Longtime broadcaster, from soaps to NBC news
Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of games shows and U.S. network news, has died at 99, at home in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Downs’ television work ranged from NBC’s morning news show, Today, to working with Jack Paar on Tonight. In 1985 the Guinness Book of World Records said he had been on commercial television a record 15,188 hours — a mark that stood until Regis Philbin surpassed it in 2004.
Born Feb. 14, 1921, Downs’ broadcasting career began at age 18 when he auditioned for a radio announcer job on a whim in his hometown of Lima, Ohio. After serving in the Army in the Second World War, he joined the NBC radio network in Chicago and that led to TV announcing jobs, including work on the Kukla, Fran and Ollie children’s show and a soap opera.
Bigger assignments lay ahead in New York in the late 1950s — announcer on Sid Caesar’s Caesar’s Hour and announcer-sidekick to host Paar on The Tonight Show from 1957 until 1962.
In a dramatic moment, the emotional Paar walked off during taping in protest of NBC censoring one of his jokes, and Downs, who had known Paar was going to quit but did not expect a walkout, filled in for the rest of the show.
In 1958, Downs became the host of Concentration, a new daytime NBC game show that tested contestants’ memory and ability to solve a picture puzzle. The show was a quick success and Downs was host for 10 years, continuing even after he became an anchor on NBC’s Today morning show in 1962.
Downs spent 11 years on Today, many as co-anchor with Barbara Walters, and interviewed scores of celebrities, politicians and other newsmakers.
He joined ABC’s 20/20 in its second week on air in 1978 to again co-anchor with Walters.
His sign-off each week was “We’re in touch, so you’ll be in touch.” He left the show and network television in 1999.
Downs won Emmys for his work on Today in 1970; for hosting a PBS series on aging, in 1981; and Live From Lincoln Center in 1991.
Downs’ interests included music composition, aviation, astronomy and space exploration. He was chairman of the National Space Society, a non-profit organization that promotes space exploration.
Among the books he wrote were an autobiography, Yours Truly, Hugh Downs; A Shoal of Stars, his account of sailing a 65-foot ketch across the Pacific; and Thirty Dirty Lies About Old Age.
Downs and his wife, Ruth, had two children.