Spat Between Cronkite and NBC News

May 21, 1965 - A soft answer from Robert Kintner, president of NBC, today turned away Walter Cronkite’s wrath.

Cronkite, news correspondent for CBS, had become angered this week when a letter he had written praising NBC for its coverage of the fighting in the Dominican Republic reached the press. Because Cronkite is a top CBS newsman, the letter was considered a rare compliment by NBC. But the CBS man considered that his letter had been used in a display of bad manners by NBC.

Today, Kintner released a “Dear Walter” letter of apology that had been sent to Cronkite. The CBS man confirmed he had received the letter and said he was sorry he had invoked Kintner’s name in issuing a condemnation of the whole NBC organization.

Cronkite’s letter to an NBC news executive had said that NBC deserved “every award in the book” for its Dominican coverage. Enlargements of the letter were placed on bulletin boards in NBC newsrooms in New York and Washington, and copies were sent to the news staff in Santo Domingo.

When Cronkite learned of this, he was enraged. He said a private exchange of compliments between networks and that he could produce many from NBC.

Kintner’s conciliatory letter to Cronkite was dated May 19. It said:“I did not know about your letter to NBC News on its coverage of Santo Domingo until this morning. I regret that the letter was used within NBC News in an inappropriate way. For this I apologize. I know my view is shared by William McAndrew, executive vice president in charge of NBC News.

“It is correct that I have written to you, to Mr. [Fred] Friendly, and to Dr. [Frank] Stanton and others at CBS complimenting you in the past on various aspects of the CBS News operation. I personally, and my associates, respect the abilities of CBS News, and I am sorry that a gracious gesture on your part was used in a way that was inappropriate. Best wishes.”Asked for comment, Cronkite said, “I regret that I mentioned Bob Kintner by name in criticizing NBC.”

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