According to CBSNews.com, Don Hewitt, the longtime CBS executive and the creator of “60 Minutes,” died early this morning from pancreatic cancer. He died at his home in Bridgehampton, N.Y. at the age of 86.
An eight-time Emmy winner, a two-time Peabody award winner and a journalism career that spanned nearly 60 years, Don Hewitt was considered by many to be the father of modern television news. First starting his career with CBS News in 1948 as an associate director, Hewitt worked his way up to the top, along the way helping shape the careers of news legends such as Walter Cronkite and Douglas Edwards. However, his crowning achievement was the creation of the investigative news TV show, “60 Minutes.” First airing on CBS on September 24, 1968, “60 Minutes” has been one of the longest running shows in television history, as well as one of the most successful.
Don Hewitt’s death marks the second major journalism death this week, as, just yesterday, legendary journalist Robert Novak died from cancer as well. It was also just a month ago that Walter Cronkite died from a long-term illness too.
Don Hewitt is survived by his wife of thirty years Marilyn Berger, his two sons, Jeffrey and Steven and his daughter Lisa Cassara as well as his second wife, Frankie Hewitt and her daughter Jilian Childers Hewitt who Don had adopted.
Here’s an excellent video put together by CBS News on Don Hewitt’s legacy:
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60 Minutes was and is a great show. RIP big man.