reads this digital rag!
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Original Post
“The CBS Evening News” broadcast has decided to stop using the newscast’s recorded introduction voiced by Walter Cronkite, following the famed anchor’s death at age 92 on Friday evening. The iconic Cronkite was known to be in failing health for sometime. The voice over introduction had been used for the broadcast since it became “The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” in 2006. (Source: New York Times)
That’s the news, now for an opinion.
CBS News President Sean McManus said “it didn’t feel right” to continue to use Cronkite’s voice after his death. I understand the sentiment, I get it and I respect it.
But I do think two things about the decision:
I think you’re giving up the best newscast intro ever voiced – there was so much implied by his voiceover in addition to his great and immediately recognizable delivery.
I would also hate to be the man or woman who is chosen to follow that man as the new announcer.
Dan Rather wasn’t wise enough to really understand what a tough act Cronkite would be to follow when he lobbied for the “CBS Evening News” anchor job in 1981. Most announcers aren’t that oblivious.
[…] had indicated the program would lose Cronkite’s voice on the open in 2009 after the anchor man died but the Cronkite family allowed it to be used ever after, which (it was said at the time) made […]