CBS News' Christopher Glenn Retires
After a 35 years as an integral part of CBS News, correspondent Christopher Glenn is hanging up his microphone Thursday.
Most recently the anchor of CBS Radio's flagship newscast, The World News Round-Up, the longest-running news program in broadcasting, Glenn, 67, has "done just about everything there is to do, from producing to writing to reporting in the field and anchoring and writing inside."
He began anchoring WNR in April 1999, after 11 years as the anchor of The World Tonight, the original CBS News evening broadcast and now called World News Round-Up Late Edition.
Glenn and WNR producer Paul Farry won a Radio Television News Directors Association award last year for "best newscast."
What was his favorite role at CBS News?
"I would be hard-pressed to say. I've had a great deal of enjoyment from the jobs that took me into the field as a reporter, but I've also very much enjoyed being an anchor the last 10-15 years of my career," he told CBSNews.com.
In addition to two editions of the Round-Up, Glenn also wrote and anchored several hourly newscasts each day.
Glenn has been producing, writing and narrating the daily CBS Radio Network broadcast What's in the News since its inception in 1995. He has also anchored and reported coverage of dozens of space shuttle missions, national political conventions and many other major news stories.
One of those space shuttle missions was the highlight of his career, he says.
"Definitely being there when Challenger blew up in front of my face in 1986. (audio) I had to get back on the air real fast to describe that, and had a very difficult time doing that," he recalled. "It was a very, very emotional moment — probably the most emotional of my career. It was tough to keep it under control while I was doing the broadcast."
On a happier note, another highlight was the 1984 Democratic national convention, when Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman vice presidential candidate. "People standing up, locking arms and rocking back and forth, and singing and cheering and clapping...."
CBS News anchor Charles Osgood looks back to Christopher Glenn's 35 years at CBS News.Correspondent Christopher Glenn on what he enjoyed the most in his career at CBS News.
He also handled numerous assignments for CBS Television. He was the reporter/narrator for the Emmy Award-winning In The News series of current-event broadcasts for young viewers throughout its 15years (1971-1986). He also anchored several editions of What's It All About? an award-winning television series for young people in the early 1970's. From 1978-1982, Glenn was a reporter and co-anchor on another award-winning TV series for young people, 30 Minutes.
He was co-anchor and interviewer for CBS News Nightwatch, an overnight four-hour news and information broadcast on CBS-TV from its debut in 1982 until 1984.
Which does he like better, radio or television?
"My personal preference would be radio, I think," he said. "That's where I started, and I've always thought that the medium was especially good for communicating with audiences because you don't just have to sit there and stare at the pictures. You have to tell them the story and make them understand, and I think that that's much more of a challenge for a journalist, and it makes it more interesting in the long run."
Prior to joining CBS News, Glenn was managing editor of the Metromedia Radio News Network in Washington, DC (1970-1971) and a reporter/editor/documentary producer for WNEW Radio in New York from 1964 to 1970. He also worked for the news departments of WICC Radio in Bridgeport, Conn., Radio Press International in New York and Armed Forces Broadcasting in Korea and New York City.
"I've been doing it, in the business, at least, for about 50 years, 35 here. Done it all, seen a lot, had a very good time, very few disappointments, very few bad days if you want to put it that way, and I'm sorry to go, but it's time now," he told CBSNews.com.
A native New Yorker, Glenn received a BA degree from the University of Colorado in 1959.
His advice for young broadcast journalists starting their careers now?
"Get a job, want to do it real bad, do it real good, and stick with it. Practice, practice, practice — same old story," Glenn said.
By Lloyd A. de Vries