According to reports, legendary Like It Is host Gil Noble has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke last week.

Though details about his condition and where he is being treated have been kept from the public, Noble, 79, is said to be recuperating and doing well.

In an e-mail message to the station’s staff, obtained by the New York Daily News, WABC Channel 7′s general manager, Dave Davis said:

“I just visited with his family at the hospital, and the good news is he has stabilized and all his vital signs are good. For those of us who know Gil, we know the best medicine is his fighting spirit, and all the support from his family and friends. I know you will join me in keeping Gil in your thoughts and prayers, and look forward to welcoming him back to work. In his absence, we will air some classic shows of ‘Like It Is.”

Since 1968, Noble has been the host of Like It Is, the only Sunday morning talk show public affairs show has focused on issues facing African-Americans. Whether discussing culture, politics or the economy, Noble has framed his discussions with eloquence and poise, a refreshing change from many of the cutthroat roundtables more focused on rhetoric behind policies than the conditions of those affected.

Noble has said about the show’s impact:

Like It Is offers a rare opportunity to our viewers of all races to look at current and past events through an African-American perspective.

Prior to his move to television, Noble worked on documentaries on the lives of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and W.E.B Du Bois.

We wish Mr. Noble a speedy recovery and hope he will return to give us more thoughtful Sunday mornings.

WATCH AN INTERVIEW WITH NOBEL ON YOUTUBE HERE