Richard M. Cohen, a prominent television news producer whose career was cut short by the effects of multiple sclerosis, passed away on Dec. 24 in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was 76.
His wife, former “Today” show host Meredith Vieira, disclosed that his death at the hospital was due to acute respiratory failure.
Mr. Cohen worked in the news industry for over 20 years, collaborating with notable figures such as Ted Koppel at ABC and Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather at CBS. However, he delved into a different topic when he penned a memoir and contributed articles to various publications about his experiences with M.S., a degenerative illness of the central nervous system.
He was diagnosed with M.S. in 1973, at the age of 25, while working on a PBS documentary about disability politics.