NAMES IN THE NEWS : Mike Wallace to Turn Zestful 72

Mike Wallace, veteran correspondent for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” turns 72 on May 9 but says, “I’ve got the zest, the energy I’ve always had.”

And age can help, he told TV Guide in its April 21 issue.

“I’m old enough and experienced enough so that people are more willing to talk more openly to me than they used to be,” he said.

“There’s been a strange difference in the last few years in the manner an interview with me is perceived. I’m considered less of a threat.”

He said he can feel sorry for colleagues trying to start a television news magazine: “When I started with ’60 Minutes’ in 1968, no one was watching. That took away a lot of pressure.”