Funeral for US newsman Walter Cronkite who died at 92

(24 Jul 2009) SHOTLIST
AP Television
1. Exterior tilt down of St Bartholomew's church
POOL
New York, 23 July 2009
2. Walter Cronkite's casket being brought into church
3. ABC journalists Charles Gibson and Barbara Walter arriving
4. CBS political commentator Andy Rooney arriving
5. NBC anchor Brian Williams arriving
6. Wide of church interior
7. Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw walking in aisle
8. Various of former CBS news anchor Dan Rather seated
9. Zoom out of CBS journalist Bob Schieffer seated
10. Wide of church interior
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Andy Rooney, CBS commentator/friend of Walter Cronkite:
"I just feel so terrible about Walter's death that I can hardly say anything. He's been such a great friend over the years. Please excuse me. Thank you."
12. Wide of church interior
13. Mid of audience
14. Wide of Cronkite's son, Walter Cronkite III, walking to podium
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Walter Leland Cronkite III, son of Walter Cronkite:
"When we were young, my sisters and I came to Sunday school here at St Bart's. Four years ago, we memorialised our mom here, then we went out to Kansas City to bury her. We'll be going back out soon to put dad's ashes next to mom's."
AP Television
New York, 23 July 2009
16. Wide exterior of St Bartholomew's church
17. Pan of crowd outside church
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Dan Rather, former CBS news anchor:
"Walter Cronkite stood for quality journalism with integrity. That was the constant beacon he sent out. I think it will resonate and shine, I hope for the ages, certainly for a long time."
19. Wide of Cronkite's casket being put into a hearse for the journey to Kansas City where he will be buried
STORYLINE:
US broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, who died on 17 July, was remembered on Thursday at a memorial service in New York, as a great newsman, sailor, friend and father.
A speaker during the service, at St Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan, longtime CBS newsman and "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney, recalled meeting Cronkite when they both were in England covering World War II.
"I just feel so terrible about Walter's death that I can hardly say anything," he admitted, and excused himself.
The remarkably intimate ceremony was witnessed by a near-capacity crowd at the enormous St Bartholomew's Church in midtown Manhattan, where the Cronkite family has worshipped for years.
Broadcast journalists - co-workers, competitors, successors - were on hand, including Connie Chung, Bob Schieffer, Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams, Dan Rather, Barbara Walters, Charles Gibson, Matt Lauer, Tom Brokaw, Morley Safer and Meredith Vieira.
But there was also room for members of the public to pay their respects.
Cronkite, who was famous as an anchor on CBS and came to be called "the most trusted man in America," was widely considered the top TV journalist of his time.
He anchored "The CBS Evening News" from 1962 until 1981.
Before the service, admirers lingered outside the church where news vans lined the kerb.
A separate memorial will be held within the next few weeks at New York's Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts.
Cronkite's coffin was placed in a hearse after the service and he is to be cremated with his ashes buried next to those of his wife, Betsy, in the family plot at a cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.
Cronkite passed away on 17 July 2009, aged 92.
He died from a cerebral vascular disease at his Manhattan home surrounded by his family.

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