A longtime NBC News employee has died after testing positive for the coronavirus, one of the first casualties of the disease among the media industry.
Larry Edgeworth was a technician who worked in an equipment room at NBCUniversal’s 30 Rock headquarters, and died Thursday after testing positive for coronavirus. NBC News did not disclose his age. In a memo to staffers sent Friday, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack, citing Edgeworth’s wife, said he suffered from “other health issues that led him to succumb to the illness.”
Edgeworth spent 25 years at the news division working as an audio technician. He had often traveled with correspondents around the world. “Many of you were fortunate enough to work with Larry over the years, so you know that he was the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were,” Lack wrote.
Edgeworth is survived by a wife and two sons.
Some NBC News colleagues paid tribute to Edgeworth via social media
Several news organizations are grappling with coronavirus. At CBS News, a handful of staffers have also tested positive, resulting in logistical challenges. “CBS This Morning,’ the network’s morning program, has held forth from Washington, D.C. as well as New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater, which is normally home to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” The anchors for NBC’s “Today” program have scattered to different places as well. Al Roker and Craig Melvin were dispatched to stay at home, and Savannah Guthrie is also working from home after noticing a sore throat. All three have said they are OK.
“These past few days have been unimaginably challenging for us all,” Lack wrote. “And we know there will be more challenges and uncertainty ahead. I want to remind you that it’s more important now than ever that you take care of yourself.”
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