Peter Jennings will begin chemotherapy treatments next week. The veteran ABC news anchor revealed Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Jennings did not anchor ABC’s World News Tonight on Tuesday, but videotaped a message to his viewers.

“On good days, my voice will not always be like this. Certainly, it’s been a long time,” he said. “And I hope it goes without saying that a journalist who doesn’t value – deeply – the audience’s loyalty should be in another line of work.”

He will continue to anchor the news during the chemotherapy when he feels well.

Jennings, 66, the Toronto-born newsman, quit smoking 20 years ago, but admitted that he started again after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

He has been feeling ill the past few months, and did not cover the Pope’s death this weekend or travel to Southeast Asia after the tsunami hit.

Jennings has anchored the daily evening news since 1983.






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