CBS Anchor Dies Just Weeks After Revealing Cancer Diagnosis: Eric Paulsen Was 74

Longtime New Orleans journalist and WWL Louisiana anchor Eric Paulsen has died. Paulsen passed away at Ochsner Medical Center on Saturday, Oct. 26 after a battle with cancer, Nola.com reports. He was 74.

The beloved television personality — the longest-tenured anchor in the region — stepped away from the news desk last month after revealing on Sept. 18 that he had been diagnosed with a “fairly aggressive” form of cancer. In an open letter at the time, Paulsen told viewers that he would “be on medical leave for the next few months battling cancer.” Although he described the cancer as “aggressive,” he said his doctors “say it is treatable. And they are as confident as I am that I can and will beat this.”

“I’m not a person who worries about a lot in life, and I’ve always been a fighter. This is a fight I don’t welcome, but I’m ready for this battle,” he wrote. “My attitude is very positive, and I have a lot of support from family and friends, which means I will see you all soon.”

His wife, Bethany, told WWL Louisiana that “the outpouring of love and support has truly been overwhelming. Even for someone who was used to being in the spotlight, Eric was truly surprised and humbled by how many people reached out to support him.”

Born on July 13, 1950, the St. Louis-native Paulsen began his journalism career after graduating from Southern Illinois University, where he worked for the campus radio and television stations. Following TV jobs in Savannah, Georgia and Madison, Wisconsin, he joined WWL Louisiana, a CBS affiliate, in 1977 as a weekend reporter. Two years later, he and he and Lea Sinclair were named co-anchors of the syndicated nightly program PM Magazine, and in 1985, he began working the morning shift, first with Andre Trevigne and then with Roberts. From 2001 to 2019, he anchored WWL’s top-rated noon newscast.

In total, Paulsen spent more than 40 years anchoring WWL’s morning television shows, and was a New Orleans television fixture for five decades. He recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press Club of New Orleans.

Paying tribute to him, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Paulsen “was more than just a news anchor, he was a fixture in our community and a beloved friend to many,” adding that his “dedication to his craft and love for our great city were evident in every story he told. He will be deeply missed.” Sally-Ann Roberts, Paulsen’s long-time co-anchor, said, “I can’t imagine New Orleans without Eric Paulsen. Eric may not be from New Orleans, but as Frank Davis used to say, he is naturally New Orleans. It’s like he was born here.”

Paulsen is survived by his wife Bethany, sons Emmett and John, daughter Lexei, sister Karen, brother-in-law Richard, and brother Kim.