TV

Don Hewitt, creator of 60 Minutes, passes away at 86

Don Hewitt, broadcast television innovator and creator of CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, has passed away at the age of 86 of pancreatic cancer, according to the network. Hewitt began his career with CBS News in 1948, as an associate director of its early 15-minute news broadcasts. He also produced the first televised presidential debates in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. In 1965, after leaving The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, he worked on documentaries for a spell before coming up with an idea to combine the multi-story magazine format found in titles such as Life with television news, resulting in the debut of 60 Minutes in 1968. He was the program's executive producer until he stepped down in 2004, moving into a position as an exec producer for CBS News. 'It is a sad and difficult time for all of us who work at 60 Minutes,' said the program's EP, Jeff Fager. 'Don was a giant figure in our lives and will always have an impact on this broadcast - there's a part of him in every one of us, and it affects every decision we make.'

August 19, 2009

Don Hewitt, broadcast television innovator and creator of CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, has passed away at the age of 86 of pancreatic cancer, according to the network. Hewitt began his career with CBS News in 1948, as an associate director of its early 15-minute news broadcasts. He also produced the first televised presidential debates in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. In 1965, after leaving The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, he worked on documentaries for a spell before coming up with an idea to combine the multi-story magazine format found in titles such as Life with television news, resulting in the debut of 60 Minutes in 1968. He was the program's executive producer until he stepped down in 2004, moving into a position as an exec producer for CBS News. 'It is a sad and difficult time for all of us who work at 60 Minutes,' said the program's EP, Jeff Fager. 'Don was a giant figure in our lives and will always have an impact on this broadcast - there's a part of him in every one of us, and it affects every decision we make.'

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About The Author

Barry Walsh is editor-in-chief and content director for Realscreen, and has served as editor of the publication since 2009. With a career in entertainment media that spans two decades, prior to Realscreen, he held the associate editor post for now defunct sister publication Boards, which focused on the advertising and commercial production industries. Before Boards, he served as editor of Canadian Music Network, a weekly music industry trade, and as music editor for HMV.com. As content director, he also oversees the development of content for the brand's market-leading events, the Realscreen Summit and Realscreen West, as well as new content initiatives.

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