Charles Osgood, former CBS News host, dead at 91
Former CBS News host Charles Osgood passed away at the age of 91 on Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, CBS News announced.
Osgood hosted "CBS Sunday Morning" for over 20 years and hosted a radio program called, "The Osgood File."
He spent 45 years at CBS and started as an anchor for the "CBS Sunday Morning" show in 1994. Osgood retired at 84 from the network in 2016. At the time, he told viewers it had been a "great run."
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"For years now people — even friends and family — have been asking me why I keep doing this considering my age," Osgood said when he retired, according to the media outlet. "It's just that it's been such a joy doing it! Who wouldn't want to be the one who gets to introduce these terrific storytellers and the producers and writers and others who put this wonderful show together."
CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews said Osgood was one of the "legendary journalists who made CBS News what it is today."
"His commitment to the craft, especially to the art of writing, left an indelible impression on the field. He was a mentor and friend to many. His impact will be felt on CBS News for decades to come," she added.
He hosted "The Osgood File," for nearly 46 years, in which he would always sign off with the phrase, "I'll see you on the radio."
"To say there's no one like Charles Osgood is an understatement, Rand Morrison, CBS's "Sunday Morning" executive producer said, according to the outlet. "He embodied the heart and soul of 'Sunday Morning.' His signature bow tie, his poetry… just his presence was special for the audience, and for those of us who worked with him. At the piano, Charlie put our lives to music. Truly, he was one of a kind – in every sense."
Jane Pauley, who took over for Osgood as the host of "Sunday Morning" in 2016, also remembered the former host and said she tries to capture the "elusive warmth" and intelligence of Osgood's voice.
"He was one of the best broadcast stylists and one of the last. His style was so natural and unaffected it communicated his authenticity. He connected with people. Watching him on TV, or listening on the radio, as I did for years, was to feel like you knew him, and he knew you. He brought a unique sensibility, curiosity and his trademark whimsy to 'Sunday Morning,' and it endures," she said.
Osgood's family said Osgood's cause of death was dementia.