Maury Povich
 |
Maury Povich | |
|---|---|
 Maury Povich, October 11, 2006 | |
| Born | Maurice Richard Povich January 17, 1939 |
| Occupation | Talk show host |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Phyllis Minkoff
(m. 1962–1979) |
| Website | www.mauryshow.com |
Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American TV talk show host who currently hosts his self-titled talk show Maury.
Personal background
Povich was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Ethyl (née Friedman) and Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Povich, and was the second of three children.[1] His paternal grandfather, Nathan Povich, immigrated from Lithuania to the United States in 1878; Nathan was 12 at the time.[2][3] Maury Povich graduated from the Landon School in 1957[4] and the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in television journalism. From 1962 to 1979, Povich was married to Phyllis Minkoff. Povich later married news anchor Connie Chung in 1984, whom he met while working in the news department at WTTG-TV in Washington.[5] With Minkoff, Povich had two daughters, Susan and Amy; in 1995, Povich and Chung adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich.[6][7]
Career
Television news anchor duties (1962-1983)
Not long after graduation, Povich got his first job on Washington, D.C. radio station WWDC, where he did publicity and worked as a reporter.[8] By 1966, Povich became a news reporter and sportscaster for DC television station WTTG-TV. In 1967, he became the original co-host of the station's popular midday talk show, Panorama,[6] which brought the rising star widespread acclaim and national recognition.[9] From 1977 to 1983, he worked as a news anchor at stations in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia. He finally returned to Washington, D.C., in June 1983.
A Current Affair (1986-1990)
When media mogul Rupert Murdoch acquired the Metromedia TV station group in 1986, one of his first moves was to bring Povich to New York to host A Current Affair. The show began in late July 1986, and while it was considered a tabloid infotainment show that often focused on celebrity gossip, it also made time for compelling human interest stories. Critics praised the show for trying to be both informative and entertaining, much like "a good afternoon newspaper."[10] Povich hosted Affair until 1990.[6] He also anchored newscasts at WNYW.
The Maury Povich Show (1991-1998), Maury (1998-present)
Povich served two consecutive terms as president of the New York Chapter of the National Television Academy.[11] In September 1991, he left A Current Affair to host The Maury Povich Show, which was nationally syndicated and distributed by Paramount Television in partnership with Povich's production company "MoPo Productions" and in national syndication from 1991 to 1998.[6]
For raising awareness of National Adoption Month, Povich was honored by New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995. In 1998, the show was taken over by Studios USA (then a division of USA Networks, later renamed Universal Television after being sold to Vivendi Universal; and NBC Universal Television after VU Entertainment was sold to NBC owner General Electric). When they took over the show's production, they renamed it Maury.The show often veered into what critics called trash TV, and in 1998, it became known for a segment called "Who's the Daddy?" during which men who were denying paternity (or who wanted to know if they really were the father) were given 40 DNA tests and the results were revealed on the air.[6]
Twenty One, MSNBC program with wife Connie Chung
On January 9, 2000, Povich hosted the short-lived primetime revival of the classic game show, Twenty One on NBC. Reruns of the show have been aired on GSN.
In November 2005, MSNBC announced Povich would co-host a weekend news program with his wife, Connie Chung. The program -- entitled Weekends with Maury and Connie -- debuted on January 7, 2006, but was cancelled due to low ratings. The final episode aired on June 17, 2006.[12]
He appeared as himself in the fourth episode of the sixth season of the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."
He also appeared in the film Madea's Big Happy Family.
In May 2007, Povich launched the Flathead Beacon, a weekly print newspaper and online news source in Montana's Flathead County, where Povich has a home and is a member at the Eagle Bend Golf Club.
References
- ^ "Maury Povich Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ Povich, Shirley (2005). All Those Mornings...At the Post: The 20th Century in Sports from Famed Washington Post Columnist Shirley Povich. New York, New York: PublicAffairs. p. xvii. ISBN 1586483153.
- ^ Shirley Povich wrote in his autobiography
- ^ "The Anthony Edward Kupka '64 Distinguished Alumnus Award". Newsweek. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ Connie Chung Offers Personal View of Maury Povic
- ^ a b c d e Waldman, Allison J. (2007-09-30). "Maury Povich Through the Years". TV Week. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
- ^ Waldman, 2007
- ^ Gildea, William. "Povich Off to Chicago." Washington Post, 8 December 1976, p. B1.
- ^ Jo Ann Harris. "Channel 5's Panorama Team." Washington Post, 23 March 1969, p. TV3.
- ^ Corry, John. "A Current Affair: Tabloid Journalism". The New York Times, 20 August 1986, p. C22.
- ^ "About the Show's Host". KTLA. Retrieved 2008-08-25. [dead link]
- ^ "MSNBC Axes Maury & Connie". TV Newser. Media Bistro. June 9, 2006.
External links
