Fellow broadcast information legend Charles Kuralt known as Charles Osgood “one of many final nice broadcast writers” due to his lyrical, poetic writing type. Osgood was the host of “CBS Sunday Morning” till 2016, having taken over the place from Kuralt in 1994. From 1971 to 2017, he produced a day by day commentary known as “The Osgood File” on CBS Radio.
After a decades-long profession in tv and radio, Osgood died of dementia in his New Jersey residence at age 91 on Jan. 23, 2024.
Osgood was born in New York Metropolis in 1933 and grew up in Baltimore throughout World Warfare II, an expertise he described in his 2004 memoir, “Defending Baltimore In opposition to Enemy Assault.”
For a lot of his youth, nonetheless, studying the information wasn’t his plan for his future. He attended Fordham College to review economics, not journalism, after which joined the U.S. Army.
He graduated from the college in 1954. Though the Korean Warfare had ended the yr earlier than, the U.S. navy nonetheless drafted civilians on the time. With a draft classification of 1-A (match for navy service), Osgood determined to be proactive. He knew the announcer of the U.S. Army Band at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. It was a novel place that Osgood was uniquely suited to fill. He had volunteered for the campus radio station whereas at Fordham; labored as an announcer at WGMS, a Washington, D.C., classical music station; and will play the piano, organ and banjo.
When he found the U.S. Army Band’s announcer was about to depart the place, Osgood joined the Army to get the job and keep away from the draft. He was the band’s announcer during his navy service, between 1955 and 1958. Whereas he was in, he met John Cacavas, an arranger for the band. His relationship with Cacavas would result in a decades-long collection of collaborations, in addition to a songwriting credit score. His music “Gallant Males” turned a Prime 40 hit in 1966.
Most likely the spotlight of his Army profession was being the non-public broadcaster to President Dwight D. Eisenhower whereas the commander in chief recovered from a coronary heart assault in 1955. Osgood’s job was to play data for the ailing president, and solely the president.
There’s one thing to be mentioned for having a world of expertise. Regardless of by no means attending a day of journalism faculty, Osgood continued his broadcasting profession after leaving the Army in 1958. He turned the overall supervisor of the primary pay cable channel in the USA, Connecticut’s WHCT. When the station did not take off as anticipated, he obtained a job studying the information on ABC Radio in New York Metropolis in 1963.
In 1967, he turned a author and reporter for WCBS AM, anchoring the morning information. That is how he got here to host one among radio’s longest-running options, a section that may be referred to as “The Osgood File.” It was a collection of commentaries on the day’s information that aired 4 occasions a day, 5 days per week, for practically 46 years.
It was at CBS, whereas in his 40s, that he developed the type of incorporating poetry and whimsical-sounding rhymes into his studies. In the future he simply integrated a rhyme, which he favored, however the information division administration appeared to hate. Regardless of telling him to not do it once more, he did it once more … for the remainder of his lengthy profession.
Osgood absolutely joined CBS News in 1971, anchoring his morning information radio broadcasts, but in addition showing on tv. In 1981, he was named anchor of “CBS Sunday Night time News” and anchor of “CBS Morning News” from 1987 to 1992 earlier than taking the reins of “CBS Sunday Morning” in 1994.
Hold Up With the Finest in Navy Leisure
Whether or not you are in search of information and leisure, considering of becoming a member of the navy or maintaining with navy life and advantages, Navy.com has you coated. Subscribe to the Navy.com publication to have navy information, updates and sources delivered straight to your inbox.
Story Continues
