Native TV legend Byron Barnett, who was with 7News WHDH for many years, has died. He was 69.
A member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Corridor of Fame, Barnett handed away on Sunday, in line with the Boston station.
Barnett joined Boston’s 7News in 1983, and he retired from the station after 38 years in 2021.
“Sad announcement from 7News today as we remember one of the legends of the Boston broadcasting world…Byron Barnett who spent nearly 40 years at 7News prior to his retirement has passed away,” 7News reporter Steve Cooper posted.
“Byron was kind, caring and above all a true professional,” Cooper added. “He will be missed.”
Barnett was battling most cancers and its problems, in line with 7News reporter Jonathan Corridor.
“Heartbroken to share the news that my good friend and longtime @7news colleague Byron Barnett died Sunday, surrounded by family, peacefully, in his native Minneapolis,” Corridor posted.
“We met for dinner when he was in town June 5th,” Corridor wrote. “Byron looked great – we just don’t know how much time we have on this planet.”
Barnett lined crime tales, court docket instances, fires, massive climate occasions, and human curiosity options, and he was the host of the long-running WHDH public affairs present City Replace.
He was a staple on the presidential marketing campaign path in New Hampshire, overlaying each marketing campaign since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
He was additionally heard grilling Invoice Belichick at Patriots press conferences.
“Throughout his four-decade career, Byron Barnett cherished the privilege of telling the stories of New Englanders who welcomed him into their lives,” his household mentioned in an announcement. “After facing cancer with unwavering courage, Byron Barnett passed away peacefully on Sunday, surrounded by his loving family.”
Among the many blockbuster tales Barnett lined have been: the 1984 riots in Lawrence, the discharge of American hostages from a hijacked TWA flight in Lebanon, the Area Shuttle Challenger catastrophe that killed New Hampshire college instructor Christa McAuliffe and 6 different astronauts, the Oklahoma Metropolis bombing, and the trials and deaths of Aaron Hernandez and Whitey Bulger.
“I am devastated to learn today of the passing of Boston TV Legend, Byron Barnett,” posted Boston 25 reporter Bob Ward. “We covered many stories together. He was always gracious, kind. I admired his reporting & tenacity. He was/is the absolute BEST. Peace to his family, friends, and colleagues at TV7.”
Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh posted, “Byron Barnett was human first—smart, principled, and honest, everything you look for in a journalist. The work he did reflected our communities with heart and integrity. I’m thinking of his wife Kathleen, his family, and everyone at @7News tonight. He’ll be deeply missed.”
When Barnett was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Corridor of Fame in 2017, his 7News colleague Jonathan Corridor referred to as Barnett “a great person.”
“I see Byron as a person who can really sense other peoples’ loss,” Corridor mentioned. “Often we see people on their absolute worst day, and Byron Barnett is the kind of guy who’s a people person who can connect. And so I think that’s one of the most important things I think about when I think of Byron.”
“Byron’s one of the nicest guys in the business, and his cheerful smile and great people skills translate into trust and great reporting,” Corridor added.
Throughout his Corridor of Fame speech, Barnett mirrored on his lengthy profession in Boston, beginning together with his arrival right here in 1983.
“Since then, I have been blessed with — what I feel — has been a fantastic career,” Barnett mentioned. “Traveling to interesting places and meeting interesting people, and watching history unfold before my eyes.”
Barnett famous that certainly one of his proudest accomplishments was working with different TV reporters to foyer the Massachusetts Legislature to outlaw non-compete clauses in contracts for broadcasters.
An Emmy Award-winner, Barnett gained many different awards together with a Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Journalists’ Area One Journalist of The 12 months Award, YMCA Black Achievers Award, the 2013 Silver Circle Award from the Boston/New England Chapter of the Nationwide Affiliation of Tv Arts & Sciences, and a number of other group service awards.
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