and cronkite's retirement opened the way for world news tonight with peter jennings. in the 1980s. by that time, things had begun to change. emergence of cable tv with the huge menu of shows siphoned away broadcast viewership but did nothing to halt the growth and costs. cable news added further to audience erosion. the as a result the network news division gradually turning out the lights for two decades. staffs have been cut repeatedly. bureau closed. first overseas and then at home. cable news with the instant access to the audience robbed the network news programs and the immediacy and much of their impact. but those magazine shows led by "60 minutes" with no need of a huge staff of chain of bureaus survived and thrived. mike wallace worked until he was 88, and infectious enthusiasm never waned. bret? >> bret: you talk about his enthusiasm and mike wallace had it.