'And now some sad news'.

• Position: Editorials - Editorial

Chet Curtis was part of the old guard of news delivery. In the 1970s, '80s and '90s, his kindly face and sonorous voice were part of the shared experience of living in the Boston area.

Natalie Jacobson and Chet Curtis broke hearts, as well as evening television traditions in countless households, when in 1999 they announced -- on the air, side by side -- the unraveling of their marriage.

Frail from illness, Mr. Curtis was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame last September. Pancreatic cancer claimed him Wednesday at the age of 74.

In his competitive business...