Former CNN anchor Bobbie Battista dead after cervical cancer battle

Taryn Ryder
Updated ·2 min read

Barbara Ann "Bobbie" Battista, a prominent journalist who spent two decades at CNN, has passed away after a four year battle with cervical cancer. She was 67.

"Bobbie was the consummate trouper in her struggle with cancer, she was courageous and fearless in her battle and thoughtful for all the others in her life even as she fought through the pain," Battista's husband, John Brimelow, said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday. "My dear partner of 25 years of marriage has cut her earthly bonds and is now in peace."

Battista was one of the original anchors of CNN Headline News when the network launched in 1981. She anchored several shows during her 20 years at CNN, including TalkBack Live, CNN PrimeNews and CNN WorldNews. She departed CNN in 2001 to join her husband’s firm as a strategic counselor, according to the New York Daily News.

After graduating from Northwestern University, Battista began her career in media working at a radio station in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1976, she moved to television where she produced and anchored the morning news for WRAL-TV. She also produced a variety of special programming in sports, public affairs and children's television before becoming an evening news anchor in 1977.

Battista was one of the most recognizable faces in news, with Nancy Walls portraying her on Saturday Night Live.

Battista received various accolades throughout her career. In 1981, she was the writer and assistant producer for Fed up with Fear, a five-station documentary that earned her a George Foster Peabody Award. She was nominated for a CableACE award for Best Newscaster in 1995.

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