WASHINGTON (AFP)--U.S. television news legend Walter Cronkite,
dubbed "the most trusted man in America" for his calm delivery
during a tumultuous period in U.S. history, died Friday in New York
at the age of 92, said the CBS network, where he spent most of his
career.
Cronkite presented the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981.
During that time he delivered the news on civil rights unrest, the
assassination of president John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam war, the
Cold War, the moon landing, and the Watergate scandal that toppled
president Richard Nixon.
Cronkite's period as a news anchor coincided with a time that
television reigned supreme as the dominant media in the United
States.
"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed
America without Walter Cronkite," CBS News and Sports President
Sean McManus said in a statement.
"More than just the best and most trusted anchor in history, he
guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories
and greatest moments," McManus said.
Brian Williams, the current evening anchor on rival NBC News,
told MSNBC that "Cronkite used to address the nation; other people
delivered the news."
The esteem that Americans had for Cronkite was highlighted in a
1972 opinion poll that found him more trusted than any politician,
religious leader or sports hero.
"No one quarrelled with it. The moniker stuck to him forever,"
said Williams, who described Cronkite as "the first modern-day
anchor."
Cronkite had for years been suffering from cerebrovascular
disease, The Washington Post reported, quoting relatives.