Burt Reinhardt

Burton "Burt" Reinhardt (April 19, 1920 – May 10, 2011) was an American journalist and news executive, who served as executive Vice President of CNN from 1980 to 1982 and the second President of CNN from 1982 to 1990. In his capacity as vice president, Reinhardt helped to hire most of CNN's first 200 employees, including the cable network's first news anchor, Bernard Shaw.

Reinhardt was born in New York City on April 19, 1920. He began working as an assistant cameraman for the Movietone News newsreel company in 1939. He served as a combat cameraman with the United States Army's pictoral service in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Reinhardt became Fox Movietone News' managing editor following the end of World War II. He then became the executive vice president of United Press International's (UPI) television film division, the UPI Newsfilm. Reinhardt then co-founded UPI's television news agency, United Press International Television News (UPITN), during the late 1960s. He next served as Paramount Pictures' executive vice president of the "non-theatrical and educational film division."

He departed Paramount Pictures to help launch CNN at the invitation of Ted Turner, the founder of the cable news network. Turner, who actively recruited Reinhardt to CNN, later wrote that Reinhardt was "a seasoned professional who knew how to get things done," in his autobiography, Call Me Ted. CNN was launched in 1980, with Reinhardt serving as the network's executive vice president from 1980 to 1982. AS executive VP. Reinhardt recruited and hired most of CNN's first 200 employees, including Bernard Shaw, who became CNN's first news anchor. Reinhardt was also responsible for all financial decisions made by the network during the first two years CNN on on-air.

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