Eyewitness to History become executive producer of "ABC Evening News" and, later, "20/20". http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=eyewitnessto Eyewitness to History Eyewitness to History was a CBS Friday night public affairs program which was initially hosted by veteran broadcaster Charles Kuralt (1960-'61), followed by Walter Cronkite (1961-'62), and Charles Collingwood (1962-'63). It aired from September 30, 1960 through July 26, 1963, sponsored by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. This show concentrated on the most significant news story or stories, reviewing the events. The show's title was shortened to Eyewitness in 1961. Coincidentally, many local CBS affiliates adopted the branding "Eyewitness News" for their local newscasts in the
Walter Cronkite added to the McCain-Feingold-Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2001 that would have required TV broadcast companies to provide free airtime to candidates. Cronkite criticized the present system of campaign finance which allows elections to "be purchased" by special interests, and he noted that all the European democracies "provide their candidates with extensive free airtime." "In fact," Cronkite pointed out, "of all the major nations worldwide that profess to have democracies, only seven – just seven – do not offer free airtime" This put the United States on a list with Ecuador, Honduras, Malaysia, Taiwan, Tanzania, and Trinidad and Tobago.