Broadcasting pioneer Paul Harvey dies at age of 90

By RUPA SHENOY – 57 minutes ago

CHICAGO (AP) — Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose 
staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died 
Saturday
in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a 
winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where 
Harvey
worked for more than 50 years. No cause of death was immediately available.

Harvey had been forced off the air for several months in 2001 because of a 
virus that weakened a vocal cord. But he returned to work in Chicago and was
still active as he passed his 90th birthday. His death comes less than a year 
after that of his wife and longtime producer, Lynne.

"My father and mother created from thin air what one day became radio and 
television news," Paul Harvey Jr. said in a statement. "So in the past year, 
an
industry has lost its godparents and today millions have lost a friend."

Known for his resonant voice and trademark delivery of "The Rest of the 
Story," Harvey had been heard nationally since 1951, when he began his "News 
and
Comment" for ABC Radio Networks.

He became a heartland icon, delivering news and commentary with a distinctive 
Midwestern flavor. "Stand by for news!" he told his listeners. He was credited
with inventing or popularizing terms such as "skyjacker," "Reaganomics" and 
"guesstimate."

"Paul Harvey was one of the most gifted and beloved broadcasters in our 
nation's history," ABC Radio Networks President Jim Robinson said in a 
statement.
"We will miss our dear friend tremendously and are grateful for the many years 
we were so fortunate to have known him."

In 2005, Harvey was one of 14 notables chosen as recipients of the 
presidential Medal of Freedom. He also was an inductee in the Radio Hall of 
Fame, as
was Lynne.

He composed his twice-daily news commentaries from a downtown Chicago office 
near Lake Michigan.

Rising at 3:30 each morning, he ate a bowl of oatmeal, then combed the news 
wires and spoke with editors across the country in search of succinct tales
of American life for his program.

At the peak of his career, Harvey reached more than 24 million listeners on 
more than 1,200 radio stations and charged $30,000 to give a speech. His 
syndicated
column was carried by 300 newspapers.

His fans identified with his plainspoken political commentary, but critics 
called him an out-of-touch conservative. He was an early supporter of the late
Sen. Joseph McCarthy and a longtime backer of the Vietnam War.

Perhaps Harvey's most famous broadcast came in 1970, when he abandoned that 
stance, announcing his opposition to President Nixon's expansion of the war
and urging him to get out completely.

"Mr. President, I love you ... but you're wrong," Harvey said, shocking his 
faithful listeners and drawing a barrage of letters and phone calls, including
one from the White House.

In 1976, Harvey began broadcasting his anecdotal descriptions of the lives of 
famous people. "The Rest of the Story" started chronologically, with the 
person's
identity revealed at the end. The stories were an attempt to capture "the 
heartbeats behind the headlines." Much of the research and writing was done by
his son, Paul Jr.

Harvey also blended news with advertising, a line he said he crossed only for 
products he trusted.

In 2000, at age 82, he signed a new 10-year contract with ABC Radio Networks.

Harvey was born Paul Harvey Aurandt in Tulsa, Okla. His father, a police 
officer, was killed when he was a toddler. A high school teacher took note of 
his
distinctive voice and launched him on a broadcast career.

While working at St. Louis radio station KXOK, he met Washington University 
graduate student Lynne Cooper. He proposed on their first date (she said "no")
and always called her "Angel." They were married in 1940 and had a son, Paul 
Jr.

They worked closely together on his shows, and he often credited his success 
to her influence. She was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997, seven
years after her husband was. She died in May 2008.
On the Net:
List of 2 items
• http://www.paulharvey.com
• http://www.radiohof.org/news/paulharvey.html
list end

Steve, K8SP