RESOLUTION
PUBLIC SESSION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Thursday, June 6, 2024
unanimously
RESOLVED,
That the Board of Directors
of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Expresses its Heartfelt Condolences
to the Family and Friends of
ROBERT “ROBIN” MACNEIL
Host, Washington Week in Review, 1971-1974
Anchor, “The Robert MacNeil Report;” co-anchor, “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report” and
“The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” (1975-1995)
Co-recipient, with Jim Lehrer, CPB Ralph Lowell Medal, 1989
We will long remember with gratitude public media pioneer and journalistic icon Robert “Robin” MacNeil. Robin was the founding anchor of PBS’ daily evening news program, “The Robert MacNeil Report,” which set the standard for trusted, in-depth, objective journalism that set public media apart and was the forerunner to today’s ‘PBS NewsHour,’ a program that continues to exemplify journalistic excellence.
In his long and distinguished career, Robin covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 for NBC News; moderated PBS’ ‘Washington Week in Review’ from 1971-1974; won an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 1973 Watergate hearings on PBS; and teamed up with Jim Lehrer to start ‘The Robert MacNeil Report’ in 1975. After serving 20 years on the program, renamed ‘The MacNeil/Lehrer Report’ and then expanded to the 60-minute ‘MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour,’ he retired from anchoring in 1995. He later contributed to PBS coverage of the September 11, 2001, attacks for PBS and hosted a PBS miniseries ‘America at a Crossroads’ in 2007.
Together with Jim Lehrer, Robin MacNeil was the recipient of many journalism and broadcasting awards, including CPB’s Ralph Lowell Medal.
The CPB Board of Directors marks Robin MacNeil’s leadership, professionalism, and commitment to journalistic integrity with deep respect and appreciation. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and his many friends.