this is ted baxter.kdown-- this story and others after this commercial message. >> i think i better be getting to the airport. >> i'll go with you. i'll give you the rest of the news on the way. >> i'm going to get you for this. ( laughter ) >> he took the job seriously, he took the responsibility seriously. and it's hard to say that he didn't take himself seriously. but you never felt that he was taking himself all that seriously. >> good evening. good god, what's this lead about?! oh, that's right, that's right. ( laughter ) >> the best time to be with walter is when he was with betsy, you know, and one cocktail, that was the... because then they both get kind of wonderfully salty and kind of funny. "two irish men walk out of a bar... it could happen." and it's the idea of him telling a joke at all. it's like, "what?" he can be, and is, really funny. >> otherwise, i'd be all right. >> and really elegant, but still kick-ass funny, if you can say "kick" on television. >> now listen everybody, don't get n

. >> we are seeing a picture of walter cronkite playing himself standing next to ted knight, ted baxter on "the mary tyler moore show." >> i remember that episode. morely, in the sense of the trust he had then, he clearly didn't like what has happened to much of our business now. could walter cronkite be walter cronkite in the age of internet and blog something. >> i would like to say he could. there is some safe haven of the delivery of the news. someone who is not a poser in the chair, but gets out and covers the news and as bob says has terrific respect for it and great respect for the people who make news, even some of the rascals. i'd like to think he could. the reality, i guess, is that the country has passed that moment by. neglected it or something. i'm not sure. but -- and you're right. he didn't like what had happened. i think katie mentioned it. this 24-hour news cycle. i think one of the things that a 24-hour news cycle does to reporters is it takes away their time to think. thinking time is terribly important even if it is only ten minutes to think about what you are going

. >> ted baxter, walter cronkite. (loofing) >> it's an honor to meet you, mr.e. >> call me walter. >> (laughing). >> it's sunday morning on cbs and here again is anthony mason. >> mason: it's a bit of television sit-com history. walter cronkite's guest appearance as himself on the highly rated mary tyler moore show back in 1974. some observations on the man and his reputation now from former abc "nightline" anchor ted koppel. >> i heard this story from a cbs producer who claims to have witnessed it. walter and betsy, his wife of many years, had just taken their seats aboard a commercial airliner. the flight attendant came over and asked walter what his name was. "kron kite" he said with that little smile of his that was also meant to convey you're going to feel a little silly in a moment when it hits you. cronkite, the flight attendant repeated. can you spell that for me. walter turned to betsy and said you're just loving this, aren't you? betsy probably put the flight attendant up to it in the first place. the fact is that there was a time when nobody in this