Peter Jenning's dies aged 67

According to NewsBlues and Knowfirst ABC in America have alerted Affiliates to be prepared to report on the Death of Peter Jennings, who is sufferng Lung cancer and has been away from the programme "World News Tonight" since April 5 2005.

I think he must've known that with lung cancer there was very little hope of him staging a recovery, and he's not been seen on World News Tonight for several months.

A great shame, and very, very sad.

I didn't realise that's why he was off, they're still calling it 'World News Tonight with Peter Jennings' so I assumed he was just off on holiday. I've never understood why US TV has the ridiculous system of 'World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.... presented tonight by Joe Bloggs'

It will be interesting to see how long after he goes that they rename it

It's been imported over here now too. How often has 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald with Martin Bashir instead of Trevor McDonald' aired?

Well, I think it's a safe bet that they'll at least drop the 'with Peter Jennings' bit pretty sharpish...

CBS Evening News, I think, recently edited its title sequence to take away the prominence of the person presenting it, but I'm not 100% sure if they've stuck with that format.

Either way, it seems as though the US evening news industry is about to undergo a fairly fundamental rethink. NBC seem to be intent on keeping their format as traditional as possible, with the homely Brian Williams, but CBS seem to be keen on going in the other direction. Will be an interesting couple of years ahead.

I would have thought that at least http://abcnews.com would have reported this.....

Simon

indeed i would too

i am wondering when the news breaks, will ABC put pictures and text about Peter Jennings on their screens on Times Square?

As far as I can see, very few US news sources are reporting it. There has been no public comment from ABC News, just a briefing to affiliates so they are prepared for any eventuality, as such it doesn't really merit a story.

It would be a pretty odd turn of events if ABC put a ''ABC tells affiliates that Jennings is nearly dead'' story up on their site.

Also worth nothing that Newsblues, the source of the story, have removed the snap from their website. So, either it's not true, or ABC have requested they keep it quiet.

Jennings informed his viewrs viewers on April 5 2005 that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, meaning chemotherapy would start the next week, but he would continue to give viewrs World News Tonight when possible.

Jennings quit smoking back in 1988 but briefly began again during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

ABC affiliates are denying deny this, which of course means it has happened.

TVSpy, Newsblues, TVNewser are all reporting on this.

I wouldn't - there is a world of difference between warning affiliates that something MIGHT happen, and reporting it is fact to the public.

The same kind of thing happens in the BBC - when a public figure is in failing health the newsroom is warned to have a plan and an obituary available. On many occasions the health of the person in question has improved...

wierd i found this on the ABC Store site, looking for pictures of Peter Jennings, read what it says.

look who seems to be the victim