Joe Bartelme; Pioneered TV’s News Magazine Format

Joe Bartelme, 61, retired NBC News executive who formerly served as news director for KNBC in Los Angeles. An Iowa native who abandoned a promising baseball career to go into broadcasting, he began with WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, where he pioneered the news magazine format popular with television networks today. He moved to KNBC-TV in 1971 and four years later became vice president of news for the five stations owned by NBC. As vice president of network news in 1978, he revamped the “Today” show format and staff. He retired as director of NBC News administration earlier this year. In White Plains, N.Y., on Saturday of lung cancer.