Tom Brokaw
American broadcast journalist and author (born 1940) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thomas John Brokaw (/ˈbroʊkɔː/; born February 6, 1940)[2] is an American retired network television journalist and author. He first served as the co-anchor of The Today Show from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for 22 years (1982–2004). In the previous decade he served as a weekend anchor for the program from 1973 to 1976. He is the only person to have hosted all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press. He formerly held a special correspondent post for NBC News.
Tom Brokaw | |
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Born | Thomas John Brokaw (1940-02-06) February 6, 1940 (age 84) Webster, South Dakota, U.S. |
Education | University of South Dakota (BA) |
Occupation(s) | Television journalist Author |
Years active | 1960–2021 |
Employer | NBC (1966–2021) |
Notable credit(s) | Today co-anchor (1976–1981) NBC Nightly News anchor (1982–2004) NBC News Special Correspondent (2004–2021) Meet the Press moderator (2008)[1] |
Term | Anchor of NBC Nightly News |
Predecessor | John Chancellor |
Successor | Brian Williams |
Spouse |
Meredith Auld (m. 1962) |
Children | 3 |
Signature | |
Along with his competitors Peter Jennings at ABC News, and Dan Rather at CBS News, Brokaw was one of the "Big Three" U.S. news anchors during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.[3] All three hosted their networks' flagship nightly news programs for more than 20 years.[lower-alpha 1]
Brokaw has also written several books on American history and society in the 20th century including The Greatest Generation (1998). He occasionally writes and narrates documentaries for other outlets.[5] In 2021, NBC announced that Brokaw would retire after 55 years at the network, one of the longest standing anchors in the world at the same news network.[lower-alpha 2]
Brokaw is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the two Peabody Awards; two Emmy Awards; the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was awarded to him by President Barack Obama in 2014;[8] and the French Legion of Honor in 2016.