Longtime National Public Radio host, journalist Bob Edwards dies at 76

Don Jacobson
·2 min read
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Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Longtime former National Public Radio journalist and newscaster Bob Edwards, who hosted its Morning Edition show for nearly 25 years, has died, the network said. He was 76.

No other details about Edwards' death were immediately made available.

"Bob Edwards understood the intimate and distinctly personal connection with audiences that distinguishes audio journalism from other mediums, and for decades he was a trusted voice in the lives of millions of public radio listeners," NPR CEO John Lansing said in a statement.

"Staff at NPR and all across the network, along with those millions of listeners, will remember Bob Edwards with gratitude," he added.

Edwards joined the fledgling NPR as a newscaster in 1974, during the Nixon impeachment and Watergate hearings, and later that year became co-host of its flagship evening news show, All Things Considered, alongside Susan Stamberg.

He made his most lasting impression on a generation of radio listeners and fellow journalists starting in 1979 when he helped NPR launch its morning newsmagazine, Morning Edition.

Sad day. Memories of many good times, shared laughs. America's morning voice and one of the driest, sharpest senses of humor. Thanks for so much that made NPR a fact of American life:https://t.co/IeEx0RNlf7— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) February 12, 2024

In that role, he provided the early morning soundtrack for the lives of millions of listeners over a span of 24 1/2 years, in the process establishing himself as one of the most authoritative voices in public broadcasting.

Edwards finally left NPR in 2004 after the network decided to replace him as co-host of Morning Edition, and in subsequent years continued to make contributions to the network on Bob Edwards Weekend, as well as hosting an interview show on Sirius XM Radio.

One of his successors as Morning Edition host, Steve Inskeep, saluted Edwards in a social media post, writing, "We'll be remembering his unforgettable voice on NPR."

"Sad day. Memories of many good times, shared laughs," added NPR Weekend Edition host Scott Simon on X. "America's morning voice and one of the driest, sharpest senses of humor. Thanks for so much that made NPR a fact of American life."