In a statement released to stations Thursday, Osgood said, “Although I was very much looking forward to continuing to see you on the radio, unfortunately my health and doctors will now not allow it. So I will retire from ‘The Osgood File’ and radio at the end of the year with great appreciation for all the success we’ve had together.” Osgood stepped away as host of CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” in 2016.
According to Newsday, the announcement was unexpected, given that Osgood — who turns 85 early next month — had recently signed a new contract with the distributor of his program, Westwood One.
In a phone interview on Friday, Osgood said, “I have two different kinds of cancer, and have had them treated at Sloan Kettering. I think they’re doing well, or should say they’re not getting worse. But I do find at my age there is a time for all things to come to an end.”
He also said that by the first of the year, he would lose access to the CBS News resources which have long been a part of the four-minute-long program. Of the 80 shows per month he was under contract to produce, “you have to write them and time then out and look for source material, and at this point, I’m not able to use CBS anymore.”
He said, ”I just had this very strong feeling I was not going to enjoy this next year and my wife, who is pretty sensitive to these things, said ‘you’ve done this long enough.’ ” He noted that he had also recently received an Emmy Lifetime Achievement award, “and I’m like, well, I think they’re trying to tell you something. ‘Alright already — you’ve got your award . . .’”
Essentially an institution unto himself, Osgood has worked in television and radio for 60 years. No one else currently on the air comes close. “The Osgood File” — a four-times daily commentary on life, culture or the news — has aired for nearly 50 years, although an antecedent program at ABC aired long before the CBS version.
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