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So long, Steve Irwin, crocodile hunter Saluting the media notables who died in 2006 Jan 3, 2007 In life, Steve Irwin was the odd and often controversial Australian animal conservationist whose interactions with wildlife, such as the time he held his infant son in one hand while feeding a crocodile with the other, drew widespread criticism.
Irwin's death was the most-searched news story of the year, according to Yahoo, finishing ahead of the Iraq war, the midterm elections and Saddam Hussein’s trial. In the UK, his death was the third-most-searched-for query of the year, according to Google’s Zeitgeist survey, behind the World Cup and video searches. Hundreds expressed condolences on the messageboards at AnimalPlanet.com, and Irwin marathons on the network drew huge ratings. Why did the death of this otherwise minor celebrity resonate so deeply? Certainly the shocking one-in-a-million circumstance that caused it was one thing. Irwin, who was 44, was barbed in the chest by a stingray, a rare event, and no doubt that intrigued even non-Crocodile Hunter fans. But Irwin’s story also drew attention because of the grace shown by his family in their mourning. His 7-year-old daughter, Bindi, delivered a poised, poignant eulogy for her dad on a funeral service seen on television across Australia and around the world. And his widow, Teri, was chosen as one of Barbara Walters’ 10 most fascinating people of 2006 for her dignity throughout the affair. Here’s a look at some of the other media notables who died last year. Otis Chandler, 78
Chandler may have owed his job to his father, but his passion for journalistic excellence was all his own. The former champion shot-putter was 32 years old when he became publisher of the Times in 1960. Before that the paper had been a right-wing mouthpiece. Chandler fired nearly all of the department heads and by the 1970s had elevated the the paper to among the world’s best. The Chandler family sold the Times to Tribune Co. in 2000. Frank Stanton, 98
But perhaps his most lasting contribution was in the area of research, where he pioneered ways to measure radio listenership and led the way for Nielsen ratings years later with his methodology. Ed Bradley, 65
But perhaps Bradley was best known as the cool guy on a network not exactly known for cool. With his understated earring and passion for jazz, Bradley was a journalist people wanted to talk to both on and off camera. He died in November after a little-publicized battle with leukemia, just months after winning his final Emmy and weeks after his final “Minutes” segment aired. Among the stories he covered in his 35 years at CBS were the Vietnam War, the Oklahoma City bombings and, most recently, the Duke lacrosse rape case. Louis Rukeyser, 73
In recent years the elegant journalist was known more for his inelegant exit from PBS than anything else. Four years ago, Maryland Public Television, the show's longtime producer, abruptly dumped Rukeyser in favor of younger hosts with the aim of attracting a younger demographic. Rukeyser went on an on-air rant about the switch, and for that he got unceremoniously bounced. The dapper punster went on to host a rival program on CNBC, but neither show did as well as the one he founded and hosted for so many years. Aaron Spelling, 83
His hits included low-brow fare like “Dynasty,” “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Love Boat,” as well as the highly regarded drama “Family” and the groundbreaking HBO movie “And the Band Played On.” He was honored with a posthumous Emmy at last September’s awards ceremony. Peter Boyle, 71 A close friend of Yoko Ono, Boyle had John Lennon serve as best man at his wedding. But it was with “Raymond” that he became familiar to most of the country. Surprisingly, Boyle never won an Emmy for his role, despite being nominated multiple times. Philip Merrill, 72 Merrill bought the Annapolis Capital newspaper in 1968 and turned it into his own small publishing empire under Capital-Gazette Communications. The journalism school at the University of Maryland is named for Merrill, who donated millions to the school.
Also dying in 2006: Walter Allner (former Fortune art director) 97 Bob Alter (Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau founder) 77 Betty Beale (Washington society columnist) 94 Sheldon Binn (former New York Times editor) 83 Arthur Bloom (“60 Minutes” co-founder) 63 Scott Brazil (“The Shield” producer) 50 James Briggs McClatchy (former McClatchy chairman) 85 Patrick T. Butters (former Washington Times editor) 45 Pat Corley (“Murphy Brown” barkeep) 76 Mike Douglas (TV show host) 81 Dennis Duggan (Newsday columnist) 78 Barbara Epstein (NY Review of Books founder) 76 Beth Fallon (columnist) 64 Jo Foxworth (New York ad legend) 87 Reuven Frank (former NBC News president) 85 Benjamin Hendrickson (“As the World Turns” actor) 55 Martha Holmes (former Life photographer) 83 John Holt Anderson (former Washington Post reporter) 77 Richard J. V. Johnson (former Houston Chronicle publisher) 75 Ken Kaess (DDB Worldwide president and CEO) 51 James Keogh (former Time editor) 89 Don Knotts (“Andy Griffith” actor) 81 David S. Kruidenier (former Des Moines Register publisher) 84 Bill Lamb (PBS producer) 76 Rickie Layne (“Ed Sullivan Show” ventriloquist) 81 Theodore Levitt (former Harvard Business Review editor) 81 Al Lewis (“The Munsters” actor) 95 Tony Malara (former CBS executive) 69 Darren McGavin (“Night Stalker” actor) 83 James H. McIlhenny (former U.S. News magazine president) 78 Moose (“Frasier” dog) 15 Gloria Monty (former “General Hospital” executive producer) 84 Paul Nelson (former Rolling Stone critic) 70 Buck Owens (“Hee-Haw” actor) 76 George Page (Former PBS “Nature” host) 71 Douglas Painton Jeppe (former Newsweek ad executive) 74 Hugh B. Patterson Jr. (former Arkansas Gazette publisher) 91 Chris Penn (actor) 40 John H. Perry Jr. (former Palm Beach Post publisher) 89 Richard B. Philbrick (former Chicago Tribune reporter) 85 David E. Rosenbaum (former New York Times reporter) 63 Pablo Santos (“Greetings from Tucson” actor) 19 Gene Scott (Tennis Week magazine founder) 68 Daniel Smith (Anna Nicole Smith's son and E! reality show co-star) 20 J.Y. Smith (former Washington Post obituary editor) 74 Richard Stahl (“Laverne & Shirley” actor) 74 Bob Thaves (Frank & Ernest comic strip creator) 81 Kenneth Thomson (Globe and Mail chairman) 82 Peter Tomarken (“Press Your Luck” host) 62 Michelle Urry (Playboy cartoon editor) 66 Raul Velasco (Mexican TV legend) 73 Jack Warden (“Brian's Song” actor) 85 Dennis Weaver (“Gunsmoke” actor) 81 Bill Woo (former St. Louis Post-Dispatch editor) 69 Jane Wyatt (“Father Knows Best” actress) 96 William B. Ziff Jr. (former Ziff-Davis publisher) 76
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