Hugh Downs American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer dead at 99

Hugh Downs was an American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, music composer, who also had a regular television presence from the 1940s through the 1990s. Hugh Downs also had several successful roles on morning television, prime time television, and late-night television.

Downs served as announcer/sidekick for Tonight Starring Jack Paar from 1957 to 1962, co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from 1978 to 1999.

Downs started in live television in 1945 in Chicago, where he became a regular on several nationally broadcast programs over the next decade. He moved to New York City in 1954, when he got invited to do a program there. Among other shows during his career, he also hosted the PBS talk show Over Easy and was the sometime co-host of the syndicated talk show Not for Women Only

Hugh Downs dead at 99
Hugh Downs American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer dead at 99 1

Hugh Downs passed away at his home in Scottsdale Arizona the TV personalities career spanned more than a half-century he hosted the Today Show from 1962 to 1971. He then insisted that Barbara Walters get promoted from writer to on-air personality the two would later co-host the newsmagazine 20/20 in 1978.

Downs retired from TV in 1999. He once held the world record for most time on-air more than 10,000 hours.

Downs has survived by his two children, two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Hugh Downs was 99

As found on Youtube

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