CBS News Icon, Mike Wallace dies at 93

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60 Minutes icon Mike Wallace dies at 93

CBS News legend Mike Wallace, the 60 Minutes' pit-bull reporter whose probing, brazen style made his name synonymous with the tough interview -- a style he practically invented for television more than half a century ago -- died last night. He was 93 and passed peacefully surrounded by family members at Waveny Care Center in New Canaan, Conn., where he spent the past few years. He also had a home in Manhattan.

"It is with tremendous sadness that we mark the passing of Mike Wallace. His extraordinary contribution as a broadcaster is immeasurable and he has been a force within the television industry throughout its existence. His loss will be felt by all of us at CBS," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO, CBS Corporation.

"All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 Minutes owe so much to Mike. Without him and his iconic style, there probably wouldn't be a 60 Minutes. There simply hasn't been another broadcast journalist with that much talent. It almost didn't matter what stories he was covering, you just wanted to hear what he would ask next. Around CBS he was the same infectious, funny and ferocious person as he was on TV. We loved him and we will miss him very much," said Jeff Fager, chairman CBSNews and executive producer of 60 Minutes.

A special program dedicated to Wallace will be broadcast on 60 Minutes next Sunday, April 15.

Wallace was as famous as the leaders, newsmakers and celebrities who suffered his blistering interrogations, winning awards and a reputation for digging out the hidden truth on Sunday nights in front of an audience that approached 40 million at broadcast television's peak.

Wallace played a huge role in 60 Minutes' rise to the top of the ratings to become the number-one program of all time, with an unprecedented 23 seasons on the Nielsen annual top 10 list -- five as the number-one program.

He announced he would step down to become a "correspondent emeritus" in the spring of 2006, but Wallace continued to land big interviews for 60 Minutes. His last appearance on television, on January 6, 2008, was a sit-down on 60 Minutes with accused steroid user Roger Clemens that made front-page news. His August 2006 interview of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won him his 21st Emmy at the age of 89. He was also granted the first post-prison interview with assisted suicide advocate-and convicted killer Dr. Jack Kevorkian for a June 2007 60 Minutes broadcast. After a successful triple bypass operation in late January 2008, he retired from public life.

Full story: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-5 ... ies-at-93/

[crabby]

One of my favorite sayings: you know it's a bad day when you are awoken by a knock on your door at 6am by Mike Wallace and camera crew!

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One of my favorite sayings:

My favorite saying, one I never got to hear, dammit, would have been a knock at my door and instead of hearing what I would usually hear when I would ask who was there, "We are Jehovah's Witnesses and would like to talk with you," I would have been much happier if I had ever heard, "It's Ed McMahon with your check."

Mike Wallace was my favorite on 60 Minutes and he never had problems about asking the tough questions. I'm glad he got to live to be a ripe old age in relatively good health.