Tom Aspell
Tom Aspell (1950 – February 11, 2013) was a New Zealand-born U.S. television news producer, foreign correspondent, and cameraman.[1][2][3] He was employed by NBC News for 28 years and previously worked for ABC News, CBS News, and Visnews.[1][2][3]
Tom Aspell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1950 |
| Died | February 11, 2013 (aged 62–63) |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
| Years active | 43 |
| Employer | NBC News |
| Title | News Producer/Correspondent[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Nujud Dabbagh |
| Children | 2 sons (Peter and Tiger) |
Career
Aspell began his career as a scriptwriter and cameraman in 1970 with Visnews.[2][3] He was among the few foreign journalists who remained in Southeast Asia when Saigon fell to communist forces on April 30, 1975.[1][3] From 1975 to 1978, he was a freelance cameraman in the Middle East.[1] In 1978, he joined CBS News as a cameraman covering Beirut, where he then worked as a producer for ABC News from 1981 to 1983.[1][3]
In 1985, he was hired by NBC News as a producer based in Cyprus.[2][3] He then became a foreign correspondent covering major events around the world.[2] His first on-air report for NBC was from Baghdad in August 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait.[1] From 1992 on, he spent considerable time covering the war-torn region of Bosnia.[1]
Personal life
Aspell lived on Cyprus with his wife Nujud Dabbagh and their two sons.[1][2] He loved sailing.[2]
Death
Aspell died on February 11, 2013, following a two-year battle with lung cancer.[2][3] He was 62.[2][3] Brian Williams, the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, said Aspell was a journalist with "an intense brand of cool under fire".[2][3] NBC News president Steve Capus described Aspell as "understated, selfless, perpetually cool, shrewd, wry, curmudgeonly, and a damn good reporter".[3]
Awards
- National Press Photographers Association Award for coverage of the Iranian Revolution (1979)[1]
- Emmy Award for coverage of the Romanian Revolution (1989)[1]
- National Headliner Award for coverage of Yugoslavia (1993)[1]
References
- "Tom Aspell NBC News Producer/Correspondent". NBC News Correspondents - Biographies. NBCUniversal. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- Williams, Brian (February 12, 2013). "Longtime NBC News correspondent Tom Aspell dies". NBC News.
- Knox, Merrill (February 13, 2013). "Longtime NBC News Foreign Correspondent Tom Aspell Dies". Mediabistro.com/TV Newser.
External links
- Tom Aspell at IMDb