Sir Alastair Burnet, the former News at Ten broadcaster, has died aged 84, the journalist Andrew Neil revealed on Friday.
Burnet joined ITN in 1963 as the political editor, before switching to newsreading four years later.
He went on to work on Panorama for the BBC in 1974 and was editor of the Daily Express from 1974-76, resigning from the Economist, the news magazine he had edited simultaneously with his broadcasting career from 1965.
Sir Trevor McDonald And Alastair Burnet on News at Ten
He presented his last bulletin in August 1991, after announcing his retirement at the age of 63.
Journalist friend Neil told the BBC Burnet was "one of the greatest journalists of his generation".
Current News at Ten presenter Mark Austin tweeted:
In 2008, ITV newsreader Alastair Stewart wrote a touching tribute on the anchor that steadied his career. Writing in the Guardian he said: "Sir Alastair Burnet was the most authoritative and accomplished newscaster there has ever been. I joined ITV in 1976 after three years at Southern TV and ended up in the same newsroom as this demi-god. He was a giant in the industry but immediately put me at my ease and was the most charming person you could ever hope to meet."