Actor Alan Alda took his turn at the podium and described how tens of millions of viewers thought of Peter as a friend.

"When Peter was your friend, he cared about you," Alda said. He made sure you knew what was going on -- and viewers connected with that. Here's an interesting quote:

"He was complex and simple at the same time. He was knowledgeable and inquisitive. He was kind and tough, at the same time. He was graceful and direct." Most of all, "he was authentic."

And that void cannot be filled. "Others will step in and fill in his shoes excellently," Alda said. "But no one can replace the unique person who was Peter." He concluded by quoting Jennings' message to viewers after the lung cancer diagnosis: "Dear friend, I say thanks, and good night."