Edwin Newman

Edwin Newman, who spent decades as a newsman at NBC, has died. The veteran TV journalist, who was 91, passed away Aug. 13 in Oxford, England, though his death was only just announced by outlets including the New York Times so his family could have time to grieve privately.

Newman first joined NBC's ranks in the early 1950s and served as a correspondent, anchor, commentator, documentary host and theater critic over his three-decade tenure. He was known for his dry wit, stark eyebrows and love of plainspoken English.

In a statement, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said, "Ed Newman was an early role model for my generation of NBC News correspondents. Worldly, erudite and droll, qualities that were enriched by his pitch perfect use of the English language."

Newman's many notable career moments included announcing President Kennedy's death on the air, moderating two Presidential debates and being the only Western journalist to interview Japanese Emperor Hirohito.



He was born in 1919 in New York City, graduated from George Washington High School, went on to earn a degree at the University of Wisconsin and served in the Navy during World War II, before pursuing journalism professionally.

Newman was regarded as a champion of proper grammar and usage. In 1970, he wrote two bestselling books, 'Strictly Speaking: Will America Be the Death of English?' and 'A Civil Tongue,' which warned against linguistic excesses.

Yet the newsman didn't take himself seriously, even appearing as a host on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1984, the year he retired from NBC.

Newman is survived by his wife, the former Rigel Grell, and a daughter, Nancy Drucker.

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Harold Dow Cause Of Death

 Harold Dow, correspondent for CBS’ ‘48 Hours,’ dies unexpectedly at age 62

Harold Dow, a longtime correspondent for the CBS hit show ‘48 Hours,' died suddenly Saturday morning in New Jersey. He was 62.

No cause of death has been announced as of yet.

Executive Producer of ‘48 Hours,’ Susan Zirinsky said “I deeply miss him already… He was the most selfless man I have know. It was his humanity, which was felt by everyone he encountered, even in his toughest interviews, that truly defined the greatness of his work.”

According to fellow ‘48 Hours’ correspondent Peter Van Sent, Dow had announced his semi-retirement recently, but was planning to do several reports in the show’s upcoming season.

The New York Daily News reports that Van Sent wrote “Harold could do it all… His range left me in awe. Harold could talk to anyone from Presidents to pimps, rock stars and accused murderers. He was the kind of man who could make you feel in minutes like you’d known him for a year.”

Sean McManus, President of CBS News and Sports said of Dow “The CBS News family has lost one of its oldest and most talented members… His absence will be felt by many and his on-air presence and reporting skills touched nearly all of our broadcasts.”

Dow began working with CBS almost four decades ago in 1972, spending ten years in Los Angeles before relocating to New York to co-anchor the ‘The CBS Nightly News,’ ‘Sunday Morning,’ and the legal magazine ‘Verdict.’

In 1986 he was a featured correspondent on a special entitled ‘48 Hours on Crack Street,’ which led to the creation of ‘48 Hours,’ in 1988. Dow became a full time correspondent for the show in 1990.

The Daily News notes that Dow won five Emmys and a Peabody Award for a report about runaways. In addition, he was recently given accolades by the National Association of Black Journalists for his report about civil right leader Medger Evers.

Dow is survived by three children, Joelle, Danica, and David, along with his wife, Kathy.

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Susan Berman

Former Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha will appear tonight in a show on NBC discussing the 2000 Beverly Hills murder of his friend Susan Berman.

The crime story program “Solve My Mystery” is narrated from the murder victim's perspective, according to an NBC press release. It airs at

10 p.m. on Channel 4.

Rocha is among several friends and law enforcement officers discussing best-selling author Berman's execution-style killing, her link to convicted killer and millionaire Bobby Durst and his status as a “person of interest” in her death. Berman was the daughter of a wealthy Las Vegas casino operator with mob connections. Her murder remains unsolved.

Berman wrote about her father in two best-selling memoirs and worked on television specials.

One was about Las Vegas in the mid-1990s where she met and befriended then-state archivist Rocha.

Rocha, who lives in Carson City, retired last year after 27 years as the state archivist. He said the episode was filmed last year in L.A.

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