New York - He was one of the most familiar and respected voices in news.ABC News says former anchor David Brinkley has died. He was 82. ABC says Brinkley died last night at his Houston home of complications from a fall.Brinkley’s big break came in 1956 when he teamed with fellow newsman Chet Huntley to anchor NBC’s coverage of the political conventions. He and Huntley were such a hit that NBC tapped them to co-anchor the nightly news and renamed the newscast after them.Their nightly sign-off “Goodnight David, Goodnight Chet”— has become part of news history.Brinkley’s more recent career took him to ABC, where he hosted “This Week with David Brinkley.” He stepped down in 1996, but continued to do commentaries.He left amid controversy he stirred up after calling President Clinton a “bore” on the air. Clinton sat for an interview for Brinkley’s last show anyway, and Brinkley apologized.CBS News anchor Dan Rather remembers renowned newscaster David Brinkley as “a fierce but fair competitor.”NBC chairman Bob Wright says Brinkley served the network with style for almost 40 years and had a tremendous influence on broadcast journalism.At ABC, Barbara Walters describes Brinkley as “one of the loveliest men” in the news business, and also one of the most generous and greatest reporters.NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw says Brinkley changed his life. Brokaw says he was a high school sophomore who watched the first night Huntley and Brinkley came on the air. And as he watched, he says he thought, “That’s the kind of work I’d like to do.”
Newsman David Brinkley dead at 82
He was one of the most familiar and respected voices in news.
