Richard King, a member of the King World Productions family dynasty that build a small syndication firm into an industry powerhouse, died Dec. 7 in Los Angeles after battling heart and lung problems. He was 79.
King was one of six children who inherited King World Productions in 1972 after the death of patriarch Charles King. The company was known for distributing “The Little Rascals” and other vintage Hollywood fare in syndication.
After the six King heirs — four brothers and two sisters — took command of the company as adults, King World Productions grew into a major player as the home of long-running hits such as “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The company’s syndication pact with Oprah Winfrey, then a star anchor in Chicago, in 1986 transformed its fortunes as the show rocketed to No. 1 in daytime and set Winfrey on the path to riches and influence.
By the mid-1980s,...
King was one of six children who inherited King World Productions in 1972 after the death of patriarch Charles King. The company was known for distributing “The Little Rascals” and other vintage Hollywood fare in syndication.
After the six King heirs — four brothers and two sisters — took command of the company as adults, King World Productions grew into a major player as the home of long-running hits such as “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The company’s syndication pact with Oprah Winfrey, then a star anchor in Chicago, in 1986 transformed its fortunes as the show rocketed to No. 1 in daytime and set Winfrey on the path to riches and influence.
By the mid-1980s,...
- 12/11/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
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