William Matney; First Black Correspondent for NBC News
William C. Matney Jr., 76, believed to be the first black correspondent for NBC network news, died June 13 of respiratory failure after hip replacement surgery in La Plata, Md.
Matney joined NBC in Chicago in 1963 and covered the automobile industry, urban unrest and the 1968 Nixon-Humphrey presidential campaign. He also produced programs for NBC radio and appeared occasionally on the network’s morning “Today” show. Matney earned an Emmy in 1966 for his coverage of the civil rights movement.
He was transferred to Washington in 1970, covering the White House and Capitol Hill. From 1972 to 1978 he worked for ABC News, again covering the White House and Capitol Hill. He also hosted the network’s Sunday interview program “Issues and Answers.”
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