It is a sad day indeed as former NBC News correspondent and anchor Jim Hartz has passed away. He was 82 years old. The former show host co-hosted Today alongside Barbara Walters during the 1970s.
The cause of death has reportedly been chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The late host was known for his jovial personality as he went on to gain an impressive fanbase for himself when he succeeded Frank McGee at the Today desk in 1974 when he was 34.
Jim Hartz Was A Part Of the Today Show For A Long Time
From covering the space shuttle launches to historically significant moments that include President Richard Nixon’s resignation, the end of the Vietnam War, and the American bicentennial, the television host had earlier opened up about these experiences. The former host once revealed that his favorite assignment on Today was a series of visits to all 50 states in the months that led up to the 1976 U.S. bicentennial. The former host added that it was one of those things one doesn’t forget as it gave him the chance to see the country almost like a snapshot.
In an early interview, Hartz admitted that covering NASA events could be so overwhelming that he would sometimes have no recollection of the comments that he made on camera. Jim further added that he was just not prepared for that 36-story building walking right off the platform into the air.
After he left his hosting job in Today, Hartz went on to host several other programs, including the PBS talk show Over Easy and a weekly science program called Innovation. Viewers also saw co-hosts Barbara Walters and Jim Hartz reuniting during the ‘Today’ show’s 60th anniversary. The host once gave an insight into his job while claiming that while the show is glamorous on the outside, from the inside, it’s one of the toughest jobs there is, and it surely turned his life inside out.
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