ABC News anchor Peter Jennings dies of cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Peter Jennings, a high school dropout who rose to become prime-time anchorman for ABC News and whose career spanned five decades, has died of lung cancer at 67. The Canadian-born Jennings, host of ABC's "World News Tonight" since 1983, died on Sunday at his home in Manhattan. The newsman announced in April he had lung cancer and was beginning chemotherapy.

"Peter died with his family around him, without pain and in peace. He knew he'd lived a good life," his family said in a statement.

Jennings was the last of a generation of long-serving lead anchors for major U.S. broadcasters.

"He was a superb writer," colleague Barbara Walters said in a special broadcast on ABC. She also recalled that "no one could ad-lib like Peter."

Jennings had a 41-year career with ABC after joining the network in 1964. He soon went head-to-head with the toughest competition in the business, anchoring the prime-time news from 1965 to 1967 at a time when Walter Cronkite on CBS and the team of David Brinkley and Chet Huntley on NBC were dominant.

Jennings established the first American television news bureau in the Arab world in 1968, serving as ABC News' bureau chief for Beirut for seven years. He had a major role in covering the 1972 Olympics in Munich when Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed in a botched rescue bid.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Jennings anchored ABC broadcasts for more than 60 hours. The coverage garnered awards and critical acclaim. TV Guide called him "the center of gravity."

"For four decades, Peter has been our colleague, our friend, and our leader in so many ways. None of us will be the same without him," ABC News President David Westin wrote in announcing Jennings' death to colleagues.

CANCER DIAGNOSIS

The Toronto-born newsman, who smoked when he was younger, stunned colleagues when he informed them of his illness in an e-mail on April 5. He said he would begin a program of chemotherapy the following week.

"There will be good days and bad, which means that some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," he wrote.

ABC noted in its special broadcast that Jennings regularly called into the program during his illness, offering suggestions, comments and criticisms.

He had hoped to return to his anchor duties, but never did.

Ted Koppel, anchor of ABC's "Nightline" program, recalled the anchor's dashing good looks, and noted a resemblance to the actor Roger Moore in some of the James Bond movies.

"He and I joked the last time I went up to visit just a few days ago that between the two of us we'd put in 83 years at ABC News." Koppel said. "He was a warm and loving and surprisingly sentimental man."

Jennings was named anchor and senior editor of "World News Tonight" in 1983. He won numerous awards and honors in his more than 20 years in the position.

"It's impossible to believe that he is not going to be with us," Walters said.

In a tribute to Jennings on Monday,

President Bush

said he was saddened by the anchorman's death. "A lot of Americans relied upon Peter Jennings for their news. He became a part of the life of a lot of our fellow citizens."

Condoleezza Rice called Jennings "my close, personal friend" and "a man of conscience and integrity." She added: "Peter Jennings represented all that was best in journalism and public service. His reporting was a guide to all of us who aspire to better the world around us."

Jennings, the son of a noted Canadian broadcaster, Charles Jennings, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2003 and held dual citizenship.

The passing of Jennings was the final chapter as an era of broadcast anchors with a commanding on-air presence came to an end.

"No matter how dangerous or scary the things were, he was there to bring us the full coverage," one ABC viewer said.

NBC's Tom Brokaw stepped down in December after 21 years as anchor of "NBC Nightly News" and Dan Rather ended his 24-year career as CBS lead anchor earlier this year, after a discredited report on President Bush's military service.

Jennings is survived by his wife Kayce Freed, and his two children Elizabeth, 25 and Christopher, 23.

ABC Television is part of the Walt Disney Co. .