Roger King (producer)
| Roger King | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 22, 1944 New York City, New York |
| Died | December 8, 2007 (aged 63) Boca Raton, Florida |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Known for | King World Productions |
Roger Monroe King (August 22, 1944 – December 8, 2007) was an American television and media executive for King World Productions and CBS. He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 1992 and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004 and is credited with launching the careers of such top television stars as Oprah Winfrey, Phil McGraw and Alex Trebek.
Born in New Jersey, Roger King became chairman of the board of King World Productions in 1977, following the death of his father, Charles King, who had founded the company in 1964.
In what his old friends refer to as 'The Early Years' (1974–1977), Roger and his brothers Michael and Bob commandeered WKID TV; where they broadcast a Late Night TV Talk Show from Pirate's World in Hollywood Florida. The Show interviewed celebrities that were passing through South Florida. The interviews were followed by King World's Little Rascals. The local commercials that were played were Produced by Bob King and Narrated by Musician/Photographer Jessie Eastland aka Robert DeMeo, a friend of the King Brothers during those years.
Under Roger's leadership, King World became the leading distributor of popular syndicated television programming. He put on the national scene daytime television's most popular programs of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including Harpo Productions The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dr. Phil and is also credited with launching the syndicated news magazine, Inside Edition. He also syndicated Merv Griffin's Wheel of Fortune (for Sony Pictures Television), starring Pat Sajak and Vanna White which, according to CBS, has been the top-rated syndicated TV show for the past 26 years. Another of his Griffin syndications, Jeopardy! (also by Sony Pictures Television), has remained among the top three for 25 years.
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