Robert Trout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Trout
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| Born |
Robert Albert Blondheim
October 15, 1909 |
| Died | November 14, 2000 (aged 91) New York City, US
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| Occupation | Broadcast journalist |
Robert Trout was a famous American news reporter. He worked on the radio for CBS News before and during World War II. Many people called him the "Iron Man of Radio." This was because he could speak without a script (ad lib) and stay calm. He was also known for his strong voice and clear speaking.
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Robert Trout's Early Radio Days
Robert Trout was born in Wake County, North Carolina. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and finished high school there. He started using the name "Trout" early in his radio career.
In 1931, he began working as an announcer at a radio station called WJSV. This station was in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1932, CBS bought WJSV, and Trout became part of the CBS team. He was the person who first used the phrase "fireside chat." This term described the radio talks given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These talks happened during the Great Depression and World War II.
Trout was involved in many "firsts" in broadcasting. He was the first to report live from Congress on Capitol Hill. He was also the first to broadcast from a flying airplane. Some even say he was the first to host a daily news show. This made him one of the first news "anchors."
In the mid-1930s, Trout shared an important tip with Edward R. Murrow. Murrow was a new CBS executive at the time. Trout taught him to talk to the radio audience as if he was speaking to just one person. This advice helped Murrow become a great broadcaster. They remained friends and colleagues for many years.
Reporting on World Events
On March 13, 1938, Germany took over Austria. This event was called the Anschluss. That night, Trout hosted a special radio show. It was a "roundup" of news from different cities in Europe. This was the first live broadcast of its kind on network radio.
The show included reports from William L. Shirer in London. Shirer had seen the takeover in Vienna. Murrow took Shirer's place in Vienna so Shirer could report freely. This special broadcast showed Trout's skill as an "anchorman." He would hand off the broadcast to other reporters. This show inspired the CBS World News Roundup. This news show still airs today on the CBS Radio Network.
Trout hosted many types of shows at CBS from 1932 to 1948. He covered news and special events. He also hosted entertainment programs. He even worked in London for a time. He was the announcer for The American School of the Air. He also worked on Professor Quiz, which was the first real quiz show on radio.
On June 6, 1944, Trout anchored the live morning news. This was the day of the D-Day invasion in Normandy. He was also on the air when news came that World War II had ended. This included the end of the war in Europe and later in Japan.
Robert Trout's Post-War Career
After the war, Trout hosted a daily 15-minute radio newscast. It was called The News 'til Now. This show started in April 1946. In September 1947, Murrow took over the broadcast. Trout then left CBS and went to NBC.
At NBC, from 1948 to 1951, he hosted a game show called Who Said That?. On this show, famous people tried to guess who said quotes from recent news.
Trout returned to CBS in 1952. He worked as a reporter for the network. He also anchored the local evening news at WCBS-TV in New York City.
In 1964, CBS covered the Republican National Convention. Their coverage didn't get as many viewers as NBC's. So, for the Democratic convention, CBS tried Bob Trout and Roger Mudd as anchors. But they still couldn't beat NBC. Walter Cronkite returned to anchor the next conventions. Trout continued to work on radio. He also did in-depth news stories for TV, including for 60 Minutes.
Trout also appeared on Guy Lombardo's New Year's Eve TV specials. From 1955 to 1961, he reported live from Times Square. He would count down the final seconds to the new year.
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Trout went out into the streets of Manhattan. He talked to people about their feelings and reactions. He also remembered reporting on President Franklin Roosevelt's death in 1945.
Trout stayed at CBS until the early 1970s. Later, he worked for ABC. He was a reporter based in Madrid, Spain. He lived there for much of his later life. He was part of the ABC News team that covered the election of Pope John Paul II in 1978.
In 1979, Trout received a Peabody Award. This award honored his long and excellent career in broadcasting.
Near the end of his life, he shared his thoughts on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. He often talked about events he had covered. Trout also kept attending political conventions. He interviewed every U.S. President from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. In 2000, he joined Roger Mudd for a History Channel show about these gatherings.
Trout Announces the End of World War II
On July 9, 1999, Trout shared a secret on NPR. He said that a famous recording of him announcing the end of World War II was not the original. This recording, played often, was made on August 14, 1945.
In 1948, he was asked to re-record the start of his announcement. This was for a historical record album series. The original recording was "too messy" to use.
Trout played the actual original broadcast for his NPR listeners. On CBS Radio, he introduced British Prime Minister Clement Attlee. Attlee was supposed to announce Japan's surrender. But instead, listeners heard the Big Ben chimes. Then, the broadcast switched back to New York. Trout was near the news teletypes. He heard CBS news director Paul White on the phone. White told Trout that the White House had announced the surrender. This allowed Trout to share the news a few seconds before Attlee did.
Trout then announced:
The Japanese have accepted our terms fully! That is the word we have just received (newsroom cheers) from the White House in Washington and (Trout chuckles) I didn't expect to hear a celebration here in our newsroom in New York, but you can hear one going on behind me. We switched to London, I don't know what happened, I'm not even sure whether you heard the first words of Prime Minister Attlee or not. I couldn't hear anything in our speaker here, with the confusion. Suddenly we got the word from our private telephone wire from the White House in Washington. The Japanese have accepted FULLY the surrender terms of the United Nations. THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the Second World War! It is not, of course, the official V-J day, but the United Nations, on land, on sea, on air, to the four corners of the earth and the seven seas, are united and are victorious!
Robert Trout's Personal Life
For the last 20 years of his life, Trout and his wife lived in Madrid and New York City. He passed away at age 91 on November 14, 2000. His wife, Catherine "Kit" Crane, had died in 1994. They had no children.
Kit was a very important partner in his career. She helped him with research for his broadcasts. She also gave him feedback on his on-air performances. Together, they kept a large collection of his papers, letters, photos, and recordings. This collection was given to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin.
