Cooke of BBC retires from radio

Famed BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke retired Tuesday after 58 years of his revered radio program “Letter From America.”

The 95-year-old Cooke, who did not present the program last week because of illness, decided to quit the show on advice from his doctors, the BBC said.

“Throughout 58 years I have had much enjoyment in doing these talks and hope that some of it has passed over to the listeners, to all of whom I now say ‘thank you’ for your loyalty and ‘goodbye,’ ” Cooke said in a statement.

Cooke joined the BBC in 1934 as a film critic and began reporting three years later. “Letters” began in 1946, when Cooke was asked to give a weekly snapshot of life in the United States. During the following six decades, he provided listeners with insightful reports of the country’s cultural and political affairs.

He was well known in the United States too, hosting the “Omnibus” TV series from 1952 to 1961 and PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre” from 1971 to 1992.