the national...with lloyd robertson and george finstad

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Vintage Ad #78 - The National Enters The 70s
1970 was a time of change for the evening newscasts on both sides of the border. Stateside, NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report ended after 14 years with the retirement of Chet Huntley. John Chancellor and Frank McGee joined Brinkley for the next year on the renamed NBC Nightly News, then Chancellor went solo. ABC News started the year with Frank Reynolds and Howard K. Smith behind the anchor desk, until Reynolds was replaced by Harry Reasoner (in between stints on 60 Minutes) in December.

The National officially gained its name in 1969, amid an anchor change (Stanley Burke, who quit as newsreader to raise awareness surrounding the Biafran war in Nigeria, was replaced by Warren Davis) and a switch to colour. Lloyd Robertson replaced Davis in 1970.

One question this ad raises: was grey jacket/tan or mustard yellow shirt the official CBC newscaster uniform in 1970?

As for the hosts pictured, Robertson remained as anchor through 1976, while George Finstad became one of the original co-hosts of Marketplace (1972-77).

Video extra: possibly the best known line uttered on any CBC News report that year, from the October crisis, courtesy of PET.

Source: Maclean's, December 1970

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