Charles Bishop Kuralt

Kuralt (1934-1997) was an American television newspaper and radio journalist plus author.  He is most widely known for his long career with CBS and for his popular "On the Road" segments on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.  In 1996, Kuralt was inducted into Television Hall of Fame of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 

Kuralt's On The Road segments were recognized twice with Peabody Awards.  The first, awarded in 1968 cited those segments as heartwarming and "nostalgic vignettes". Kuralt also won an Emmy Award for On the Road in 1978.  

Charles and Izzy

In 1980, Charles Kuralt gave nationwide television coverage to the beauty of McAdenville and placed it on the map as Christmas Town USA. 

In 1989, Christmas Town USA was featured in Guidepost Magazine.

In 1997, after finding Christmas Town USA on the internet, ABC's Good Morning America broadcast a LIVE report from McAdenville as several hundred residents gathered to appear on the show.

In 2000, Cable Network, HGTV gave world-wide coverage to McAdenville when they featured Christmas Town USA in their Christmas special titled Christmas Across America.

In 2004, Cable Network, Turner South featured McAdenville's Christmas Lights on their Blue Ribbon series. 

In 2006, another on-line request for information and photos were received from an Austrian newspaper, Osterreich.  Millions of Austrians had the opportunity to read about and see Christmas Town USA.

In 2011, YAHOO named McAdenville Christmas Town USA in its 10 places in the USA to visit during the month of December.

In 2014, Columbia County Magazine located in Martinez, Georgia ran a 4-page story on Christmas Town USA. 

Charles, Izzy and Dan Rather

The famous On The Road bus still exists today though on display, only.  Watch the video to learn where you can view it.  Standing next to Kuralt is Isadore "Izzy" Bleckman who was Kuralt's cameraman.  In the video Izzy is seen viewing the bus with journalist, Steve Hartman for the first time since the show ended.  Izzy is heard to say .. "You're making my heart beat faster".  A touching moment is when we see Izzy sitting, once again, in the driver's seat.  

The On The Road with Charles Kuralt series began in 1967 and ran on CBS for more than 20 years.  In that popular program, the veteran journalist rode across America in a bus, meeting "regular" folks and telling their stories.  A collection of seventy-seven On The Road episodes has been released on DVD and is available through Acorn Media. 

Scott Simon, host of Weekend Edition Saturday and Up First on NPR talks with Izzy Bleckman.

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121659108