Maury Povich | |
|---|---|
 Povich in 2006 | |
| Born | Maurice Richard Povich (1939-01-17)January 17, 1939 (age 86) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) |
| Occupation | Television personality |
| Years active | 1962–2023 |
| Notable credit | Maury (1991–2022) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Father | Shirley Povich |
| Relatives | Lynn Povich (sister) |
Maurice Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American former television personality, best known for hosting thetabloid talk showMaury which aired from 1991 to 2022.[1] Povich began his career as a radio reporter, initially atWWDC and later as host of a daytime Washington DC talk showPanorama. In the late 1980s, he gained national fame as the host of tabloid infotainment TV showA Current Affair, based atFox's New York flagship stationWNYW. In 1991 he co-produced his own showThe Maury Povich Show, which in 1998 was rebranded asMaury.
Povich was born on January 17, 1939, into aJewish family inWashington, D.C., the second of three children born to Ethyl (née Friedman) andWashington Post sportswriterShirley Lewis Povich.[2] His paternal grandfather, Nathan Povich, emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1878 at age 12.[3][4] Maury graduated from theLandon School in 1957,[5] and from theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree intelevision journalism.
Not long after graduation, Povich got his first job on Washington radio stationWWDC, where he did publicity and worked as a reporter. By 1966, he was a news reporter and sportscaster forWTTG in his hometown, theindependent station owned byMetromedia. 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]
Seeking to further his career, Povich left Washington in late 1976 for what would become a series of high-profile, short-lived television jobs, beginning withWMAQ-TV inChicago in January 1977.[8] Hired to co-anchor evening newscasts, he joined theNBC-owned station to much fanfare—ahead of his arrival, WMAQ-TV produced promotions featuring testimonials from U.S. senatorHubert Humphrey and actressCarol Channing, among others, touting Povich's credentials.[9][10] But Povich left after only eight months when, after being promised a long-term contract, the station's management failed to present him one.[11][12]
Povich then headed toCBS-ownedKNXT inLos Angeles[13]—where he co-anchored alongsideConnie Chung—but was ousted after a six-month stint following a change in the station's news management.[14] Povich moved next toSan Francisco, where he co-hostedAM San Francisco and co-anchored news forABC-ownedKGO-TV.[15][16]
Povich returned to the East Coast in April 1980, whenGroup W–ownedKYW-TV inPhiladelphia hired him to anchor newscasts and hostAM/PM,[17] a midday audience-participation talk show which, in February 1981 would be retitledPeople Are Talking.[18] He departed KYW-TV after three years[19] and brought his career full-circle with a return home to Washington in June 1983, resuming as host ofPanorama and anchoringThe 10 O'Clock News for WTTG.
WhenAustralianmedia mogulRupert Murdoch and20th Century Fox acquired WTTG and the rest of Metromedia's television station group in 1986 to form the newFox network, one of the first moves made by the newly christenedFox Television Stations was to bring Povich toNew York to hostA Current Affair. Initially launching onWNYW in July 1986 before landing on the other Fox-owned stations, and into national syndication in 1988,A Current Affair was considered atabloidinfotainment show that often focused on celebrity gossip, but 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."[20] Povich hostedAffair until 1990.[6] While at WNYW, Povich also anchored the station's 7:00 p.m. newscasts. He also served two consecutive terms as president of the New York chapter of theNational Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[21]
In September 1991, he began to hostThe Maury Povich Show, which was nationally syndicated and distributed byParamount 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 mayorRudolph Giuliani in 1995.
In 1998, the show was taken over by Studios USA (then a division ofUSA Networks, later renamed Universal Television after being sold toVivendi Universal; andNBCUniversal Television Distribution after VU Entertainment was sold toNBC ownerGeneral Electric). When Studios USA took over production of the show, it was renamed simplyMaury. 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 classicgame showTwenty One on NBC. Reruns of the show have been aired onGSN.
In November 2005,MSNBC announced Povich would co-host a weekendnews program with his wife, Connie Chung. The program titledWeekends with Maury and Connie debuted on January 7, 2006, but was canceled due to low ratings. The final episode aired on June 17, 2006.[22]
He appeared as himself in the fourth episode of thesixth season of the sitcomHow 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 filmMadea's Big Happy Family.
In May 2007, he launched theFlathead Beacon, a weekly print newspaper and online news source in Montana'sFlathead County, where he has a home and is a member at the Eagle Bend Golf Club.
In 2015, Povich made a guest appearance on theAdult Swim showThe Jack and Triumph Show. In March 2022, Povich announced his retirement and the end of his talk show after 31 seasons, making it the longest-running daytime talk show with a single host in American television history. Povich discussed his career with Greg Braxton of theLos Angeles Times that June, noting that he had accomplished all he had wanted to do during his career, was proud of what he had created withMaury (especially in maintaining the show's ratings in a time when daytime television audiences were shrinking rapidly), and had no further desire for any other television projects.[23] In 2023, Povich made a guest appearance on theDisney+ animated showThe Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
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 authorDavid Agus.[citation needed]
In 1984, he marriednews anchorConnie Chung, whom he had met while working in the news department at WTTG.[24] In 1995, Chung and Povich adopted a son, Matthew Jay Povich.[6][25]
Povich believes in the superiority of thenuclear family as a family model and believes that children are best served when both parents are in the child's life; this was a major factor inMaury's frequent emphasis on paternity testing. Povich took a journalistic approach to each story and took pride when an appearance onMaury would lead to the father and mother of a child reconciling.[26]
In 2017, Povich became an investor and part owner of the Washington, D.C. bar and restaurant Chatter, along with other D.C. notablesTony Kornheiser andGary Williams.[27]
He is a fan ofUniversity of Central Florida football.[citation needed]
Povich owns a ranch just outside ofBigfork, Montana, where he lives several months of the year.
Maury is an avid golfer and has been playing golf since he was a child. He is a frequent player atPebble Beach,Torrey Pines,Farm Neck, andOld Course inScotland. He still plays in amateur senior tournaments with a 2.4 handicap and in 2007 was placed inGolf Digest's top 100 celebrity golfers. In 2000, Maury participated in the U.S. Senior Amateur championship where he lost in the first round of the match play competition. Maury occasionally plays golf withSteve Wilkos, his fellowNBCUniversal talk show host who shares the same studio as theMaury Show.
On April 24, 2006, formerMaury 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 spokesman for the show, Nardi's allegations were dismissed after an internal investigation.[28] In August 2006, a Manhattan judge ruled that the case be taken to closed-door arbitration.[29] In November 2006, agag order was requested by Povich's lawyer.[30]
Povich was mocked in a 2002South Park episode called "Freak Strike".[31] He also appeared in a mock episode of his show in the filmMadea's Big Happy Family.[32] OnJimmy Kimmel Live! Povich was spoofed overseeing a paternity testing involvingMatt Damon, Kimmel, and Kimmel's wife Molly McNearney asMartin Short stood in for Povich.[33]
In 2021, musicianLil Nas X collaborated with Povich to create a full-length faux episode ofMaury, featuring Nas X performing as his Montero character, in a love triangle with his football playing teammate lover and wife.[34]
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