Letter to staffers:

Dear All -- Forgive me the group mailing -- but it seems the easiest way to tell a lot of people I care for about a change in my life.
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I have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Yes, it was quite a surprise.
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As you all know, this is a challenge. I begin chemo-therapy next week. I will continue to do the broadcast. There will be good days and bad, which means that some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky! Almost 10 million Americans are living with cancer. I am sure I will learn from them how to cope with the facts of life that none of us anticipated. In all the years I have worked here I have had the most outstanding support from this news division.
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Hundreds of you have been like family. It feels good to have such a family right now.
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ABC News: Peter Jennings Has Lung Cancer

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/thumbnails//TV_JENNINGS_CANCER.sff_NYET151_20050405112141.jpg (http://apnews.excite.com/image/20050405/TV_JENNINGS_CANCER.sff_NYET151_20050405112141.html?date=20050405&docid=D899B0NG0)
(AP) Peter Jennings poses on the set of ABC's "World News Tonight"
in New York on Feb. 5, 2001....

NEW YORK (AP) - Peter Jennings, the chief ABC News anchorman for more than 20 years, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin outpatient treatment next week, the network said Tuesday.

Jennings, 66, has been feeling ill for the past several months and was replaced Saturday on coverage of the pope's death by anchor Charles Woodruff. He last anchored "World News Tonight" on Friday.

Jennings informed ABC News staff of the diagnosis Tuesday morning and said he will anchor the broadcast when he feels up to it over the next few months as he begins chemotherapy.

"There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," he told ABC News employees in an e-mail.

Charles Gibson, who's in Rome for the pope's funeral, and Elizabeth Vargas will be Jennings' primary substitutes on the evening news. Jennings first anchored ABC's evening newscast for two years in the 1960s, and was a Europe-based correspondent for the network after that. He started again as an anchor as ABC tried a multi-anchor format starting in 1978, then took over the broadcast himself in 1983.

Sorry I can't copy the story, but here's the link from The Houston Chronicle. :(


Peter Jennings Diagnoised With Lung Cancer (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/tv/3119021).

That is too bad, hope he pulls through in good shape. I actually got to 'meet' him when came to our high school for a visit.

Message from David Westin:



This morning, Peter Jennings told his senior staff at World News Tonight that yesterday afternoon he was diagnosed with lung cancer. I include below the full text of Peter’s note to the group of people with whom he works most closely. He will begin outpatient treatment next week here in New York. It’s both Peter’s and my expectation that he will anchor World News Tonight during the period of treatment to the extent he can do so comfortably; but, we should also expect him to be off the broadcast from time to time, depending on how he feels. Charlie Gibson, Elizabeth Vargas, and others will be substituting for Peter as necessary and when their other responsibilities permit.

All of us at ABC News have watched over the years as Peter has led us on various assignments with strength and with courage. We’ve done our best to support him in these endeavors. Now, Peter’s been given a tough assignment. He’s already bringing to this new challenge the courage and strength we’ve seen so often in his reporting from the field and in anchoring ABC News. I know that all of us will give him every bit of support that he needs and asks for. Peter will once again lead the way, but we will stand with him at every turn.

Peter’s E-mail:

Dear All – Forgive me the group mailing – but it seems the easiest way to tell a lot of people I care for ….. about a change in my life.

I have been diagnosed with lung cancer. Yes, it was quite a surprise.

As you all know, this is a challenge. I begin chemo-therapy next week. I will continue to do the broadcast. There will be good days and bad, which means that some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky! Almost 10 million Americans are living with cancer. I am sure I will learn from them how to cope with the facts of life that none of us anticipated. In all the years I have worked here I have had the most outstanding support from this news division.

Hundreds of you have been like family. It feels good to have such a family right now.

Peter

Listening to ABC News Radio right now... he's been with ABC for 41 years, since 1964. WOW!

Best of luck to Peter.

Lung Cancer is not good, but I am praying he will come through this.

ABC News: Peter Jennings Has Lung Cancer

21 minutes ago

Add to My Yahoo! Television - AP

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - Peter Jennings, the chief ABC News anchorman for more than 20 years, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin outpatient treatment next week, the network said Tuesday.

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AP Photo

AFP Photo
AFP
Slideshow Slideshow: Peter Jennings



Jennings, 66, told ABC News staff members of his diagnosis Tuesday morning and said he will continue to anchor the broadcast when he feels up to it as he begins chemotherapy.

He last anchored "World News Tonight" Friday and was too ill to work Saturday during the network's special report on Pope John Paul II's death.

"There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," he told ABC News employees in an e-mail.

Charles Gibson, who's in Rome for the pope's funeral, and Elizabeth Vargas will be Jennings' primary substitutes on the evening news.

Jennings is the last of the anchor troika that dominated broadcast network news divisions over the last two decades. NBC's Tom Brokaw stepped down last year and CBS's Dan Rather left the evening news last month.

A former foreign correspondent based in Rome and London, the urbane Jennings and "World News Tonight" dominated the ratings during the late 1980s and early 1990s, before being surpassed by Brokaw. His broadcast is now a close second to NBC's "Nightly News" with Brian Williams.

He has been feeling ill for the past several months. Following the tsunami in December, he did not travel to the stricken region, with ABC explaining at the time that he had an upper respiratory infection and was under doctor's orders not to travel. He did go to Iraq in January for the elections.

Jennings is a former smoker who gave up the habit several years ago, the network said.

He anchored ABC's evening newscast for two years in the 1960s, then joined a multi-anchor format in 1978. ABC abandoned the approach in 1983 after Frank Reynolds died of cancer and Jennings has been the sole anchor since then.

I wish the best for him, he was always my favorite of the "Big 3."

Get well soon.
Kind of ironic that he was "replaced" on the day of probably the most high profile death of the past quarter century.

Lung cancer is one of the more deadlier cancers. It claimed my mother's life. It is survivable though. I wish Peter all the best. Prayers to him at what is surely a terribly frightening and uncertain time in his life.

One of my favorite newsmen on FOX News, Tony Snow, was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. His prognosis is good, but you just never know with cancer....metastases, reoccurrences...you just never know.

Yeah it's on the politics board. Anyway that's a shame :( .

:( How sad... I like him so much. I hope he gets well. :(

Always enjoyed his specials and hope he returns to ABC News soon.

These health things sure are popping up. Awhile back, a local TV meteorologist (Dallas Raines) had to have prostate cancer treated.

Does anyone know if Peter Jennings was/is a smoker?

These health things sure are popping up. Awhile back, a local TV meteorologist (Dallas Raines) had to have prostate cancer treated.

Does anyone know if Peter Jennings was/is a smoker?

Yes he did smoke for many years I believe.

Yes he did smoke for many years I believe.
I just heard on the news that Peter started smoking in his teens but quit 10 years ago.

Wow!! I was shocked to learn that Peter Jennings had cancer. He looked like the picture of health. When I last saw him on Friday,he looked liked his usual self. Is his cancer in the early stages where the doctors can do something?? I still can't believe it.

He was a HEAVY smoker when he was a foreign correspondent. He quit but smoked during high stress times(9/11 as he said tonight).

Well... he didn't anchor tonight's newscast, but he did have a taped statement at the end of the show. He sounded TERRIBLE! His voice was REALLY bad. :( I'm not a fan, but get well soon Peter. :(

I just heard on ABC that he quit smoking 20 years ago (except during 9/11).

wow, that's why I'm never going to smoke. But unfortunately you can't avoid second hand smoke.

I can't believe he's 66, he looks like he's 45!

Hope everything goes well :(

From the Daily News:

ABC Anchor Peter Jennings Diagnosed with Lung Cancer

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Peter Jennings, the chief ABC News anchorman for more than 20 years, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin outpatient treatment next week, the network said Tuesday.

Jennings, 66, told ABC News staff members of his diagnosis Thursday morning and said he will continue to anchor the broadcast when he feels up to it as he begins chemotherapy.

He last anchored “World News Tonight” Friday and was too ill to work Saturday during the network’s special report on Pope John Paul II’s death.

“There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky,” he told ABC News employees in an e-mail.

Charles Gibson, who’s in Rome for the pope’s funeral, and Elizabeth Vargas will be Jennings’ primary substitutes on the evening news.

Jennings is the last of the anchor troika that dominated broadcast network news divisions over the last two decades. NBC’s Tom Brokaw stepped down last year and CBS’s Dan Rather left the evening news last month.

A former foreign correspondent based in Rome and London, the urbane Jennings and “World News Tonight” dominated the ratings during the late 1980s and early 1990s, before being surpassed by Brokaw. His broadcast is now a close second to NBC’s “Nightly News” with Brian Williams.

He has been feeling ill for the past several months. Following the tsunami in December, he did not travel to the stricken region, with ABC explaining at the time that he had an upper respiratory infection and was under doctor’s orders not to travel. He did go to Iraq in January for the elections.

Jennings is a former smoker who gave up the habit several years ago, the network said.

He anchored ABC’s evening newscast for two years in the 1960s, then joined a multi-anchor format in 1978. ABC abandoned the approach in 1983 after Frank Reynolds died of cancer and Jennings has been the sole anchor since then.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jennings and anyone else whom has lung cancer.

Death has come to take many of those in public light as of late.

Good shall come of this, as new blood and brains replaces the old and aged ones of the last generation.

It is the way of life, and death.

i just saw that that is sad

I hope he comes through. I heard his announcement and he really didn't sound good.

That's too bad. I hope he comes through it all right. I'm so glad I never took up smoking.

that's sad..

im wondering though, how did he make it through all of those newscasts without coughing fits?

Lung cancer is baaaad news. I read in today's "USA Today" that only 85% of lung cancer victims make it past five years, and that 61% (or so) die within one year. I should know....my mother was diagnosed with it in June 1997, and she died in November 1999. :(

Get Well Soon Perter Jennings