Walter Cronkite, Fiber Optic Pioneer
Posted by Steve Nelson
Walter Cronkite’s recent passing brought back many memories for us here at Telecast. Owner Rich Cerny and Sales Manager Steve Nelson started applying fiber to newscasts back in 1981, configuring fiber and equipment for CBS News and the second Space Shuttle landing at Edwards AFB in California. That same year, Rich had founded Artel Communications (now Artel Video) and Steve worked for CBS News’ Washington Bureau. This STS-2 landing was the first all-fiber-interconnected live network news broadcast. 
Fiber was needed as the cable distances between the broadcast trailers, NASA video building, and the phone company trucks were way too long for conventional copper cabling.
The on-site correspondent was Walter Cronkite in another of his many, many firsts. For a long time, Walter Cronkite was considered “the most trusted man in America”. This time he trusted his show to the fledgling industry of fiber optics. We didn’t let him down.
Both fiber optics and broadcast news have come a long, long, way. Every day, news crews with small camera-mounted fiber optic systems connect to suitcase size portable uplinks that beam their live stories to audiences around the world. Now we broadcast in high definition, and the complete cameras are about the size that the batteries were not long ago. But it was Walter Cronkite, on air with astronaut test pilot Leo Krupp, who did the first all-fiber ENG broadcast.
A few years later, in June 1984, for the 40th D-Day anniversary, Steve once again got to put Walter on the air, this time from Pointe du Hoc in Normandy. CBS News had arranged for Cronkite to interview President Reagan as the President was leaving the battle site. Walter was standing in the pre-determined location with just an audio technician who would hook up the President’s mike. The President approached with just one of his many staff members while the rest of the press corps howled in the distance, realizing that Walter was going to scoop them again.
The audio technician got the President all hooked up and the Presidential staff member adjusted Reagan’s tie, and they both stepped back, leaving two of the most formidable men in the world standing alone together. Walter spoke first, welcoming the President and telling him that they would be on the air in two minutes or so.
The President replied, “Mr. Cronkite, ……………
The correspondent interrupted saying, “You can call me Walter”.
There couldn’t have been much more respect.