TVSquad

It's always odd when you hear about a person passing away soon after they retire from a job they've held and loved for decades. It makes you think that without the job, they wasted away to nothing or lost the will to live. But then again, it could have just been a sad coincidence. Either way, it's never fun to hear it

All that ran through my head when I heard about the death of CBS News veteran Christopher Glenn, who passed away suddenly in a Norwalk, CT hospital, apparently of liver cancer. Glenn narrated In The News, a series of news and information shorts geared towards kids,that ran from 1971-1986 between shows in CBS's Saturday morning lineup. Anyone over the age of 35 will forever recognize his gravelly baritone on the spot because of it. Glenn had just retired in February after working for CBS News on TV and radio for 35 years. I hope he was able to enjoy his brief retirement; he deserved that much for all the good work he put in over the years.

Adults of "a certain age" (translation: 30 and older) might remember a CBS current-events program called In The News, which aired in between the network's Saturday morning cartoons. These short reports were able to inform young viewers about the news of the week without talking down to them or going over their heads. Most people will remember the program, though, for the distinctive voice of its narrator, Christopher Glenn, who narrated and/or reported over 5,000 episodes of the broadcast, which ran from 1971-1984.

Now comes word that Glenn, who currently works for CBS Radio, is set to retire next month, after 35 years at CBS News (that's as long as I've been alive, for crissakes!). I for one enjoyed In The News, but I rooted for Carter to win against Ford when I was 5, so maybe I was a ready-made audience for the program.

[Thanks to my brother Rich for the tip!]