TV Without Kuralt

In these days when local TV news reporters are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover stories that any cub police reporter could handle at one-tenth the pay, the announcement of Charles Kuralt’s retirement is a tragedy.

A literate, thoughtful reporter, he endows stories with perspective, balance and absence of malice. He lets the story tell itself without hype, misdirected emphasis or distortion. And he obviously likes people.

There is little hope of finding others like him. If there are future Kuralts in the hinterlands, today’s ratings-obsessed news directors will cut them off at the knees.

With Kuralt’s departure, there is no reason to watch TV news.

PHIL WILLON

Palos Verdes Peninsula