Tim Russert has died of an apparent heart attack, The New York Times has confirmed. He was 58.
The Meet the Press host and acclaimed journalist collapsed at the NBC Washington news bureau Friday afternoon and was pronounced dead at 1:14 p.m. EST.
His former colleague and former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw came on air at 3:39 p.m. to pay tribute to his late friend.
�Our beloved colleague...was one of the premier journalists of our time," Tom said. �This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice."
A political heavyweight who got his start working under New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Gov. Mario Cuomo, Tim had been host of Meet the Press since 1991. He also served as NBC News' Washington Bereau Chief and was a correspondent on a number of NBC programs, including The Today Show and Hardball.
He is survived by his wife Maureen Orth and their son, Luke.
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