George Glazer, who spent 27 years as chief broadcasting executive at New York’s Hill and Knowlton counseling CBS news personalities such as legendary anchor Walter Cronkite and “60 Minutes” founder and executive producer Don Hewitt, died of a heart attack Nov. 22 at his home in Palm Beach County, Florida. He was 86.

George Glazer with Walter Cronkite and Mike WallaceGeorge Glazer (center) with Walter Cronkite and Mike Wallace

Cronkite once toasted Glazer as “the most trusted PR man in America” at an annual First Amendment Banquet hosted by the Radio Television News Directors Association and chaired by Glazer.

Glazer was instrumental in establishing the annual dinner for the group which is now known as the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Acknowledged by colleagues as a pioneer of contemporary media training and the use of satellite media tours and video news releases, Glazer advised luminaries such as Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, hotel mogul Bill Marriott, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.

During the 1973 Arab oil embargo, Glazer was tapped by the world’s seven leading oil companies known as the “Seven Sisters” to head media relations aimed at explaining long gas lines and spiraling fuel costs. Before this effort, U.S. petroleum CEOs were rarely, if ever, seen on TV or quoted in newspapers.

In 1986 Glazer created and managed the international press center at the historic summit between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Glazer is credited with conceiving and launching NYSE’s pilot project to provide news channels with live interviews of traders on the floor of the exchange.

George Glazer with Henry KissingerGeorge Glazer with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger

Since 1998 Glazer and his son, Bryan, have run World Satellite Television News. Clients have included Muhammad Ali, Sir Richard Branson, AOL Founder Steve Case and Florida Governor Rick Scott.

After graduating from Penn State University in 1952, where he was editor of the Daily Collegiate newspaper, Glazer started out as a reporter at WCAU, the CBS TV station in Philadelphia. His career as a TV reporter was cut short though by induction into the army during the last days of the Korean War. “He served two cold winters at the Valley Forge Medical Center as the public information officer,” son Bryan joked.

Glazer was born in Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 1930, to Albert and Tillie Glazer. His father was president of the Philadelphia Glazing Co., one of the city’s largest glass window cutters and installers. According to lore, the family descended from the window makers of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, built in 1753.

Glazer is survived by his wife, Mina; his son Bryan; his daughter Marjorie Edelstein, and his son-in-law, Steven Edelstein.

Funeral services are scheduled for noon on Dec. 4 at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel, 11115 S. Jog Road, Boynton Beach, Florida. The burial is scheduled for 12:45 p.m., Mon., Dec. 5 at the South Florida National Veterans Cemetery in Lake Worth.