Pioneering Radio News Anchor Dies

N E W   Y O R K, Nov. 14, 2000 -- Robert Trout, the pioneering radio news anchorwhose crisp baritone, stamina and genius at ad-libbing informedlisteners for seven decades, died today. He was 91.

Trout, who, in 1938, became the first anchor of CBS Radio’s World News Tonight, died of congestive heart failure at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

Among the events he covered were John Philip Sousa’s last public performance, campaign speeches by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the repeal of Prohibition.

During Roosevelt’s presidency, Trout was the broadcaster whofirst used the term “fireside chat” to describe the radioaddresses Roosevelt gave to the nation.

Trout worked in radio and television, mostly for CBS, with briefstints at NBC and ABC, covering events as varied as DouglasMacArthur’s return to Washington in 1949, Alan Shepherd’s space flight in1961, political conventions and the running of the bulls in Pamplona. In1980 he won a Peabody Award.

Trout, who covered Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency, was stilloffering commentary and analysis on NPR this fall.

“He was the last remaining link to the beginning of broadcastjournalism,” said said John McDonough, a producer for the NationalPublic Radio program All Things Considered. McDonough last worked with Trout three weeks ago on the NPR program.

Radio, TV Legend

CBS anchorman Dan Rather called Trout “a gentle, intelligentand marvelously experienced journalist and broadcaster — afirst-vote hall of famer who accomplished the rare feat of becominga legend first in radio and then in television news.”

Trout began his career in 1931 as a news announcer forindependent radio station WJSV in Virginia.

The next year, CBS bought WJSV and retained Trout. He was knownas one of “Murrow’s boys,” the crack team of reporters led by thenetwork’s chief European correspondent, Edward R. Murrow.

On March 13, 1938, Trout went on the air to anchor CBS’half-hour World News Roundup, two days after the German army marched into Austria, a key event in the buildup to World War II.

It was the first live radio newscast combining reports for distantworld capitals, and most broadcasters credit Trout with creatingthe role of anchorman.

“As I spoke those [introductory] words, I crossed my fingers,”Trout said on a 60th anniversary program on NPR.

The program kept the country posted throughout World War II andfor decades afterward.

Trout spent part of the war years in London, working with Murrowon war coverage and presenting a program called Trans-AtlanticCall, which featured talks with ordinary people.

Back in the United States, he was the announcer who told CBSlisteners about the D-Day invasion in June 1944, at one pointstaying on the air for seven hours and 18 minutes straight,according to the reference Current Biography.

A ‘Brilliant Ad-libber’

Roosevelt enjoyed testing Trout’s ability to ad-lib, and Troutwas once forced to talk for nearly an hour while waiting for FDR toget off a vacation cruise ship, according to Current Biography.

“One of his many strengths was as an absolutely brilliantad-libber — certainly the best ad-libber of his time, if not thebest ever,” Rather said.

Trout continued to work in radio and television, mostly for CBS,with brief stints at NBC and ABC, covering events as varied asDouglas MacArthur’s return to Washington in 1949, Alan Shepard’sspace flight in 1961, political conventions and the running of thebulls in Pamplona.

“His voice was quite mellifluous, his pronunciation, his enunciation, were impeccable and perfect,” ABCNEWS’ veteran Jim Wooten. “But I think what really set him apart was that young or old, throughout all his life he maintained something of a rather incredible level of energy and curiosity. Which strikes me are the two underpinnings of good reporting and good journalism.”

He won a Peabody Award for “distinguished and meritoriouspublic service” in 1980.

He retired from full-time reporting in 1996 but continued towork as a commentator for All Things Considered. “We are saddened by Bob’s passing but confident that his legacy of excellence lives on in the legions of journalists who worked with him,” said David Westin, president of ABCNEWS.

His wife, Catherine, whom he married in 1938, died in 1994. Theyhad no children.

The Associated Press and ABCNEWS Radio contributed to this report.