Colleagues, friends react to death of longtime '60 Minutes' correspondent Mike Wallace

The Associated Press

Reaction to the death of longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace:

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"He loved being Mike Wallace. He loved the fact that if he showed up for an interview, it made people nervous. ... He knew, and he knew that everybody else knew, that he was going to get to the truth. And that's what motivated him." — CBS News chairman and "60 Minutes" executive producer Jeff Fager.

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"His extraordinary contribution as a broadcaster is immeasurable and he has been a force within the television industry throughout its existence. His loss will be felt by all of us at CBS." — CBS Corp. President and CEO Leslie Moonves.

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"Mike was a great friend and a mentor to me. He even gave me a compliment once, and he was one of the real pioneers in television journalism." — "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer.

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"Wallace took to heart the old reporter's pledge to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." — "60 Minutes" correspondent Morley Safer, in an essay about Wallace.

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"I don't recall anybody ever saying to me, 'He took a cheap shot' or 'he did the obvious,' or that he was, you know, was playing some kind of game. He actually was trying to serve the audience and that's what made him great." — Fox News Channel Chairman Roger Ailes.

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"Every Sunday night, America tuned in to see what questions he would ask and who would be exposed to his hard-charging quest for the truth. Mike's tough questioning inspired generations of journalists." — ABC News President Ben Sherwood.