Lester Crystal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lester Crystal
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Crystal meeting President Richard Nixon in China during historic visit in 1972
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Lester Martin Crystal
September 13, 1934 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Died | June 24, 2020 (aged 85) |
| Education | M.S., Northwestern University |
| Occupation | Television news producer, executive |
| Known for | President of NBC News; executive producer of PBS NewsHour |
Lester Martin Crystal (born September 13, 1934 – died June 24, 2020) was a very important person in American television news. He won an Emmy Award, which is a top prize for TV shows and people who work on them.
Lester Crystal is best known for two big things:
- He was the first executive producer of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. This was the first hour-long nightly news show in the country. Today, it's called the PBS NewsHour. An executive producer is like the main boss of a TV show, making sure everything runs smoothly.
- He was also the president of NBC News. This means he was in charge of all the news programs at NBC, a major TV network.
He joined The NewsHour in 1983 and later became president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in 2005. He worked there until he retired in 2010. Before PBS, Crystal worked at NBC for 20 years.
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Lester Crystal: A News Legend
Lester Crystal spent about 50 years working in broadcast journalism. This means he worked in TV news. He helped produce the coverage for eight national elections in the U.S. from 1976 to 2004. He did this for both NBC and PBS. This included reporting on who was running for president and who won.
Covering Big Events
Crystal was also part of the news team that traveled with President Richard Nixon on his historic trip to China in 1972. This trip was a very important moment in history for the United States and China. Crystal helped NBC News report on this big event.
A Career in News
Lester Crystal had a long and successful career in TV news.
Leading the News at NBC
From 1977 to 1979, he was the president of NBC News. Before that, he was the executive producer of NBC Nightly News from 1973 to 1976. He also worked as a producer in Europe for NBC Nightly News from 1970 to 1973. He started his producing career on The Huntley-Brinkley Report from 1968 to 1970.
Creating the PBS NewsHour
In 1983, Lester Crystal became the first executive producer of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. This show changed how people watched the news. It was the first time a nightly news program lasted a full hour. This allowed for more in-depth reporting and discussions about important topics. He later became president of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in 2005.
Early Life and Education
Lester Crystal was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on September 13, 1934. He went to Duluth East High School and graduated in 1952.
He then went to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He earned two degrees there: a Bachelor of Science in 1956 and a Master of Science in 1957. In 1997, he was honored by being included in the first group of people in the Medill Hall of Achievement. This is a special recognition for successful alumni.
Lester Crystal passed away on June 24, 2020. He died after battling brain cancer for two and a half years.
