Jules Bergman was the other "Cronkite" He covered many areas of science and technology for ABC News. He was there for the first flights of Mercury, and reported for 5 hours straight after the 1986 Challenger disaster.
In the days of just 3 news networks, I would sit right in front of the tv (still have my eyesight) and twist the channel knob between 11, 13, 11, 13, 11, 13. Over and over and over.
Cronkite was more personal, know to even "wipe a tear" once and a while. Bergman was a little more serious. In fact. in order to more fully understand the astronauts and their missions, Bergman often took part in the same training and simulations that the astronauts did. (He had some awsome models of the spacecraft sitting on the desk in front of him.)
He also covered the interplanetary missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's unmanned space probes, notably the landing of the Viking landers on Mars and deep-space Voyager programs.
I remember watching him during ABC's coverage of the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, and watched him cover live Evel Knievel's 1974 attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon for Wide World of Sports. (afterall, he was a rocket expert - Evil was not)
Bergman died from a brain tumor on February 11, 1987. His passing was reported not just by ABC News, but also on the CBS and NBC nightly newscasts. A memorial service was held four days later in New York City, at which Bergman was eulogized by the NASA astronaut Joseph P. Allen.
As you post, twit, fb, or blog - remember the lengths these early journalists went to keep spaceflight in the public eye. Without them, we would not be able to take part in our journey next month.
