Novak and Evans played a significant role for CNN after the network's founding. He worked as a well-known television personality in programs such as The Capital Gang, Crossfire, and Evans, Novak, Hunt, & Shields. He also wrote for numerous other publications such as Reader's Digest. On August 4, 2008, Novak announced that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, that his prognosis was "dire", and that he was retiring. He succumbed to the disease on August 18, 2009 after having returned home to spend his last days with his family.