He started reporting for CBS in 1967. Now, 49 years later, Charles Osgood is bidding the network farewell, with a melody.
“So long, it’s been good to know you. A long time since I’ve been home. I’ve got to be driftin’ along,” he sang on air Sunday as he announced he was stepping down as host of CBS News Sunday Morning. He will stay on through Sept. 25.
Osgood has been the face of the weekly program since 1994, when he took it over from its first host, Charles Kuralt. Clad in his signature thick bowtie, Osgood told viewers that his friends and family frequently ask him why he’s still doing it, considering he’s 83.
“It’s just that it’s been such a joy doing it,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to be the one who gets to introduce these terrific storytellers?”
The Associated Press reports that CBS regulars Jane Pauley, Anthony Mason and Lee Cowan are possible replacements. CBS News President David Rhodes released a statement praising Osgood, but didn’t say who will lead the show.
“Charles Osgood has one of the most distinctive voices in broadcasting, guiding each broadcast, making sure the words were just right, and being a calming, reassuring presence to our viewers,” Rhodes said.