Remembering Vet Cameraman Tony Ancona

On MSNBC.com, Rita Cosby remembers veteran cameraman Tony Ancona, who passed away Saturday at the age of 78:

“When I was a young journalist — almost two decades ago — I interned for the ‘CBS Evening News with Dan Rather,’ and I met this wonderful, smiling cameraman who took me under his wing. He helped me get anchoring and interviewing roles on New York cable stations, and took a genuine interest in seeing that I would succeed. He believed in this young, bright-eyed journalist, who dreamed of one day hosting a T.V. show.

Tony was no ordinary cameraman; he was a walking history book of the television business itself. He was the cameraman for such legends as Edward R. Murrow, Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, and was known as Arthur Godfrey’s favorite photographer. Tony has experienced and led the way in every change in the T.V. business in the last 60 years, going from film, to tape, to now digital.”

Cosby concludes: “I will miss his friendship and never-ending support, and I will continue to help young people in this business who now come to me as their mentor, because I know how much it meant to have Tony’s support through the years.”