[Breaking News] ABC Anchor Peter Jennings dies :-(

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=41984

Peter Jennings Dies Of Lung Cancer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Peter Jennings, the suave, Canadian-born broadcaster who delivered the news to Americans each night in five separate decades, died Sunday. He was 67.

Jennings, who announced in April that he had lung cancer, died at his New York home, ABC News President David Westin said.

"Peter has been our colleague, our friend, and our leader in so many ways. None of us will be the same without him," Westin said.

With Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, Jennings was part of a triumvirate that dominated network news for more than two decades, through the birth of cable news and the Internet. His smooth delivery and years of international reporting experience made
Jennings particularly popular among urban dwellers.

Jennings was the face of ABC News whenever a big story broke. He logged more than 60 hours on the air during the week of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, offering a soothing sense of
continuity during a troubled time.

"There are a lot of people who think our job is to reassure the public every night that their home, their community and their nation is safe," he told author Jeff Alan. "I don't subscribe to
that at all. I subscribe to leaving people with essentially -- sorry it's a cliche -- a rough draft of history. Some days it's reassuring, some days it's absolutely destructive."

Jennings' announcement four months ago that the longtime would begin treatment for lung cancer came as a shock.

"I will continue to do the broadcast," he said, his voice husky, in a taped message that night. "On good days, my voice will not always be like this."

But although Jennings occasionally came to the office, he never again appeared on the air.

 

Let me just say that I have never admired a news anchor more than I did Peter Jennings. He was a great man and a great anchor, I used to religiously tune in to ABC's World New Tonight, it was my favorite half-hour of news on daily basis.

The last thing I remember of him was that small segment on one of the shows after he was diagnosed with cancer, and he spoke so eloquently and graciously thanked his viewers over the years, and saying "I will fight the good fight".

RIP Mr. Jennings, I can only hope that whomever follows in your footsteps is a nearly as good as you were.




BTW: CNN is covering this story live, and they are talking to former collegues and people who are sharing their thoughts about the man.

 

Not silly at all, I felt the same exact way, which turned me away from ABC for a while. All those great anchors of the 'Big Three' networks are now gone, replaced by younger upcoming anchors. But it just doesn't feel the same without Brokow or Jennings out there. The only ones I still thoroughly enjoy are Ted Koppel and Charlie Rose.

 

Yes, absolutely. Cook was as a stand-up guy as you could ever find in politics today. I was saddened by his passing as well.

Seems like too many 'good men' are leaving us, may they all RIP.