Robert ( Bob ) Chandler, former Variety radio and tv reporter and one of the creator’s of “60 Minutes”, the CBS “newsmagazine”, died on Thursday (Dec. 11), at his home, in Pittsfield, Mass. He was 80 years old and died of heart failure, according to his son, Doug.

Chandler worked for Variety in the late 50’s, early 60’s and was hired by MGM, as a p.r. director, for its tv division. In 1963, he joined CBS and helped create “60 Minutes”, which is still on the air, after more then 40 years.

Chandler was born in Brooklyn, served in the U.S.Army and is survived by his wife and two sons.

John Madden, longtime administrative assistant to legendary Variety editor-in-chief Abel Green and a legit theatre reporter for the Weekly, died Sept. 10 at Memorial Regional South Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.
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We were saddened to learn that long-time Miami-based Variety stringer, Jack Zink, recently passed away. Variety ran the following obit on August 18:
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Longtime Chicago bureau chief Morry Roth passed away on June 11 in Chicago of lymphoma. He was 82. According to the Variety obit, Roth originated the term “happy talk” to describe the breezy news format made popular by Chicago’s Channel 7, and was one of the first reporters to seriously cover cable TV.
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by PETER BESAS

Simesite learned with great regret of the passing last Tuesday (Mar.18) of Abie Torres near his home in St. Petersburg, Florida, following a long bout with cancer. He was 67.

Born in New York City of Puerto Rican parents, Abie (Abraham) joined Variety as a messenger in 1958 and eventually took over the “production” department, which was in charge of laying out the paper each week for its publication (in those days) on Wednesdays. Abie’s desk was located at the rear of the ad department, in the back of the long, narrow “ground floor” of the building at 154 West 46th Street. (In fact, you reached the floor by walking down a short flight of stairs right after passing through the main entrance to the building).
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