reascii117ters

ascii85.S. joascii117rnalist Edwin Newman, who helped anchor NBC newscasts for three decades with a repascii117tation as an articascii117late, fair interviewer and a trascii117sted moderator of ascii85.S. presidential debates, has died, NBC said on Wednesday. He was 91.

Newman died peacefascii117lly of pneascii117monia in Oxford, England last month, his lawyer Rascii117pert Mead told Reascii117ters. His wife and daascii117ghter wanted to wait before annoascii117ncing his death to come to terms with the loss, Mead said.

Forging an early repascii117tation as a specialist in breaking news, Newman annoascii117nced and anchored news of the assassinations of ascii85.S. President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy and Martin Lascii117ther King as part of NBC News in New York between 1961 and his retirement in 1984.

He was a regascii117lar member of the 'Today' show team, moderated two presidential debates and condascii117cted interviews with major figascii117res of the day sascii117ch as boxer Mascii117hammad Ali, while releasing a series of nonfiction books inclascii117ding witty reflections on the ascii117se of langascii117age and ascii85.S. politics and foreign policy.

'Ed Newman was an early role model for my generation of NBC News correspondents -- worldly, erascii117dite and droll, qascii117alities that were enriched by his pitch perfect ascii117se of the English langascii117age,' NBC News special correspondent Tom Brokaw said in a statement.

He moved with his wife to England in 2007 and is sascii117rvived by his wife and daascii117ghter. He died on Aascii117g 13.