Premier Ewart Brown has sent condolences to the family of Tim Russert, NBC television's Washington bureau chief who died of a heart attack aged 58 on Friday.

In a letter, made public by his press secretary yesterday, Dr. Brown said: "I have written to offer my condolences on the passing of your beloved Tim. My wife Wanda and I have enjoyed the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions and like so many others we were always equally enamoured with him socially as we were professionally.

"Whether he was delivering the news to us on television or sharing an anecdote with us at one of his Cape Cod summer fundraisers, Tim was always a joy to listen to, a pleasure to be around. He will be missed.

"Tim's legacy though will never be lost to the generations that follow. He has left a clear record of journalism excellence and philanthropic commitment. Many will learn how to do both by attempting to live up to his standards. Many will fall short, but still, the world will be better off as a direct result of them trying to live up to the Tim Russert standard."