Bill Stout
Encyclopedia
William Job "Bill" Stout (September 4, 1927 in Illinois
– December 1, 1989 in Los Angeles
, California
) was an American broadcast journalist. A veteran for over thirty years, Stout's career began after World War II
at the Los Angeles Times
, from which he moved to CBS News
.
Stout moderated Richard Nixon
's press conference following his defeat in the California governor's race in 1962. Stout became a frequent stand-in for famed CBS Evening News
anchor Walter Cronkite
.
Stout left CBS News in the 1980s and ended his career as an anchor for the CBS-owned station in Los Angeles KCBS-TV
, then known as KNXT
. At KNXT, he was also known as a highly regarded investigative reporter and political commentator who preferred to ignore partisan ideologies and divisions.
As part of his commentary at KNXT, he regularly chose a person or entity as the winner of his "Golden Turkey of the Month." One of these was Judith Belushi, widow of TV-movie comic John Belushi
; the subject was John's biography Wired. Ms. Belushi complained that the book was unfair in that it did not say that "drugs can be fun" (John Belushi died from a drug overdose.) Stout commented, "For what has to rank as an all-time low in widows' tributes" Judith Belushi was that month's Golden Turkey winner.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
– December 1, 1989 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) was an American broadcast journalist. A veteran for over thirty years, Stout's career began after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, from which he moved to CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
.
Stout moderated Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's press conference following his defeat in the California governor's race in 1962. Stout became a frequent stand-in for famed CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
anchor Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
.
Stout left CBS News in the 1980s and ended his career as an anchor for the CBS-owned station in Los Angeles KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
, then known as KNXT
KNXT
KNXT is a television station owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, broadcasting on digital channel 50. The station is licensed in Visalia, California, about 45 miles southeast of Fresno...
. At KNXT, he was also known as a highly regarded investigative reporter and political commentator who preferred to ignore partisan ideologies and divisions.
As part of his commentary at KNXT, he regularly chose a person or entity as the winner of his "Golden Turkey of the Month." One of these was Judith Belushi, widow of TV-movie comic John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
; the subject was John's biography Wired. Ms. Belushi complained that the book was unfair in that it did not say that "drugs can be fun" (John Belushi died from a drug overdose.) Stout commented, "For what has to rank as an all-time low in widows' tributes" Judith Belushi was that month's Golden Turkey winner.