can. "On Nov. 22, 1963, I was place that would give London that preparing a radio broadcast." "very Far Eastern look." This Ryan said. "In addition to time it was Thailand and the tiny working for WNBC, I did several resort island of Phuket. broadcasts for NBC radio each "We selected all the sight! afternoon. The first bulletin from there, then went back to Sydney Dallas came over the wires. to start shooting the interiors,' Somebody yelled for a London says. "About three week: correspondent. I threw my radio in, the Thai government got wort. copy down onto a desk and ran down the hallway into the flash Bob (emergency) TV studio. I was the THE OTHER FAMOUS reporters first person on camera. Then Chet who appeared on the air that Nov. and Frank joined me." Greene 22 have become a part of As Ryan recalls it, breaking broadcast journalism history.' into the full network was not as CBS' Walter Cronkite, of course. easy in 1963 as it is today. "I think is sort of a one-man Mount they had to plug us in to different Rushmore, the standard against sections of the country as soon as whom everyone else is measured. they could technically do it," he Chet Huntley is dead. Frank said. McGee is dead. David Brinkley is . well. David Brinkley is David True heroics Brinkley. For several generations EVEN NOW, HE 15 unable to of Americans, those broadcasters recall what was going on Inside are as familiar as family him for those hours as the whole nation tuned into the networks— on that dark members. those hours when TV news came of age. "I've gone over it so many times in. my head," Ryan said. day in '63 "I've tried to come up with some HIS IS GREAT — finding human or emotional reaction. I something out that is try to dig up the memories, and T completely unexpected. they're not there. I was mainly You may recall that several conscious of the fact that I was weeks ago 1 mentioned an having to work with not much upcoming television program on more than AP and UPI copy - the A&E Cable Network. The they were handing it to me in program —"JFK Assassination: takes. You know, 'first lede, third As It Happened" — will be add,' stuff like that. I remember broadcast on the cable network seeing the wire copy and trying to on Nov. 22, the 25th anniversary figure out, 'Did I say this before? of the killing of John F. Kennedy. Do I give this information again?' The program consists of a And of course I remember ' videotape pf NBC News' live thinking that I absolutely could coverage that day. The program not say the president was dead And Bill Ryan? The man whd' until I was 100 percent sure." will go on the air at exactly 1:56 may have done the best job of p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 22 - anyone that day? Ryan has one vivid memory of the precise moment NBC "I'm here and I'm working and that incredible day in 1963. After interrupted programming in 1963. I like it," Ryan said the other going off the air at the end of the . In the first column, 1 morning. night, he was walking alone down mentioned that people probably Ryan — now 62 years old — is a the hallway when a top NBC think they remember the NBC senior producer-reporter for executive stopped him and said, coverage that day to have been WNPB-TV in Morgantown, W.Va. "Nice job." anchored by the then-popular WNPB is a public television "I just said, 'Oh, shut the - team of Chet Huntley and David station serving a number of West up,' " Ryan said. "I put my head Brinkley. In fact, Huntley Virginia counties. Twenty-five against the wall and I fell apart. appeared at the beginning of' the years later, Bill Ryan is on public just stood there sobbing for five coverage, but was called off the TV in West Virginia and says he's or 10 minutes." air soon after. He appeared happy to be doing the best job he Ryan has never seen a befuddled and out of his element, videotape of his coverage that as if he could not deal with the day. "NBC never sent me a copy," breaking story. he said. "I have nine children and The day's NBC coverage — and 10 grandchildren, and I'd like you will see this if you watch the them to see what 1 did. But I've A&E cable presentation — was never seen it myself." anchored by Frank McGee and I said that I had — I got a copy Bill Ryan. McGee was one of of the tape from A&E cable, and I NBC's most prominent and have watched it a number of respected correspondents. Bill times. Ryan, though. I had never heard I told Ryan that when his of. He was magnificent — he did children and grandchildren see as steady and professional a job of the coverage played back on Nov. anchoring that coverage as any 22, they will be very proud network executive could ever indeed. hope for. The A&E producers, at .