- Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard (born in
New York City onApril 3 ,1929 ) is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of two of the most influential networks in TV history.Early life
Leonard was a midday radio personality on New York's WNBC-AM (660), shortly after it launched its "Conversation Station," a talk format, in 1964. He was part of a weekday talk-variety lineup that included "Big" Wilson,
Bill Mazer ,Brad Crandall andLong John Nebel .At CBS and NBC
In the early 1970s, Leonard was part of an even earlier network TV innovation, partnering on CBS-TV with Jack Whitaker on "
The NFL on CBS ", a studio-based show wrapping around the network's coverage of theNational Football League with pregame features and halftime and postgame highlights from around the league. As producers changed, Leonard and Whitaker were eventually succeeded by "The NFL Today" withBrent Musburger ,Phyllis George ,Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder andIrv Cross on one of network TV sports' longest-running studio-based programs. The core of the team would stay until the mid-1980s, while the show itself has aired continuously ever since, except for several years in the 1990s when CBS did not have NFL television rights.As for Leonard, he would move to NBC and be teamed with
Bryant Gumbel on its "GrandStand" showFact|date=September 2008, where he would stay until just before ESPN launched. Also during the mid-1970s, Leonard hosted "Midday Live", the daily talk show on WNEW-TV (nowWNYW ) in New York City (he was replaced byBill Boggs ). While at WNEW, Leonard was one of the original co-hosts with Bill Mazer ofSports Extra - considered a pioneering show for the Sunday Evening Sports Wrap-Up show format.At ESPN and CNN
On
September 7 ,1979 , he was the first person to appear onESPN .Fact|date=September 2008 He gave a brief introduction before the network showed a fast-pitchsoftball game. Leonard also made occasional appearances on "SportsCenter ".A year later (1980), Leonard moved to
CNN where he hosted "People Tonight ", the network's first Los Angeles-based liveentertainment news talk show. Many of today's major name celebrities made their first national talk show appearances on "People Tonight". includingTom Cruise ,Tom Hanks andPee Wee Herman . The show was ground-breaking in its coverage of Hollywoodred carpet premieres and many breaking stories including the death ofJohn Lennon andNatalie Wood .Robin Leach cut his teeth as a New York based correspondent before signing on to do "Entertainment Tonight " and later launching the pop culture hit series, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous ". Leonard stayed at CNN until 1982, when CNN hired veteran talk show hostMike Douglas .Recent activities
As of 2004, Leonard hosts a public affairs program on the New Jersey-based cable network
CN8 .See also
*
List of NFL on CBS commentator pairings Personal
Leonard is married to actress
Kelly Bishop , who playedEmily Gilmore on the CW show "Gilmore Girls " as well as Marjorie Houseman in "Dirty Dancing ". He has been married twice before, including once toSalome Jens , the actress. He has one growndaughter and onegrandson .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.