On anniversary of Ed Murrow speech, much still remains the same

[Commentary] Fifty four years ago, Edward R. Murrow delivered a controversial speech to television and radio news executives, a speech that took the industry to the woodshed for being more focused on profits than on serving the public interest.

"One of the basic troubles with radio and television news is that both instruments have grown up as an incompatible combination of show business, advertising and news," Murrow said. That speech pretty much cost Murrow his career at CBS News. He remained with the network for a few years after the 1958 Radio and Television News Directors Association conference, but his presence at the network was greatly diminished as CBS Chairman Bill Paley felt betrayed by his No. 1 news talent. Little has changed since those remarks were delivered. While the evening news format still exists, coverage of the world has diminished. If a story cannot be summed up in a minute or two, odds are it won't make the news. The more complex the issue, the less likely it will be explored. The morning shows are, for the most part, about gossip, celebrities and cooking. Take a look at some old clips of a network morning show from even as recently as the 1980s and compare it to what is on today. The old shows look like serious news programs while the current versions are a notch or two above "Entertainment Tonight." Murrow warned of the dangers of trying to reach everyone by enlightening no one.

Here's the full text of the speech