In 1962, the veteran news anchor Douglas Edwards was replaced with Walter Cronkite. The news show initially used the title "Walter Cronkite with the News", but was soon re-titled to "CBS Evening News". It was the first half-hour weeknight news broadcast on network television. The show dominated the ratings among the network evening news programs for nearly two decades, and Cronkite became known as "the most trusted man in America" (after being given this title in a poll). Cronkite faced mandatory retirement in March 1981, at the age of 65. He was soon replaced by a younger news anchor, Dan Rather.
—Dimos I