It’s the end of an era.
Veteran anchor Charles Osgood said goodbye to viewers this week as he signed off from the show he hosted for more than two decades.
At the end of the 90-minute special broadcast of “CBS Sunday Morning,” the network announced that journalist Jane Pauley would take over the program. Pauley was long-rumored to be next in line for the gig as she’s been a contributor and substitute host since 2014.
Osgood announced his retirement from “CBS Sunday Morning” last month, telling his devoted audience that “the time has come.” He has been anchoring the program since 1994 when he took it over from the original host, Charles Kuralt.
During Osgood’s final program, viewers were treated to a special 90-minute tribute devoted to the anchor’s career, which spanned nearly 50 years at CBS News. Former colleagues, celebrities and notable figures all bid farewell to the host, and Mo Rocca gave viewers an inside look at Osgood’s impressive bow tie collection.
Apparently Osgood’s bow tie became so recognizable that the network actually dissuaded other morning hosts from copying the look. One of Osgood’s bow ties will soon be donated to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
During another particularly charming moment, Osgood performed the Woody Guthrie classic “So Long (It’s Been Good to Know You)” with members of the Boston Pops, but he changed the lyrics to focus on his career and departure.
Osgood hasn’t left the business entirely; he is expected to stay on with CBS News and make special appearances on “Sunday Morning.”