Lester Crystal, who was responsible for making PBS' NewsHour one hour, dies at 85
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In 1983, former NBC News president Lester joined became executive producer of The MacNeil/Lehrer Report and expanded it into The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, making it the first hourlong nightly news broadcast in the U.S. The expansion allowed the NewsHour to tackle topics with breadth and depth. "World leaders, presidential candidates and other newsmakers were interviewed at length as the broadcast, generally spurning spot news, examined issues in segments that had more in common with a newsmagazine than with the evening news on ABC, CBS and NBC," says Neil Genzlinger. "And though the network programs were far more widely watched, NewsHour gained influence, particularly in the corridors of power."
TOPICS: PBS Newshour, PBS, Lester Crystal, Obits
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