A sad milestone is playing out on the television as I scribble these words.

In 1996 he moved into the prime time news life of the American public. Coming over from his assignment at ABC as Senior White House Correspondent Brit Hume was the face of a new energetic work with one simple objective... tell both sides of the story they cover.

It was brilliant, because while they trailed CNN and MSNBC for years in terms of satellite and cable systems that carried their channel, they overtook the two "elder" cable channels - even before parity in number of outlets.

But within that programming philosophy sat a little hour long feature each night Monday through Friday that did a great deal more than just tell the two sides to every story, but actually educated the viewer with articulate defense from the two sides in a nightly panel. A panel's whose originator--Hume--became the most important ten minutes of television every night.

It wasn't just the panel though, Hume's keen insight, experience, and consummate professional approach to posing the questions, pinning the panelists to questions they did not wish to answer at times also provided some great drama.

He is 65 now. And he wants to spend time with his grandchildren, study his Bible, and if possible play a little golf. Who can blame him?

He has been the most objective, most balanced, and most credible prime time television network anchor since his arrival on the nightly scene. He exits the most watched news source on the planet at the complete top of his game.

We would be silly to do anything other than wish him well.

But tonight at the end of his hour long broadcast, television news will suffer from the absence of the most important news voice of his generation... (No it wasn't Brokaw, Rather, or Jennings.)

Brit you will be missed.


You've taught us much, we owe you far more. So for all who won't have the chance to tell you personally, take this as your ultimate salute!