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Frank StantonFrank Stanton
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Session:         Page of 755

Stanton:

For the most part, Ed lived with the policy. There were occasions when the situation didn't call for balance. You couldn't give equal time to Hitler, for example. That was a ridiculous situation. But if you had people, in this country, who were supportive of the war and had other people who were not supportive, we made sure that both viewpoints got on the air.

Ed Murrow is a good case in point of the star system in news.

[END OF SIDE ONE, TAPE ONE; BEGINNING OF SIDE TWO, TAPE ONE]

Q:

Okay.

Stanton:

Ed Murrow had his followers, because Ed was doing exceptional broadcasts from England during the war. Others on other networks were doing similar broadcasts but Ed's voice and his skill as a reporter lifted him out of the pack, and he was respected for his ability to get the story and to report it succinctly. And he did have a voice recognition factor that was very important. No question that he had that skill and that on-air personality, if you will.

[Walter] Cronkite had it on television -- still has it. Cronkite had a following as the most trusted man in America.

You do get the stars and there's no way to avoid it -- in all areas where there are differences in the performances of people. This is true of Carnegie Hall as well as in the broadcast





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