One of the pioneers of television news, who was well-known in the New York market and was especially active in bringing attention to African-American issues, has died after a long illness, ABClocal.com reports. Gil Noble was 80.

Noble produced and hosted WABC-TV’s public affairs program "Like It Is," which premiered in the midst of the nation’s racial turmoil in the 1960s, the story says.

"’Like It Is’ created the largest body of programs and documentaries on African-Americans in the country," the story notes. "Noble dedicated long hours of research and investigation to ensure a consistently high quality for the program."

Born in Harlem in 1932, Noble joined WABC-TV as a reporter in 1967, and was named its Saturday and Sunday night anchor in January 1968. He interviewed national and international figures, including President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, along with entertainment icons Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne, the piece notes.

His career ended in July 2011, when he suffered a stroke, the piece adds. Noble earned more than 650 community awards, seven Emmys, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and five honorary doctorates, according to the story.

Gil Noble