1 00:00:02,033 --> 00:00:05,233 JUDY WOODRUFF: We want to close tonight remembering one of our own, a man at the heart of the 2 00:00:05,233 --> 00:00:08,800 "NewsHour" family. 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:13,800 Few people have had as much of an influence on the "NewsHour" as Les Crystal. Always behind 4 00:00:15,233 --> 00:00:19,233 the camera, Les led the way to transforming this program. 5 00:00:19,233 --> 00:00:24,233 He came to us after a 20-year career at NBC, where he served as executive producer of "The 6 00:00:26,133 --> 00:00:30,600 Nightly News" and then president of NBC News. He joined Jim Lehrer and Robin MacNeil in 7 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:37,366 1983 to expand the half-hour "MacNeil-Lehrer Report" into the "MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour," 8 00:00:39,066 --> 00:00:42,500 the first national nightly newscast to do so. 9 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:47,466 LES CRYSTAL, Former Executive Producer, "PBS NewsHour": The half-hour had been very successful, 10 00:00:49,466 --> 00:00:52,766 but I think the appetite had been there to do more than just a single subject. 11 00:00:54,766 --> 00:00:58,733 JUDY WOODRUFF: The show won countless awards, a Peabody and Emmys, during his tenure. Les 12 00:01:00,166 --> 00:01:03,133 had a deep commitment to public media. 13 00:01:03,133 --> 00:01:08,133 As executive producer of the show, he guided generations of journalists to tell the most 14 00:01:10,100 --> 00:01:13,566 important stories. He was driven to get to the truth and tell stories from across the 15 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,200 globe that were often ignored. To us, he was a great boss, smart, kind and generous with 16 00:01:21,833 --> 00:01:24,166 his wisdom and time. 17 00:01:24,166 --> 00:01:29,166 Linda Winslow was the show's deputy executive producer during Les' tenure. She succeeded 18 00:01:30,033 --> 00:01:31,966 him as executive producer. 19 00:01:31,966 --> 00:01:34,566 LINDA WINSLOW, Former Executive Producer, "PBS NewsHour": He had an amazing ability 20 00:01:34,566 --> 00:01:39,566 to relate to other people as human beings, not as whatever their job description said 21 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,233 they were. 22 00:01:42,233 --> 00:01:46,800 And the entire "NewsHour" staff was one big extended family, as far as Les was concerned. 23 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,666 He shared our joys. He attended our weddings. He made our babies smile. And he mourned our 24 00:01:56,466 --> 00:02:01,433 losses. He was, in a word, a real mensch. And I'm going to miss him dearly. 25 00:02:03,633 --> 00:02:08,633 JUDY WOODRUFF: A loving husband, father and grandfather, Les helped create the "NewsHour" 26 00:02:10,533 --> 00:02:14,700 family. Together with Jim and Robin, they instilled a passion for getting to the heart 27 00:02:16,133 --> 00:02:18,633 of the news that remains the core of the program today. 28 00:02:18,633 --> 00:02:23,633 JEFFREY BROWN: Les was a role model as a journalist, as a leader, most of all as a decent human 29 00:02:25,533 --> 00:02:29,200 being. He took me under his wing long ago, first as a mentor, then as a colleague, and 30 00:02:30,066 --> 00:02:32,433 for many years as his friend. 31 00:02:32,433 --> 00:02:34,566 ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH, Former Chief Correspondent, "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer": How would 32 00:02:34,566 --> 00:02:37,100 I describe Les Crystal? Sweet, calm, supportive, determined. Les expected the best from us. 33 00:02:40,333 --> 00:02:44,833 And, because of his own kindness and his skill, we wanted to give him the best. 34 00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:47,466 JUDY WOODRUFF: And he was the consummate editor. 35 00:02:47,466 --> 00:02:52,433 PAUL SOLMAN: He was infuriatingly scrupulous, poring over scripts like a medieval scribe. 36 00:02:54,933 --> 00:02:57,233 He could be in the middle of five conversations and phone calls. He'd take yours, and yours 37 00:02:57,233 --> 00:02:59,366 was the only call in the world. 38 00:02:59,366 --> 00:03:04,333 I mean, who loves their boss? But -- and I'm not exaggerating -- in the case of Les Crystal, 39 00:03:07,166 --> 00:03:08,666 everybody did. 40 00:03:08,666 --> 00:03:11,733 JUDY WOODRUFF: Les' demeanor defined his leadership style. 41 00:03:11,733 --> 00:03:14,100 CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, Special Correspondent, "PBS NewsHour": It's hard to separate the 42 00:03:14,100 --> 00:03:19,100 professional Les from the personal, because he was always calm. He was always a rock of 43 00:03:21,033 --> 00:03:24,400 stability, whether it was a stressful time, when we were in a war zone and he was giving 44 00:03:25,833 --> 00:03:28,300 us instructions, or whether we were just sitting and chatting. 45 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:33,300 He was always the same: strong, rock of stability and just wonderful. 46 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:39,566 JUDY WOODRUFF: When Les stepped down as executive producer, he took on the role of president 47 00:03:41,533 --> 00:03:45,600 of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. In this job, and even after officially retiring, he devoted 48 00:03:47,566 --> 00:03:52,100 his life to ensuring the financial backbone to keep the "NewsHour" strong. 49 00:03:54,033 --> 00:03:57,766 He was a dear friend to me and everyone he touched at the "NewsHour." 50 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,433 Les Crystal died after a long struggle with brain cancer and then pneumonia. He was 85 51 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,966 years old. 52 00:04:07,966 --> 00:04:12,566 It's hard to say goodbye to him. We are overwhelmed with memories today. 53 00:04:12,566 --> 00:04:17,566 And to Toby, Les' wife, to his three children, Brad, Alan and Liz, and his grandchildren, 54 00:04:18,666 --> 00:04:20,666 we send all of our love. 55 00:04:20,666 --> 00:04:24,033 The "NewsHour" wouldn't have become the "NewsHour" without Les Crystal.