DALLAS—North Texas broadcasting legend Murphy Martin, who was an anchor at WFAA-TV in the 1960s and 70s, died late Thursday night after a lengthy illness. Martin died just one hour shy of his 83rd birthday, WFAA-TV reported Friday on its Web site.

Football fans may remember Martin as the public address announcer for the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in the 1980s.

He worked at WFAA in the early 1960s and went on to be an anchor and reporter at ABC News in New York. Martin returned to WFAA again in the early 70s and also worked at radio stations KRLD in Dallas and KRBA in Lufkin, his hometown.

He covered Martin Luther King while working as a correspondent for ABC News in the 1960s and also provided news coverage immediately following the assassination of President Kennedy.

Martin first met King while covering a march to integrate beaches at St. Augustine, Fla. He eventually anchored ABC’s live network coverage at the end of the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march in 1965, according to www.murphymartin.com.

Martin was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2006.

“Martin was greatly respected and will be deeply missed,” the station reported on its site.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce.