An American Voice

Martin Agronsky was one of a gritty band of broadcast news pioneers who brought the reality of world war into the living rooms of Americans by radio from 1939 to 1945. Their names ring in legend: Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Charles Collingwood, Robert Trout and William L. Shirer, among others. Typical of his colleagues, Agronsky was a newspaperman before turning to radio and serving with NBC in Europe in 1940 and later with CBS, ABC and PBS. He died last weekend at 84.

Agronsky and his compatriots wrote their reports and then sat before a radio mike--at times with bombs falling nearby--to deliver the news in authoritative, erudite tones. They sparred with government censors and performed near-miracles to patch together the communications needed to get their reports back to the States.

These reporters were on the scene, watching history in the rough, often at their own peril. They interpreted events without resorting to hype or speculation.

As did Murrow, Agronsky made a successful transition to television after World War II. For 18 years he was the moderator of “Agronsky & Co.,” one of the first Washington weekend news discussion programs. He hosted “Face the Nation” for four years.

Agronsky and his colleagues had walls covered with awards, but their names alone marked a standard of excellence that has rarely been matched since the golden days of radio news.