Fox News Channel original Jim Angle dead at 75

close

Video

Former Fox News correspondent Jim Angle dead at age 75

Fox News Channel original Jim Angle died at his home in Arlington, Virginia.

Fox News Channel original Jim Angle died Wednesday at his home in Arlington, Virginia. He was 75.

"Jim was an outstanding journalist, and he was also known for his laugh," "Special Report" anchor Bret Baier mentioned in a heartfelt tribute to the former Fox News correspondent. 

"He was loved by his Fox colleagues, from former ABC colleagues and really everyone he worked with," Baier added. 

The "Special Report" anchor worked alongside Angle for years, but most intensely covering the Florida election recount in 2000.

"Jim was a FOX News original and a top Washington correspondent whose talent and fearless reporting was unmatched. He was a central figure to establishing our Washington bureau in 1996 and was beloved across the entire network for his down-to-earth easygoing demeanor, his kindness and a smile that was ever present. He will be greatly missed, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his entire family," FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said.  

Angle joined Fox News Channel when the network launched in 1996 as a senior White House correspondent where he appeared nightly on "Special Report with Brit Hume." Angle, who was also a regular substitute anchor for "Special Report," covered many of the most important news stories from the early years of Fox News. 

The Texas-native covered former-President Bill Clinton’s 1996 reelection, his 1999 impeachment trial, and accompanied the president on key overseas trips. In 2000, Angle reported live from former Vice President Gore's headquarters in Nashville during the Florida recount process.  

FOX NEWS CHANNEL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS ON THE AIR

Angle also played a key role in Fox News’ coverage of social security, tax reform, energy, immigration and the economy during the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations. He climbed the ranks to earn the title of chief national correspondent in 2011 before retiring from TV news in 2014. 

A cause of death was not made available. 

Prior to joining Fox News Channel, Angle covered politics and the economy for CNN. He was on the road covering the Bob Dole campaign for CNN when Brit Hume reached out and talked him into joining the upstart network.

"I came to Fox a week before we went on the air at the behest of Brit Hume and it has been the most rewarding part of my career," Angle wrote in a 2014 memo to colleagues when he announced his retirement.  

"You are all a joy to work with and I will remember you and my time here fondly," he added. 

Jim Angle was a recipient of the White House Correspondents' Association Merriman Smith Memorial Award for outstanding presidential news coverage for broadcast journalism in 2001 and 2003. 

Angle had previously covered economic policy for ABC News, where he contributed to "World News Tonight," "Nightline" and "Good Morning America." Angle spent 1990-1993 anchoring public radio's "Marketplace," and served as NPR’s White House correspondent for seven years, covering the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.

FOX NEWS VIEWERSHIP DEMOLISHES CNN, MSNBC COMBINED FOR 25TH STRAIGHT WEEK

"I covered 4 Presidents and it was a thrill. I saw the Cold War come to an end, and the Berlin wall come down, which was particularly touching for me since I had given tours of it while stationed in Berlin in the Army," Angle wrote in his farewell memo. 

During his storied career, Angle was a recipient of the White House Correspondents' Association Merriman Smith Memorial Award for outstanding presidential news coverage for broadcast journalism in 2001 and 2003. 

He was also honored with the "Excellence in Financial Journalism Award" for his reporting on economic issues on "Nightline" in 1994 and 1995. Prior to his journalism career, Angle served in the U.S. Army after being drafted, with tours in Berlin, Germany and Danang, Vietnam. As a member of the special Berlin Brigade, he gave tours of the city to GIs.

"When I think of Jim, I think of him laughing," Hume told Fox News Digital. 

"He did a great job. Jim understood what we meant by fair and balanced news as well as anybody," Hume continued. "He was very, very fair-minded but never dull. When he retired I missed him, and I’ll always miss him."

Angle was a wine enthusiast who regularly added a few days to overseas trips, so he could sample local offerings and adding to his extensive cellar. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I do think that wine transcends politics. It's hard to sit down with someone and enjoy a great glass of wine and continue to dwell on the nastiness that seems to pervade Washington politics these days," he told Wine Spectator in 2007. 

"I'm on the stressful end of this business, but being able to root around in my cellar for hours, or talk about and drink wine with friends … It's one of the few things that contribute to my being a well-rounded person," Angle added. "Some people whittle, some people ride a motorcycle, and I read about and think about wine."

Angle received his B.A. in political science from Texas Tech University and earned his M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

He is survived by his brother George Angle, sister-in-law Alison Avagliano and sons Spencer and Chris Pisinski.