From NBC News
NBC just broke into programming to announce that Tim Russert died this afternoon of a heart attack, after collapsing at the NBC News bureau in Washington. He was 58.
Tom Brokaw made the emotional announcement, simulcast on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, calling him “our beloved colleague, one of the premier journalists of our time….This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice. He will be missed as he was loved - greatly.”
Brian Williams is now talking about Russert from Baghram Air Base in Afghanistan, choking up as they show footage of Williams and Russert co-hosting a presidential debate. As host of Meet the Press, Russert has been a fixture in American politics for years, an influential voice in national affairs. The void will be great.
The New York Times had the news flash first, nearly 20 minutes ahead of Russert’s own network, where on-air folks are obviously in shock. And this is creepy: someone put it on Russert’s Wikipedia entry even before NBC reported it.
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The people they have “lined up” to take Russert’s place won’t be doing him OR the show a service…way too much liberalism to go around.
At least with Russert, there was a sense of being (somewhat) CLOSE to the middle of the road (most weeks).
Damn shame….good reporter and moderator.
B.G.
Just don’t let it be Keith Olbermann. MTP will seriously jump the shark if Overbite sits in the Big Chair.
I think NBC bought the ramp AND the shark…a while back.
B.G.