Charles Osgood, Longtime CBS Sunday Morning Host, Dead at 91

Veteran broadcaster Charles Osgood, best known for his two decade-plus run as anchor of CBS Sunday Morning, died Tuesday at his home in New Jersey. He was 91.

According to CBS, the cause of death was dementia.

More from TVLine

Osgood, an accomplished writer and author whose career at CBS News spanned 45 years, began anchoring CBS Sunday Morning in 1994. He retired in 2016 at age 84.

“Watching him at work was a masterclass in communicating,” Jane Pauley, who succeeded Osgood on Sunday Morning, said. “I’ll still think to myself, ‘How would Charlie say it?’, trying to capture the elusive warmth and intelligence of his voice and delivery. I expect I’ll go on trying. 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.”

Added CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews: “Charles Osgood is 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.”

For nearly 50 years, Osgood also wrote and hosted the radio show The Osgood File, which featured commentary about the day’s major news headlines. It was broadcast multiple times a day, five days a week.

“For years now people — even friends and family — have been asking me why I keep doing this considering my age,” Osgood said at the time of his retirement. “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.”

Best of TVLine

Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter