By Lee Pfeiffer
Just a month after the death of Walter Cronkite, CBS News mourned the passing of another of its key figures: Don Hewitt has died at age 86. Hewitt joined the network in the early days of TV, back in 1948. He produced the ground-breaking first televised presidential debate between Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy. The debate was a watershed moment in political history. Those who heard the debate on the radio felt Nixon had won, but the TV audience was enthralled with Kennedy's dashing appearance and good looks, which contrasted with Nixon's bland appearance. Since then, politics has been as much about grooming as it has been about political positions. Hewitt introduced the format of a weekly news magazine with "60 Minutes" in 1968. He produced the show through 2003, when he was rather unceremoniously shoved out by CBS, which wanted a more youth-oriented aspect to the show. Yet "60 Minutes" remains Hewitt's personal triumph, as the show routinely dominates the ratings on Sunday nights. For more
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