Burt Reinhardt
Encyclopedia
Burton "Burt" Reinhardt was an American
journalist
and news executive, who served as executive Vice President of CNN
from 1980 to 1982 and the second President of CNN from 1982 to 1990. In his capacity as vice president, Reinhardt helped to hire most of CNN's first 200 employees, including the cable network's first news anchor, Bernard Shaw
.
Reinhardt was born in New York City
on April 19, 1920. He began working as an assistant cameraman for the Movietone News
newsreel
company in 1939. He served as a combat cameraman with the United States Army
's pictoral service in the Pacific theater during World War II
.
Reinhardt became Fox Movietone News' managing editor
following the end of World War II. He then became the executive vice president of United Press International
's (UPI) television film division, the UPI Newsfilm. Reinhardt then co-founded UPI's television news agency
, United Press International Television News
(UPITN), during the late 1960s. He next served as Paramount Pictures
' executive vice president of the "non-theatrical and educational film division."
He departed Paramount Pictures to help launch CNN
at the invitation of Ted Turner
, the founder of the cable news network. Turner, who actively recruited Reinhardt to CNN, later wrote that Reinhardt was "a seasoned professional who knew how to get things done," in his autobiography
, Call Me Ted. CNN was launched in 1980, with Reinhardt serving as the network's executive vice president from 1980 to 1982. AS executive VP. Reinhardt recruited and hired most of CNN's first 200 employees, including Bernard Shaw, who became CNN's first news anchor. Reinhardt was also responsible for all financial decisions made by the network during the first two years CNN on on-air.
In January 1982, Ted Turner appointed Reinhardt as the second President of CNN, succeeding Reese Schonfeld
. He would serve as CNN's president for the next eight years. As president, Reinhardt oversaw the creation of several of CNN's most prominent shows, including Larry King Live
, which aired from 1985 to 2011, and Crossfire
. He arranged for CNN to charge other news organizations a price for the reuse of CNN's on-air news pieces. Reinhardt created to share news with local news
affiliates in the United States, later expanding the exchange program to include international broadcasts, including China
. Reinhardt also expanded much of CNN infrastructure, including the establishment of approximately twenty news bureau
around the world.
According to the Washington Post, Reinhardt supported live coverage of the rescue of Jessica McClure
, known as Baby Jessica, who was trapped in a well
in Midland, Texas
, for fifty-eight hours in 1987. Reinhardt also spearheaded live coverage of all space shuttle
launches during the 1980s. The move allowed CNN to unexpectedly broadcast the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
live on television in January 1986.
Reinhardt placed the CNN logo
in the lower right-hand corner of the television screen in 1988. The addition of the logo initially angered some CNN affiliates, who viewed the logo as distracting. However, the move helped to make CNN an easily identifiable brand
, which has been copied by other television networks.
Reinhardt stepped down as president of CNN in 1990 and was succeeded by broadcast executive, Tom Johnson
. Johnson, CNN's third president, later called Reinhardt, "instrumental in the success of CNN." Reinhardt remained with CNN in several capacities until his retirement in 2003.
Burt Reinhardt died at his home in Marietta, Georgia
, of complications from a series of strokes on May 10, 2011, at the age of 91. He was buried in Union, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife of 59 years, Diana Shaw Reinhardt, a daughter, son and grandson. Another son, Barry S. Reinhardt, died in 1960.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and news executive, who served as executive Vice President of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
from 1980 to 1982 and the second President of CNN from 1982 to 1990. In his capacity as vice president, Reinhardt helped to hire most of CNN's first 200 employees, including the cable network's first news anchor, Bernard Shaw
Bernard Shaw (journalist)
Bernard Shaw is a retired American journalist and former news anchor for CNN from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001.-Early years:...
.
Reinhardt was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on April 19, 1920. He began working as an assistant cameraman for the Movietone News
Movietone News
Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States, and from 1929 to 1979 in the United Kingdom.-History:It is known in the U.S. as Fox Movietone News, produced cinema, sound newsreels from 1928 to 1963 in the U.S., from 1929 to 1979 in the UK , and from 1929 to 1975 in...
newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
company in 1939. He served as a combat cameraman with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's pictoral service in the Pacific theater during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Reinhardt became Fox Movietone News' managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
following the end of World War II. He then became the executive vice president of United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
's (UPI) television film division, the UPI Newsfilm. Reinhardt then co-founded UPI's television news agency
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
, United Press International Television News
United Press International Television News
Successor to earlier UPI television news film operations, United Press International Television News, abbreviated as UPITN, was a television news agency, operating from 1967 to 1985. United Press International Television News and Visnews were the two largest and most important television news...
(UPITN), during the late 1960s. He next served as Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
' executive vice president of the "non-theatrical and educational film division."
He departed Paramount Pictures to help launch CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
at the invitation of Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
, the founder of the cable news network. Turner, who actively recruited Reinhardt to CNN, later wrote that Reinhardt was "a seasoned professional who knew how to get things done," in his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Call Me Ted. CNN was launched in 1980, with Reinhardt serving as the network's executive vice president from 1980 to 1982. AS executive VP. Reinhardt recruited and hired most of CNN's first 200 employees, including Bernard Shaw, who became CNN's first news anchor. Reinhardt was also responsible for all financial decisions made by the network during the first two years CNN on on-air.
In January 1982, Ted Turner appointed Reinhardt as the second President of CNN, succeeding Reese Schonfeld
Reese Schonfeld
Maurice "Reese" Schonfeld is an American television journalist who was co-founder of CNN and the Food Network.Schonfeld grew up in Newark, New Jersey, graduated from Dartmouth College and received an M.A. and a law degree from Columbia University....
. He would serve as CNN's president for the next eight years. As president, Reinhardt oversaw the creation of several of CNN's most prominent shows, including Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, which aired from 1985 to 2011, and Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
. He arranged for CNN to charge other news organizations a price for the reuse of CNN's on-air news pieces. Reinhardt created to share news with local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
affiliates in the United States, later expanding the exchange program to include international broadcasts, including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Reinhardt also expanded much of CNN infrastructure, including the establishment of approximately twenty news bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
around the world.
According to the Washington Post, Reinhardt supported live coverage of the rescue of Jessica McClure
Jessica McClure
Jessica McClure Morales became famous at the age of 18 months after falling into a well in the backyard of 3309 Tanner Dr. Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987. Between that day and October 16, rescuers worked for 58 hours to free "Baby Jessica" from the eight-inch-wide well casing below the ground...
, known as Baby Jessica, who was trapped in a well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
in Midland, Texas
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, for fifty-eight hours in 1987. Reinhardt also spearheaded live coverage of all space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launches during the 1980s. The move allowed CNN to unexpectedly broadcast the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
live on television in January 1986.
Reinhardt placed the CNN logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
in the lower right-hand corner of the television screen in 1988. The addition of the logo initially angered some CNN affiliates, who viewed the logo as distracting. However, the move helped to make CNN an easily identifiable brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
, which has been copied by other television networks.
Reinhardt stepped down as president of CNN in 1990 and was succeeded by broadcast executive, Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson (journalist)
Wyatt Thomas Johnson is an American journalist and media executive, best known for serving as president of Cable News Network during the 1990s and, before that, as publisher of the Los Angeles Times newspaper...
. Johnson, CNN's third president, later called Reinhardt, "instrumental in the success of CNN." Reinhardt remained with CNN in several capacities until his retirement in 2003.
Burt Reinhardt died at his home in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, of complications from a series of strokes on May 10, 2011, at the age of 91. He was buried in Union, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife of 59 years, Diana Shaw Reinhardt, a daughter, son and grandson. Another son, Barry S. Reinhardt, died in 1960.