Mike Wallace of '60 Minutes' to retire
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-16 09:05

Legendary US newsman Mike Wallace has announced his retirement after nearly 40 years with the pioneering "60 Minutes" weekly newscast where he made his reputation as a hard-hitting interviewer.

Mike Wallace attends the opening for 'Bombay Dreams' at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, in April 2004. Wallace has announced his retirement after nearly 40 years with the pioneering "60 Minutes" weekly newscast where he made his reputation as a hard-hitting interviewer. [AFP]

"As I approach my 88th birthday, it's become apparent to me that my eyes and ears ... aren't quite what they used to be," Wallace said in a statement.

"And the prospect of long flights to wherever in search of whatever are not quite as appealing."

Wallace, a part of the "60 Minutes" team since the programme's inception in 1968, said he would retire at the end of the current season, after which he would remain available to the CBS network as a "correspondent emeritus."

"Mike Wallace is one of a few giants of broadcast journalism for whom a list of endless superlatives can't and don't do justice," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News.

Wallace's list of interviewees is one few could match, including the likes of John F. Kennedy, Deng Xiaoping and the Shah of Iran.

"He's had such a powerful impact on all of us who work here, on how we conduct interviews and how we report stories," said "60 Minutes" executive producer Jeff Fager. "There will always be a piece of Mike in everything we do."