Famous and veteran broadcaster Hugh Downs has died at the age of 99.
Downs, who once held the record for the most minutes in front of a television camera, died on Wednesday of natural causes at this home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his great-niece told The Associated Press.
Hugh Malcolm Downs (February 14, 1921 – July 1, 2020) was an American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969,and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from 1978 to 1999.
Downs started in live television in 1945 in Chicago, where he became a regular on several nationally broadcast programs over the next decade. He moved to New York City in 1954, when he was invited to do a program there. Downs served as announcer/sidekick for Tonight Starring Jack Paar from 1957 to 1962, host of the PBS talk show Over Easy, and sometime co-host of the syndicated talk show Not for Women Only.
