Morgan Freeman replaces Cronkite on CBS voiceover

[onehandle]

Source: AP

Jan 4, 5:03 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Nearly six months after Walter Cronkite's death, his voice is leaving the "CBS Evening News." His introduction of anchor Katie Couric was replaced Monday by a voiceover featuring actor Morgan Freeman.

The legendary CBS News anchor recorded the introduction, played at the beginning of most newscasts, when Couric started at CBS in 2006. Cronkite's voice was kept on the air even after his death July 17.

"As comforting as it is to look back on the great career that Walter had, we're looking forward now and we just felt it was the right time to make the move that at some point had to be made," said CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus. "This seemed like the appropriate time since Walter's passing to make the move."

Having Freeman on board gives CBS the flexibility to record different intros when Couric has special reports and is on location, he said.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CBS_CRONKITE

[tularetom]

1. Wow it sounds like god is introducing the CBS evening news

[virgogal]

2. I'll second that!

[Captain Hilts]

6. If you assume God is a man. nt

[tularetom]

8. I ain't even sure god is anthropomorphic - may be just a disembodied voice

If so, I'm guessing that voice sounds a lot like Morgan Freeman.

God needs a big booming voice to get the attention of all us assholes who are fucking up his/her creation.

[Bucky]

9. For narrative authority, it goes Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, Sam Waterston

And then the late Walter Cronkite. God may not be a "man" per se, but God indisputably has a southern male baritone voice. Hmm, I guess you gotta throw Ossie Davis in there, but he sounds old, not eternal. If you can't afford Freeman, get Waterston. If you can't afford Waterston, get Ossie Davis. The guy who narrates Frontline, Will Lyman, does an okay job, but his voice comes off kinda tinny compared to these others. Of course he's not a southerner (his bio says he's from Vermont, but he gets kudos for hiding his accent).

[Bucky]

12. Oops, I left Peter Coyote off the list. He's an a-lister and not even Southern

I apologize to all you yankees out there.

[Bucky]

14. I thought of another... Leonard Nimoy, though I think he only does car commercials

[kentauros]

23. You forgot Ken Nordine.

You should never forget Ken Nordine ;)

[Codeine]

35. Worrrrd Jazzzz. nt

[Captain Hilts]

25. All men. Mostly black men, ironically. Lauren Bacall was never asked to do so for news or

a financial institution.

We still associate authority with deep, male voices.

[LiberalFighter]

18. His voice does sound presidential too. Helped him look good in that disaster movie

in which he played a President.

[goclark]

29. Just saw him in Invictus ~ his voice and his acting

are Award winning.

Good news

[tblue]

3. Was just talking to someone about his voice today. It is everywhere!!!

I was saying he's today's James Earl Jones. Great voices both.

[Captain Hilts]

4. I like Freeman, but God forbid a woman gets to do it. Male voices are still the model for authority

[LiberalFighter]

19. A female voice that I really like is Lisa Ling. I really like her narrations.

[CTyankee]

30. Christianne Amanpour

She's my candidate.

Either her or that Italian woman from NPR with the deep voice. God, they both have commanding voices...love 'em...

[LiberalFighter]

31. I absolutely don't like hers

[Tesha]

33. Sylvia Poggioli?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101034



I've always thought her name sounds like some sort of
Italian cuisinary treat: "Yes, thanks, I'll have another
Poggioli; they're delicious!" ;)

Tesha

[CTyankee]

36. Yep, that's who I was thinking of!

She sounds really sharp and really sexy at the same time. I just love to hear her voice...

[Submariner]

5. Couric,nor any other so-called reporter, did not deserve a Cronkite introduction

Not a one of them are professional or competent enough to shine Walter's shoes.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Agree. nt

[JNelson6563]

20. +1

Amen.

[greyl]

10. I'll be expecting to hear "Get busy living, or get busy dying". nt

[Tesha]

34. If he says that, he'll probably just be "phoning it in" from Zihuatanejo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zihuatanejo

Tesha

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

11. Yuk

No thanks, Morgan Freeman kinda creeps me out these days.

[Captain Hilts]

26. Doesn't he have female trouble?

[Zoeisright]

13. Damn. I tune in to the first few minutes of that show just to hear Mr.

Cronkite's voice.

While I like Morgan Freeman's voice, I think Mr. Cronkite's is better.

[proteus_lives]

15. Looks like there's a new position in the Morgan Freeman Chain of Command.

[Captain Hilts]

27. Older women just don't get roles like those. Damn. But I love the chart and...

I LOVED "Invictus," not because it was a good movie but because I remember when all that was going on.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

32. LOL, that's awesome.

:rofl:

[bamacrat]

16. Cool. But if he does the coin toss at the National Championship game, its too much.

He is everywhere. But is there anything he cant do?

[tomg]

17. As much as I enjoy Morgan Freeman,

and I do realize that it is simply a voiceover, I have to see it as one more step in the infotainment of the news.

[Captain Hilts]

24. James Earl Jones had done them for news, too. nt

[Algorem]

21. Is he going to be the new voice of Moloch at Bohemian Grove ?

Or doesn't he cavort there with our masters like The Great Cronkite?

[No Elephants]

22. If the voice of Cronkite, a great journalist, is "looking back" and the voice of Freeman is

"looking forward," to what are we looking forward? To the time when you can't tell the difference between news and a movie? Or between a TV "journalist" and an actor?

I thought we had reached that point a long time ago, anyway.

In Cronkite's day, there were honest to goodness journalists who had chosen to become broadcasters. Since then, we have "on camera personalities" who simply read what passes for news these days from a monitor, ala Ted Baxter.

[John Kerry VonErich]

28. Nothing says lovin like a voiceover by EZ Reader.

nt