Maury Povich

Maury Povich
Povich in October 2006
Born Maurice Richard Povich
(1939-01-17) January 17, 1939
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Occupation Television presenter
Years active 1962–present
Spouse(s) Phyllis Minkoff (m. 1962–1979)
Connie Chung (m. 1984–present)
Children 3
Parent(s)
Relatives Lynn Povich (sister)
Website www.mauryshow.com

Maurice Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American television presenter, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show Maury.

Early life and education

Povich was born into a Jewish family in Washington, D.C., the second of three children born to Ethyl (née Friedman) and Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Povich.[1] His paternal grandfather, Nathan Povich, emigrated from Lithuania to the United States in 1878 at age 12.[2][3] Maury graduated from the Landon School in 1957,[4] and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in television journalism.

Career

1962–83: Television news anchor

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.[5] By 1966 he was a news reporter and sportscaster for D.C. 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.[7] From 1977 to 1983, he was 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.

1986–90: A Current Affair

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."[8] Povich hosted Affair until 1990.[6] He also anchored newscasts at WNYW.

1991–98: The Maury Povich Show

Povich served two consecutive terms as president of the New York chapter of the National Television Academy.[9] In September 1991 he left A Current Affair to host The Maury Povich Show, which was nationally syndicated and distributed by Paramount Domestic Television in partnership with his own production company, MoPo Productions, from 1991 to 1998.[6] For raising awareness of National Adoption Month, Povich was honored by New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995.

1998–present: Maury, Twenty One, and Weekends with Maury and Connie

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 NBCUniversal Television Distribution after VU Entertainment was sold to NBC owner General Electric). When Studios USA took over production of the show, it was renamed simply 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 or trying to establish paternity were given DNA tests and the results were revealed on the air.[6]

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—titled Weekends with Maury and Connie—debuted on January 7, 2006, but was canceled due to low ratings. The final episode aired on June 17, 2006.[10]

He appeared as himself in the fourth episode of the sixth season of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He is portrayed as a New Yorker who is apparently seen everywhere in the city—often in several places at once. He also appeared as himself in the film Madea's Big Happy Family.

In May 2007, he launched the Flathead Beacon, a weekly print newspaper and online news source in Montana's Flathead County, where he has a home and is a member at the Eagle Bend Golf Club.

In 2015, Povich made a guest appearance on the Adult Swim show The Jack and Triumph Show.

Personal life

From 1962 to 1979, Povich was married to Phyllis Minkoff. Maury and Phyllis have two daughters together, Susan Anne and Amy Joyce Povich. Their daughter Amy is married to physician and author David Agus.

In 1984 he married news anchor Connie Chung, whom he had met while working in the news department at WTTG-TV in Washington.[11] In 1995, Chung and Povich adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich.[6][12]

Controversies

Sexual harassment allegations

On April 24, 2006, former Maury producer Bianca Nardi filed a lawsuit against Povich for sexual harassment, alleging that she was "forced to expose her breasts for photographs for the show and ordered to watch pornography in a private room with an executive producer". According to a spokesperson for the show, Nardi's allegations were dismissed after an internal investigation.[13] In August 2006, a Manhattan judge ruled that the case be taken to closed-door arbitration.[14] In November 2006, a gag order was requested by Povich's lawyer.[15]

On the TV show Mad TV, Povich was portrayed by actor Michael McDonald.[16] He was also mocked in a 2002 South Park episode called "Freak Strike."

Filmography

References

Specific

  1. ↑ "Maury Povich Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  2. ↑ 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 1-58648-315-3.
  3. ↑ Shirley Povich wrote in his autobiography
  4. ↑ "The Anthony Edward Kupka '64 Distinguished Alumnus Award". Newsweek. Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  5. ↑ Gildea, William. "Povich Off to Chicago." The Washington Post, 8 December 1976, p. B1.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Waldman, Allison J. (2007-09-30). "Maury Povich Through the Years". TV Week. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  7. ↑ Jo Ann Harris. "Channel 5's Panorama Team." The Washington Post, 23 March 1969, p. TV3.
  8. ↑ Corry, John. "A Current Affair: Tabloid Journalism". The New York Times, 20 August 1986, p. C22.
  9. ↑ "About the Show's Host". KTLA. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  10. ↑ "MSNBC Axes Maury & Connie". TV Newser. Media Bistro. June 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006.
  11. ↑ Allison J. Waldman (September 30, 2007). "Connie Chung Offers Personal View of Maury Povich". TelevisionWeek. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
  12. ↑ Waldman, 2007
  13. ↑ "Maury Povich sued for sexual harassment". UPI. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  14. ↑ "MAURY SUIT SLAM – SENT TO ARBITRATION". New York Post. 2006-08-04. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  15. ↑ "Maury Povich seeks gag order in sexual harassment case - TV News Check". TV News Check. 2006-11-02. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  16. ↑ "[MADtv] Planet MADtv's MADtv Recurring Guide - Planet MADtv". www.planetmadtv.com. Retrieved 21 March 2018.

Bibliography

  • Curtis, Bryan (November 8, 2013). "From Here to Paternity". Grantland. ESPN. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
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