Maxie Cleveland Robinson Jr.[1] (May 1, 1939[2][3] – December 20, 1988)[4][5] was an American broadcast journalist, most notably serving as co-anchor on ABC World News Tonight alongside Frank Reynolds and Peter Jennings from 1978 until 1983.

[11] Robinson briefly served in the United States Air Force and was assigned to the Russian Language School at Indiana University before receiving a medical discharge.

He began working in radio early on, including a short time at WSSV-AM in Petersburg, Virginia, where he called himself "Max the Player", and later at WANT-AM, Richmond.

[citation needed] Robinson began his television career in 1959, when he was hired for a news job at WTOV-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia.

[12] He later went to WRC-TV in Washington, DC, and stayed for three years, winning six journalism awards for coverage of civil-rights events such as the riots that followed the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It was during this time that Robinson won two regional Emmys for a documentary he made on black life in Anacostia entitled The Other Washington.

During that time, he was so well-liked by viewers that when Hanafi Muslims took hostages at the B'nai B'rith building in Washington they would speak only with Robinson.

The three-man co-anchor team was a ratings success, and launched spoofs regarding how the three would pitch stories to each other during the telecast by saying the other's name: "Frank"..."Max"...."Peter".

[citation needed] Robinson was found to have AIDS while he was hospitalized for pneumonia in Blue Island, Illinois,[6] but he kept it a secret, refusing to discuss it, despite widespread rumors about why his health was deteriorating.