." >> ifill: but the standds-- and the number of ople devoted to watching evening newscas-- have shifted. the project for excellence journalism foundhat as broaast news viewership has decled, losing a million vwers a year for the last 20 yes, the three major news networks, howeve still attract mo than 22 million people eac night. in 1987, six yr after he retired,ronkite said he could see the handwriting on thwall about e future of network ne. he spoke with the wshour's robert macneil. >> reporr: do you think there are goi to be five, ten years from nownightly network news programs of the kind tt you spent much of youcareer in, playing as importt a role in the public affai of the country they have in the past? >> well, going from bck forward, forward bac back orward, the important role. probly not because of the proliferation access of available sources. stherefore there won't be quite as important as ey were in the pt. thir share audience will be smaller. the style that they'll ha, i think that lely will remain fairly mh as it is. but it cld change. >> ifil: but with cronkite's passing a