This isn't surprising, since a death watch has been going on for the past few days, but AP has just reported newsman Peter Jennings has died at the age of 67.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer last spring.

A high school dropout from Canada, he worked his ass off and achieved success at an early age, although it didn't hurt his dad was in broadcasting. At just 26, in 1965, which I can remember like it was yesterday, ABC picked him to anchor the evening news. He was a flop then, and ABC stuck him overseas, where he did much better.

Later on he ended up as an anchor when ABC decided to experiment with a three-anchor format. The others were Frank Reynolds, who died in 1983, and Max Robinson, who died in 1988. When Reynolds died, Jennings took over as sole anchor.

He stuck with the network until the end.

His career was more stable than his personal life, which included four marriages and three divorces. He also had two grown children.

In any case, the accent which seemed to be such a liability early in his career seemed to help a lot later on, as he is being described in obits all over the place as "urbane." If you have an accent which seems foreign, especially European, that gives you more prestige than if you talk like a normal person.

Unless, of course, you're our dictator, who has prestige in some quarters despite the fact he can't talk worth a crap at all.

The WP has an obit. And of course we can't forget the NYT, which can always be counted on to have a good obituary. (ABC)