Lou Gordon | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Lou_Gordon.jpg) Lou Gordon | |
| Born | May 17, 1917 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 24, 1977 (aged 60) |
| Spouse | Jacqueline "Jackie" Gordon |
| Children | A. Scott Gordon, Ruth Gordon Howard, Jon L. Gordon, Deborah L. Gordon, Carol Braitman |
| Career | |
| Show | The Lou Gordon Program |
| Station | WKBD-TV Detroit |
| Network | Syndicated through Kaiser Broadcasting |
| Country | United States |
Lou Gordon (May 17, 1917 – May 24, 1977) was a television commentator and talk show host, newspaper columnist, radio host, and influential political reporter, based in Detroit, Michigan. Gordon was known as a flamboyant, irreverent, and controversial interviewer. He hosted The Lou Gordon Program, a twice-weekly, 90-minute television show, that was seen Saturday and Sunday nights on WKBD-TV. Produced from 1966 to 1977,[1] The Lou Gordon Program was also syndicated across most of the larger media markets in the United States to the Kaiser Broadcasting group of stations, as well as several non-Kaiser stations. Three 90-minute television shows were taped per week - two for telecast only on WKBD, the other for nationwide broadcast.
The show's theme song was MacArthur Park, composed by Jimmy Webb and performed by Richard Harris; the portion of the song used for the show's theme was the long, jazzy climactic orchestral break approximately 3/4 way through the recording.
The show was co-hosted by Lou's wife, Jackie Gordon (1932-1999), who would read questions sent by viewers to Lou. Lou would then give his opinions on the viewer's question.
In addition to his television program, Gordon wrote a twice-weekly column for The Detroit News, which usually reflected, or elaborated on, topics recently featured on his television program.[2]
During the 1967–68 Detroit newspaper strike,[3] Gordon published Scope Magazine[4] in order to fill the news-hole made by a lack of daily newspapers in Detroit. Lou Gordon was the president of Scope Publishing, as well as a writer, and published the weekly until the Detroit newspaper strike ended.[4] Scope Magazine also featured his wife, Jackie, as advice columnist.[4]
- ^ "WKBD "Lou Gordon Program" 5th anniversary ad, 5/23/1971, from Vintage Toledo TV". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ Peter R. Lochbiler and Pat Shellenbarger, p. 1A, The Detroit News, May 25, 1977.
- ^ Library of Congress: "On strike, not published on the following dates"
- ^ a b c © Copyright 1968 Scope Publishing Enterprises, Inc., June 15, 1968, Volume 1, No. 10.