DATE: Monday, September 29, 1997            TAG: 9709290024

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: WASHINGTON                        LENGTH:   30 lines

DAVID BRINKLEY SIGNS OFF WITH FOND FAREWELL TO ABC

``On this, my last word here on ABC, I quote Shakespeare, who said, `All's well that ends well.' My time here now ends extremely well. Thank you.''

David Brinkley thus ended his final commentary on ABC's ``This Week'' and a 54-year broadcasting career that kept him at the pinnacle of television journalism for three decades.

Brinkley, 77, announced his retirement on Thursday, less than a year after he stepped down as host of the Sunday morning news show.

Brinkley launched his broadcasting career at 23, covering President Franklin Roosevelt. As half of NBC's (Chet) Huntley-Brinkley news anchor team in the 1960s, Brinkley's short, clipped sentences and dry wit were much imitated.

Brinkley reflected on his career, ``with ABC news paying me to do what I would like to do anyway, and asking only that I do it well and do it honestly.''

Current ``This Week'' hosts Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson paid tribute to the veteran, referring to his statement about doing it well and honestly.

``Can you think of anybody for whom that was more true?'' Roberts said in the show's closing moments.

``No,'' Donaldson said. ``David Brinkley broke the mold, set the standard.''

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