REMEMBERING BARBARA WALTERS INCLUDING A TODAY SHOW SEGEMENT FROM 60 YEARS AGO TODAY

 

I grew up with many media experiences in the late 1960s and early 1970s including the NBC Today Show.

Watching Frank McGee or Frank Blair hosting, interviewing etc. etc. but there was also the prominent personality of Barbara Walters.

As I became more "Conservative" and "Political" I recall being extremely bothered by a segment Barbara Walters did with Norma Gabler.

Gabler was a very well-known conservative activist who consistently challenged the liberal biases of school textbooks in Texas.

Barbara Walters threw the firebomb question at her asking what gives you the right to challenge biased school textbooks.

The whole segment seemed to confirm what the radio preachers told me back then that television was biased to the Left.

One could also see the show biz aspect of that the creation of controversy the attempt to generate a response that was emotional in nature.

Barbara Walters father Lou had a long-time show business career with ups and downs and Barbara found herself in the thick of entertainment at an early age.

She worked in television and magazine jobs in the 1950's eventually landing at NBC's Today Show in 1961.

Walters did light segments on the show including one that aired 60 years ago December 31st, 1962.

         "I enjoyed seeing you as a bunny"

HUGH DOWNS REACTS TO BARBARA WALTERS AS A PLAYBOY BUNNY IN A TODAY SHOW SEGMENT THAT AIRED 60 YEARS AGO TODAY DECEMBER 31, 1962...VIDEO LINK

But Barbara Walters always had more serious aspirations apparent in her hosting of a talk show called "Not for Women Only" with serious topical guests that aired on local television stations in New York and some other cities back in the early 1970's.

She got a break in the mid-1970's when ABC brought her on to co-anchor the news with Harry Reasoner.

It was a sad time for me as a news viewer watching Howard Smith moved to a lesser role on that network's evening news to accommodate her.

Her presence did nothing to change the ratings and eventually ABC News under the new leadership of Roone Arledge gave Barbara Walters shows featuring celebrity-newsmaker interviews.

 Barbara Walters aggressively competed for interviews.

In 1977 as Egyptian President Anwar Sadat flew to Israel for an historic visit Walter Cronkite watched Walters bolt across the runway to get on the plane where he had arranged for his exclusive with Mr. Sadat.

And in the news business the "B-Eye-Itch" moniker was applied to her she was demanding of those she worked with and ready, willing and able to get anyone who did not meet her expectations fired.

Barabara Walters found success in an opportune time for women in media.

I responded to her with varied emotions including infatuation.    I had this thing for Jewish women and it certainly clicked with Barbara Walters.

Generally speaking Barbara dressed professionally I would have wanted a pinup poster the other boys had them for Suzanne Somers or Farah Fawcett but alas no such poster existed for Barbara Walters back in the 1970's.

But today in my heart I want to think positively about her life and her work not have any impure or angry thoughts.

Here is a segment that Johnny Carson did on the "Tonight Show" with Barbara back in 1983...

                               BARBARA WALTERS INTERVIEW WITH JOHNNY CARSON