brian jennings news anchor
He claimed that a military helicopter he was traveling in had been "forced down after being hit by an RPG". Brian Williams is leaving NBC News after nearly 30 years as one of the network's most recognisable public faces, where he anchored "NBC Nightly News" for a decade before being temporarily. "Yes, I was a smoker until about 20 years ago, and I was weak and I smoked over 9/11. "Washington whispers". . In late March, viewers started noticing that Jennings's voice sounded uncharacteristically gravelly and unhealthy during evening newscasts. [54] Jennings stated in a 1996 interview that he was satisfied that ABC came in third in terms of O.J. [11] At the time, ABC lagged behind the more established news divisions of NBC and CBS, and the network was trying to attract younger viewers. "Thank you for not only being a terrific journalist but also a kind human being . That same year, he became a father when Marton gave birth to their daughter, Elizabeth. Designed as a companion book for ABC's upcoming documentary series of the same name, the book topped The New York Times Best Seller list in December 1998, a month after it debuted. Aug. 7, 2005 -- ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings died today at his home in New York City. [90] They have two children: Allison, an actress, and Doug, the late-night anchor of Geico SportsNite on SportsNet New York. [47] Reynolds and other crew members said Williams had been aboard one of a separate group of helicopters from the helicopter that had been fired upon, which was flying about half an hour behind and was forced to make an emergency landing because of a sandstorm rather than an attack. BRIAN Williams announced on Tuesday that he's leaving NBC News and MSNBC at the end of this year after a 28-year career. The next morning, Brokaw and Rather fondly remembered their former rival on the morning news shows. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Our beloved colleague Cheryl Jennings is changing roles at ABC7. [14] The next year, he demonstrated his growing sympathies regarding Middle Eastern affairs with Palestine: New State of Mind, a half-hour documentary for ABC's Now news program. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 08:33, assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 1982 conflict with the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, Presentation by Jennings and Todd Brewster on, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American), Radio and Television News Directors Association, Variations for Four Hands On a Theme by Tocqueville, "Peter Jennings, Globe-Trotting Correspondent and ABC News Anchor, Is Dead at 67", "ABC News Anchor Was a Voice of the World", "Veteran TV news anchor Peter Jennings dies of cancer", Arledge Fights, Yet Revels in, his Outsider Status, "Peter Jennings will be sole ABC primetime anchor", "The Gift & the Gaffe; Jackson Inspires; ABC News Pulls Its Own Plug", Jennings proves to be a prophet on Cambodia, Campaign Journal; Candidates' Big Hurdle: Conversation, "Media Alter Approach To Campaign Coverage", "Tension on Set of Show About Youth Violence", "Peabody Awards: Peter Jennings Reporting: HiroshimaWhy the Bomb was Dropped", "Peter Jennings and Kevin Newman lead the invasion of U.S. network news", "Profile: The Spiritual Spin: Peggy Wehmeyer's job as the only religion correspondent in network news", Jennings' passion the only one on U.S. TV, "NBC Takes the Ratings Gold with Its Olympics Coverage", "Viewership for network evening news is rising", "Union Says Lockout Affects ABC Clinton Coverage", "ABC has another reason to celebrate: ratings", "As the Century Turns: Technicolor Wonders Linking the World", Millennium marathon wins ABC ratings, $5M, Two Democrats In Debate Back Gays in Military, "On Television, The Unimaginable Story Unfolds", "Television Archive ABC footage, approx 9:53", "The Broadcast Networks, Putting Telling Above Selling", "Publisher cuts price of Jennings' latest book", Why Peter Jennings chose to become an American, Canadian Peter Jennings becomes a U.S. citizen, "At the Debate, Speculations and Calculations Focus on Dean", "Peter Jennings vs. Wesley Clark vs. Michael Moore vs. George W. Bush", Reporting Live From Hell: TV Scrambles for Glory, "Jennings Delivers His News in Character", "Jennings Says 'Many Thanks' for Birthday Wishes", ABC News anchor Peter Jennings dies at 67, "TV anchor Peter Jennings dies at age 67", Arts, Briefly; Jennings Tribute Leads the Night, Friends and Colleagues Celebrate the Life of Peter Jennings, "A reporter's life in new book about the late Peter Jennings", Radio Television Digital News Association, Washington State University Honors Peter Jennings with the Edward R. Murrow Award, "Peter Jennings to Receive Order of Canada", ABC News Location Named Peter Jennings Way, Sir Elton John among 12 honorees to receive prestigious Disney Legends, "Diahann Carroll, Cloris Leachman, Peter Jennings to TV Academy Hall of Fame", "On the Air; Anchor Away; TV's Big Morning Without Dan Rather", Larry King Live Transcript: Peter Jennings Discusses 'The Search for Jesus', Larry King Live Transcript: Peter Jennings Discusses 'Family Business', Larry King Live Transcript: Peter Jennings Offers His Insights on Current Events, Larry King Live Transcript: Interview With Peter Jennings, Larry King Live Transcript: Peter Jennings Remembered; Panel Discusses Lung Cancer. [91] Williams and his wife live in New Canaan,[92] and own a beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey[93] and a pied--terre in Midtown Manhattan. "He seemed so timeless. She has been a TV news reporter and anchor in New York City and Dallas, also working in this position for CNN in Los Angeles. While his final episode was . For other uses, see, These audio files were created from a revision of this article dated 24April2008. The Virginia Association of Broadcasters recently honored Kerri . It was an opinion show, just like nearly every other prime time program on. [67] The success of the program, though, failed to transfer into any lasting change in the viewership of World News Tonight; ABC's evening newscast spent the first week of January as ratings leader, before dropping back to second place. Works at State Farm Agent Intern. She was also the host of the . [71] He was the commencement speaker for Elon University's graduating class of 2013, which included his son Douglas.[72]. Jennings would anchor the program from New York City, the program's new base of operations. [56], Despite these critical successes, in 1996, World News Tonight started gradually slipping in the ratings race. [56], As part of his chief anchor duties, Williams anchored The 11th Hour with Brian Williams a nightly news and politics wrap-up show. "[37] Jennings continued to produce special programs aimed at young viewers, anchoring Growing Up in the Age of AIDS, a frank, 90-minute-long discussion on AIDS in February 1992;[38] and Prejudice: Answering Children's Questions, a forum on racism in April 1992. [2] On June 18, 2015, he was demoted to breaking news anchor for MSNBC. [22], In 1979, Jennings married for the third time to fellow ABC correspondent Kati Marton. [108] In October 2006, The Walt Disney Company, which bought ABC in 1996, posthumously named Jennings a Disney Legend, the company's highest honor. By the time it aired, all of the people interviewed for their anecdotes of World War I had died. Williams has written for publications including The New York Times[73] and Time magazine. Jennings, Peter (Anchor) (September 5, 1983). [64] Jennings's American prime-time audience, an estimated 18.6 million viewers, easily outpaced the millennium coverage of rival networks. [2] "It was a little ridiculous when you think about it," he later reflected. The public firing of Rooney made national headlines, and put Jennings on the defensive. She served as substitute anchor on "CNBC with Brian Williams," "The Lester Holt Show," and presented the news on "The Weekend Today Show." By 2004, WPLG drew her back to South Florida to become . "I loved comic books. [66] Although production costs totaled a hefty $11 million (compared with $2 million each for NBC's and CBS's millennium projects), ABC managed to make a profit of $5 million. After the CBC moved his father to its Ottawa headquarters in the early 1950s, Jennings transferred to Lisgar Collegiate Institute. [96] The 57th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 18, 2005, included a tribute to Jennings by Brokaw and Rather. He was noted for questioning General Wesley Clark over Clark's silence over controversial comments made by filmmaker Michael Moore, a supporter of Clark. The newscast had gained 1.9 million households from its debut, and was now in a dead heat with NBC's evening newscast. "[12], An inexperienced Jennings had a hard time keeping up with his rivals at the other networks, and he and the upstart ABC News could not compete with the venerable newscasts of Walter Cronkite at CBS and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley at NBC. Brian Williams has signed off from MSNBC for the last time, giving viewers a piece of his mind on the state of the nation. [10] "ABC was in bad shape at the time," Jennings said. [d] Instead, Jennings devoted his energies to covering the Bosnian War, anchoring three hour-long prime time specials on the subject and one Saturday-morning special aimed at children. His live reporting, which drew on the sympathy he had acquired for the Arab world, sought to influence Americans who were critical of the Palestinian group. Kenneth in the 212 reports Muir is allegedly "openly gay in his day-to-day life." Another juicy rumor claimed that he and field reporter Gio Benitez are an item. [29], Despite a shaky start at the anchor desk, Jennings's broadcast began to climb in the ratings. Two decades ago, he was a stand-in for Rather if he needed help on Sept. 11. [2] He struggled academically, and Jennings later surmised that it was out of "pure boredom" that he failed 10th grade and dropped out. On February 21, 2006, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg designated the block on West 66th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West as Peter Jennings Way in honor of the late anchor; the block is home to the ABC News headquarters. [84][85], Another statement by Williams, this one regarding the Navy SEALs, also received attention. Bolstered by strong viewership of its coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and heavy coverage of O.J. And I cried a little bit my kids didn't cry, but I cried a bit but I'm a fairly emotional character anyway. Jennings and ABC saw an opportunity to gain viewers, and initiated a publicity blitz touting the anchor's foreign reporting experience. On April 5, 2005, Jennings informed viewers through a taped message on World News Tonight that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and was starting chemotherapy treatment the following week. In 2008, Williams said he was "at the Brandenburg Gate the night the wall came down", while CBS and other sources report that he did not arrive until the next day. "[10] During his visit, however, his colleagues noticed he was ill to the point where he could barely speak. [39], Politics dominated network news in 1992. Mark Duncan/AP. Jennings has been ABC's sole evening anchor ever since. In 1982, Jennings's and Marton's second child, Christopher, was born. "[76] ABC was flooded with more than 10,000 angry phone calls and e-mails. Ever since David Muir was tapped to replace Diane Sawyer when she leaves ABC World News in September, gossip about his sexual orientation has gone into overdrive. Despite the success of the TV series and heavy promotion by the book's publisher, In Search of America failed to generate much interest or sales. On July 10, 1978, World News Tonight debuted with Frank Reynolds in Washington, Max Robinson in Chicago, and Jennings in London. I know we don't know where he is, but pretty soon the country needs to know where he is. [52] At a taping of a "town meeting" segment for KOMO-TV of Seattle in February 1995, Jennings expressed regret for his ABC radio remarks on the 1994 midterm elections. [32], Jennings's on-air success continued in 1990, and World News Tonight consistently led the ratings race. [92], On August 10, 2005, ABC aired a two-hour special, Peter Jennings: Reporter, with archival clips of his reports and interviews with colleagues and friends. Lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He reported the accident and death of Diana, Princess of Wales. [30] The next month, Brokaw redeemed himself by scooping the other networks with news of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Following Reynolds' death from cancer, ABC abandoned the multi-anchor format and Jennings became sole anchor on Sept. 5, 1983. Jun 23, 2022. The following year he covered news in the Washington, D.C., area at then-independent station WTTG, then worked in Philadelphia for WCAU, then owned and operated by CBS. Blackout. He was always fascinated with the United States and became an American citizen in 2003. [115] The Simpson trial was the number-one news story for NBC and CBS in 1995, while at ABC, coverage of the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina dominated the newscast. [2] The documentary established Jennings as Sadat's favorite correspondent. View the full slate of FOX Sports on-air talent and digital personalities. He pronounced lieutenant as "leftenant", mangled the pronunciation of "Appomattox", and misidentified the "Marines' Hymn" as "Anchors Aweigh" at Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential inauguration; his lack of in-depth knowledge of American affairs and culture led critics to deride Jennings as a "glamorcaster". He was also the host of the 2009 Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala. On April 5, Jennings announced he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. [70] Jennings was the only American news anchor to travel to India for Clinton's trip. Jennings was cremated and his ashes split in half. "[53], During the mid-1990s, some television critics praised Jennings for his insistence on not letting the O.J. Simpson murder case swamp the newscast. A mash-up video created by Fallon, where Williams appears to rap to hip-hop instrumentals, became popular within a few hours. Brian Williams is a very entertaining host whose turn hosting the 11th Hour on MSNBC was smart, funny, and informative. By hiding with his camera crew close to the athletic compound where the Israeli athletes were being held hostage, Jennings was able to provide ABC with clear video of the masked hostage-takers. "[116], e.^ The immense scope of The Century caused headaches for those developing it. [83][84], By late 2004, Brokaw had retired from his anchoring duties at NBC, ceding the reins to Brian Williams; Rather planned to step down in March 2005. Williams also collaborated on the Encyclopedia of World History from Backpack Books published in 2003. "[90] Canada's television networks led off their morning news shows with the news of Jennings's death and had remembrances from their "big three" anchors, Peter Mansbridge at the CBC, Lloyd Robertson at CTV, and Kevin Newman (himself a former colleague of Jennings at ABC) at Global. Also while in high school, he was the editorial editor for the school newspaper. However, despite having almost always reported from the scene of any major news story, Jennings was sidelined by an upper respiratory infection in late December 2004; he was forced to anchor from the ABC News Headquarters in New York during the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, while his competitors traveled to the region. Hi Niall. In 1968, he established ABC's Middle East bureau in Beirut, Lebanon, the first American television news bureau in the Arab world. Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. [28] At the announcement of the award, Cronkite said he was one of Williams' "ardent admirers" and described him as a "fastidious newsman" who brought credit to the television news reporting profession. . In "Audition Day", he auditions to be a new TGS cast member. August 10, 1983. "ABC News Marches On". [35], Based on the Nielsen ratings, from late 2008 Williams' news broadcast consistently had more viewers than its two main rivals, ABC's World News Tonight and CBS Evening News. 8 Reynolds died unexpectedly July 20, after suffering from viral . [45] The couple had previously split in 1987 for four months after Jennings found out that Marton was having an affair with Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen. As a sort of partial retirement, Cheryl will be leaving her weekly role as host of "Beyond the Headlines" at . "This is the end of a chapter and the beginning of. 2:09. [91], American President George W. Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin offered statements of condolence to the press. It survived three major changes in narrative approach, three different executive producers, and various attempts to axe the entire project. On February 22, 2010, while covering the Winter Olympics, Williams did a skit with Brian Williams, the Canadian sportscaster of CTV Sports, on the CTV Olympic set. [57], Williams announced on the November 9, 2021, episode of The 11th Hour with Brian Williams that he would be leaving NBC News and MSNBC at the expiration of his contract the following month, after five years hosting the show and 28 years with the networks. The anchor teamed with former Life magazine journalist Todd Brewster to pen The Century, a 606-page book on 20th-century America. Once anchor Brandon Lee announced he was leaving Channel 3, the messages and emails began pouring in. [74], Williams' statements about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath were received with scrutiny. [14] His first job was as a busboy at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery. And then I pull off my mask, and I'm a lizard person, too. [36], d.^ In 1994, the three major networks devoted 1,592 total minutes to covering the Simpson criminal case; while ABC had 423, CBS had 580 and NBC 589. [54], On February 10, 2015, NBC News President Deborah Turness suspended Williams without pay for six months from his position as Managing Editor and Anchor of the Nightly News for having misrepresented the Iraq incident. Stories Williams' shared with NBC's own Tom Brokaw both on the air and at Columbia Journalism school are now disputed. Jennings, though, downplayed criticism of the program's rocky history. "Why Peter Jennings is So Good". He conducted the first American television interview with Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat. His absence caused a dip in the ratings for ABC's nightly newscast. he asked. For Jennings, the situation was agonizing.[85]. [17] Beginning in 1987 he broadcast in New York City at WCBS. You did a good job with Liz Truss. While in Mobile, Jennings won an . On July 20, 1983, Reynolds died unexpectedly after developing acute hepatitis. [65] Television critics praised the program, and described the anchor as "superhuman". Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite and John Chancellor were also anchors . [2] At the time, his salary was $10 million a year,[39] with a five-year contract signed in December 2014. "Peter, of the three of us, was our prince," said Brokaw on Today. He noted that Thomas and his accuser, Anita Hill, "have a very painful disagreement about some things the woman says the man did to her when they were working together. [45][46] Soon after it aired, Williams' story was criticized by Lance Reynolds, a flight engineer on board one of the three Chinook helicopters that had been attacked. [112] Mullen's team repeated the study to analyze Jennings's performance in the 1988 presidential election, concluding that the ABC anchor again favored a Republican candidate. [27], In 2009, Williams was awarded the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism by Arizona State University. "Name me a news organization that doesn't have some degree of turmoil on a major project," he said. [100], In 2007, a book, Peter Jennings: A Reporter's Life, was published, co-edited by his widow Kayce Freed and his ABC colleague Lynn Sherr. In 1973, he covered the Yom Kippur War, and the following year, he served as chief correspondent and co-producer of Sadat: Action Biography, a profile of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat that would win him his first of two George Foster Peabody Awards. [82] An IDF spokesman who was on the helicopter in question did confirm afterwards that there was Katyusha fire and, although the helicopter was not in danger, the "trajectory of the rockets was beneath us. [11], Jennings started reporting for ABC at its New York news bureau. Brokaw was teamed with Roger Mudd in 1982 and appointed sole. [10] While reporting for CTV, he was the first Canadian journalist to arrive in Dallas after the assassination of President John F. Works at Brian Jennings Photography. In addition to anchoring, he was the host of many ABC News special reports and moderated several American presidential debates. In the episode "The Ones", he is seen at home receiving proposition calls meant for Tracy Jordan. He was an actor and writer, known for Mortal Kombat (1995), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and Man on Fire (2004). The 41 Most Shocking Cast Exits. On February 1, 1965, ABC plucked the fresh-faced Canadian from the field and placed him at the anchor desk of Peter Jennings With the News, then a 15-minute nightly newscast. He believes Jennings was the best television news anchor ever and, as terrible as the day was, it was his crowning achievement. Christian Jennings joined Channel 2 Action News in March 2018 as a general assignment reporter. "I went in the front door and came out the front door. [49], In his original on-air reporting of the incident on March 26, 2003, for Dateline NBC, Williams had said only that "the Chinook ahead of us was almost blown out of the sky by an RPG" and made an emergency landing. [44], On February 4, 2015, Williams apologized for and recanted his disproven Iraq War story, which he had told on a Nightly News broadcast on January 30, 2015. [63] On March 29, 1999, Jennings anchored the first installment of ABC's 12-hour miniseries, The Century; production on the monumental project started in 1990, and by the time it aired, it had cost the network US$25 million. Starting in 1986, Jennings began a decade on top of the ratings. Brian Williams is leaving NBC News after nearly 30 years as one of the network's most recognisable public faces, where he anchored "NBC Nightly News" for a decade before being temporarily. Introducing the piece, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw described Williams as having "got [him]self into a close call in the skies over Iraq",[50] and the story was headlined, "Target Iraq: Helicopter NBC's Brian Williams Was Riding In Comes Under Fire". U.S. Brian Williams MSNBC NBC. NBC News is suspending Nightly News managing editor and anchor Brian Williams for six months, without pay, in the wake of an internal review of comments about his experiences in the early days of . "I had not covered an election campaign in 16 years," Jennings said, "so here was I going to co-anchor with David Brinkley in 1984, and he wasn't even sure I knew who the faces belonged to, and he was right. Mullen, Brian et al. [99] On December 5, 2005, after much speculation, and nearly eight months after Jennings stopped anchoring, ABC named Vargas and Bob Woodruff co-anchors for World News Tonight. [17], Meanwhile, ABC News and its newly installed president, Roone Arledge, were preparing an overhaul of its nightly news program, which was then known as ABC Evening News and whose ratings had languished in third place behind CBS and NBC since its inception. [79] To promote the book, the anchor and World News Tonight started a 50-state tour of the United States in April 2002 as part of a yearlong project, 50 States/One Nation/One Year. When his contract expired with ABC in the early 1980s, Jennings flirted with the possibility of moving back to Canada and working with the CBC on its new nightly newscast, The Journal. [7] Williams is the youngest of four siblings. "I loved girls," he said. She has been the editor, senior editor and associate editor of a number of regional and national magazines. During an appearance on July 26, 2011, he demonstrated a skilled vocal impersonation of TV personality Regis Philbin. "[80], In another version of the same story, Williams claimed that the rockets passed "just underneath the helicopter I was riding in. Brian Williams Signs Off Watch on It's the end of an era at MSNBC, as Brian Williams ventures into "the great unknown" following a 28-year stint at NBC News. "We'll only devote time to a candidate's daily routine if it is more than routine. [19], As part of ABC's triumvirate, Jennings continued to cover major international news, especially Middle East issues. After nearly two decades as one of the premier news anchors in South Florida history, Local 10's Laurie Jennings has announced she will step down from the an. [60], Williams frequently appeared on The Daily Show as a celebrity guest interviewed by Jon Stewart and in 2007, made regular cameos as a giant head sidekick looking on Jon Stewart and helping out with pronunciations of foreign names and occasionally other foreign affairs all beginning at the premiere of the new Daily Show set. End of episode. [104][105] In 2004, he was awarded with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcasting from Washington State University. The changes provoked a backlash from regular viewers, and ratings plummeted. Riches, Hester (June 17, 1981). [77] CNN reported in a 2005 television documentary that Williams said he was not a witness to the suicide: "We heard the story of a man killing himself, falling from the upper deck. MSNBC host and former "NBC Nightly News" anchor and managing editor Brian Williams signed off for the last time at NBC on Thursday evening. He has also appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, where he took part in numerous skits and interviews. [4] He also attended the University of Ottawa. His nightly appearance at an anchor desk in London convinced some viewers that ABC News was more dedicated to foreign news than the other networks. In the late 1970s, a disastrous pairing of Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters at the anchor desk left the network searching for new ideas. When the station launched in March 1961, Jennings was initially an interviewer and co-producer for Vue, a late-night news program. [2] He continued to cover the Middle East, and in 1978 he was the first North American reporter to interview the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, then in exile in Paris. [40], On October 4, 2011, it was announced that Williams would be the host of Rock Center with Brian Williams, a news magazine program premiering on October 31, 2011, at 10:00pm Eastern, replacing the canceled drama series The Playboy Club. Steinberg, Jacques (September 19, 2005). Last winter,. [2] As ABC's Beirut bureau chief, Jennings favored the Arab cause in the ArabIsraeli conflict, including the rise of the Palestinian Black September Organization during the early 1970s. Two decades ago, he was a stand-in for Rather if he needed help on Sept. 11. [58], The slide in the ratings coincided with some rockiness at ABC News. Waters, Harry F. (January 20, 1975). [57] This short bump provided momentum for NBC, which started making steady gains in the ratings. We value your opinions. "We did very badly with it," Jennings said. "[81], As he did in 2000, Jennings moderated the 2004 Democratic presidential primary debate, which was held that year at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Learn more about the people of WRAL, and use the links provided to send us feedback and ideas. "All of their careers had led up to that point." There are people out there who think their job is to set the bar for us, but the bar for me is set by the audience, and I think there is a real hunger out there from everyone I encounter to relive and experience and learn from what's gone on over the last 100 years. [95], For other people named Brian Williams, see. [62] Some in the media dubbed this the new "Battle of the Brians", as NBC's Williams compared his own modest set to CTV's expensive Olympic studio.[63]. [3] In September 2016, he became the host of MSNBC's political news show, The 11th Hour. [58][59] His final night hosting the show was December 9, 2021. [2] By mid-1979, the broadcast, which featured some of the same glitzy presentation as Arledge's previous television show, Wide World of Sports, had climbed in the ratings. He served as the anchor of "Peter Jennings with the News" from 1965 to 1967. Kerri O'Brien. See Photos. "[27], Jennings's debut on September 5, 1983, marked the beginning of a steady climb in the ratings for ABC News. On April 1, 2005, he anchored World News Tonight for the last time; his failing health also prevented him from covering the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II. Anytime you want to cross over to the other side, baby, travel with me. "[81] His work had prepared him well for the citizenship test, which he passed easily. [12] While in high school, he was a volunteer firefighter for three years at the Middletown Township Fire Department. [52] In a 2013 account, Williams said his helicopter had been "hit and landed very quickly". Jennings started his broadcasting career at the age of nine, hosting Peter's People, a half-hour, Saturday morning, CBC Radio show for kids. [38], In February 2015, Williams was suspended for six months from the broadcast for misrepresenting his experience in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [5], Although Jennings dreamed of following in his father's footsteps in broadcasting, his first job was as a bank teller for the Royal Bank of Canada. [101] The book contained an oral history compiled from a number of interviews. [11] While stationed in the Lebanese capital, Jennings dated Palestinian activist Hanan Ashrawi, who was then a graduate student in literature at the American University in Beirut. [13] He suffered an accident during a football game that left him with a crooked nose. He dropped out of high school, yet he transformed himself into one of American television's most prominent journalists.