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George Putnam (newsman)
Encyclopedia
George Putnam was an American
television
news reporter and talk show
host based in Los Angeles
. He was known for his catchy phrase "See ya at ten, see ya then" intro prior to a broadcast of the news.
, Minnesota
. His radio
career began on his 20th birthday at WDGY
in Minneapolis, then continued in Washington, DC at WJSV and later, in New York. Putnam began working in the Los Angeles area in 1951 and switched to television
, eventually hosting the highest rated newscast in Los Angeles. He anchored at all four of Los Angeles' major independent stations -- KTTV
, KTLA
, KCOP, and KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV
) -- at one time or another. In addition to his salary, he was provided a Rolls Royce automobile while at KTTV and KTLA. He was replaced by news legend Hal Fishman
in 1975.
Putnam long carried a grudge against Fishman, stating on his radio show 'Talk Back' that he was back-stabbed by Fishman. Putnam made this claim for decades. It is noteworthy that when Fishman produced KTLA's 50th-anniversary history in television in 1997, the footage of Putnam was not used, though Putnam had been the face of KTLA news in the 1960s and 1970s before the arrival of Fishman. During KTLA's 60th-anniversary special during Thanksgiving weekend in 2007, the KTLA News intro from when George Putnam anchored the news was shown; Fishman died on August 7, 2007, three months before the 60th anniversary special aired.
In 1965, Putnam narrated a film entitled Perversion for Profit
, in which he warned viewers about magazines containing nudity
and homosexual material, saying homosexuals were perverts and misfits. The film was financed by Charles Keating
.
For his contribution to the television industry, George Putnam was awarded three emmy awards as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6372 Hollywood Blvd. The late Ted Knight
stated that Putnam served in part as a model for the Ted Baxter
character in the 1970s television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show
on CBS
.
Putnam was also noted for his years of participation in the Rose Parade, having ridden in that event from 1954 until 2000, when his horse died. At the time, Putnam said that he was too advanced in age to train another Parade horse. Putnam lived and died at his 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) working ranch
in Chino
. The ranch houses his sixty-five racehorses, which have competed at the Kentucky Derby
and all of the racetracks in Southern California. He also spent time at his home of fifty-seven years in Beverly Hills
.
Putnam was the well-known host of 'Talk Back', a conservative radio show he hosted daily since leaving the television anchor chair in 1975. It was based at KIEV 870 in Glendale,California Now(KRLA) until 2001 and moved to KCAA 1050 in San Bernardino
,in 2002 and was distributed nationwide on the Cable Radio Network
on CRN1. Although Putnam advocated many conservative viewpoints, he stated many times his status as a "lifelong Democrat" since his youthful admiration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
.
Putnam also published a weekly column, "One Reporter's Opinion," on the Web site NewsMax.com. His most recent focus was illegal immigration from Mexico. Putnam received an honorary LL.D. from Bates College
in 1985.
Putnam had a cameo role as a TV news reporter or anchor in at least three films: the 1951 Drama Fourteen Hours
; the 1958 film about convicted murderer Barbara Graham
, I Want to Live!
; and the 1996 disaster spectacular, Independence Day
.
In a June 12, 2008, e-mail to Putnam's Newsmax.com readers, it was announced that Putnam was in a Los Angeles hospital undergoing medical treatment on his liver
and kidney
s. In mid-July he took part in a special on-air 94th "birthday" show, hosted by Chuck Wilder. http://www.crntalk.com/default.aspx?date=7/9/2008&eid=238847&pid=0
On September 12, 2008 Putnam died at Chino Valley Medical Center
in Chino, California
. His death was announced to Putnam's Newsmax.com readers. Upon Putnam's passing, the Los Angeles Times
recalled the words of former President Richard M. Nixon in a 1984 roast of Putnam given by KTTV to celebrate Putnam's 50th anniversary in broadcasting: "Some people didn't like what he said; some people liked what he said. But everybody listened to George Putnam. That is why he has been one of the most influential commentators of our times."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
news reporter and talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He was known for his catchy phrase "See ya at ten, see ya then" intro prior to a broadcast of the news.
Biography
Putnam was born in BreckenridgeBreckenridge, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,559 people, 1,438 households, and 911 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,516.4 people per square mile . There were 1,582 housing units at an average density of 674.0 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. His radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
career began on his 20th birthday at WDGY
KFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
in Minneapolis, then continued in Washington, DC at WJSV and later, in New York. Putnam began working in the Los Angeles area in 1951 and switched to television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, eventually hosting the highest rated newscast in Los Angeles. He anchored at all four of Los Angeles' major independent stations -- KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
, KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
, KCOP, and KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
) -- at one time or another. In addition to his salary, he was provided a Rolls Royce automobile while at KTTV and KTLA. He was replaced by news legend Hal Fishman
Hal Fishman
Hal Fishman was the longest-running news anchor in the history of American television, having served on-air for Los Angeles television stations continuously between 1960 and his death in 2007...
in 1975.
Putnam long carried a grudge against Fishman, stating on his radio show 'Talk Back' that he was back-stabbed by Fishman. Putnam made this claim for decades. It is noteworthy that when Fishman produced KTLA's 50th-anniversary history in television in 1997, the footage of Putnam was not used, though Putnam had been the face of KTLA news in the 1960s and 1970s before the arrival of Fishman. During KTLA's 60th-anniversary special during Thanksgiving weekend in 2007, the KTLA News intro from when George Putnam anchored the news was shown; Fishman died on August 7, 2007, three months before the 60th anniversary special aired.
In 1965, Putnam narrated a film entitled Perversion for Profit
Perversion for Profit
Perversion for Profit is a 1965 propaganda film financed by Charles Keating and narrated by news reporter George Putnam. A vehement diatribe against pornography, the film attempts to link explicit portrayals of human sexuality to the subversion of American civilization, and briefly draws a...
, in which he warned viewers about magazines containing nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
and homosexual material, saying homosexuals were perverts and misfits. The film was financed by Charles Keating
Charles Keating
Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. is an American athlete, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, and financier, most known for his role in the savings and loan scandal of the late 1980s....
.
For his contribution to the television industry, George Putnam was awarded three emmy awards as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6372 Hollywood Blvd. The late Ted Knight
Ted Knight
Ted Knight was an American actor best known for playing the comedic role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort, and Judge Elihu Smails in Caddyshack.- Early years :...
stated that Putnam served in part as a model for the Ted Baxter
Ted Baxter
Ted Baxter is a fictional character on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show . Portrayed by Ted Knight, the Baxter character is a broad parody of a vain, shallow, buffoonish TV newsman. Knight's comedic model was William Powell, and he also drew on various Los Angeles newscasters, including George...
character in the 1970s television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
Putnam was also noted for his years of participation in the Rose Parade, having ridden in that event from 1954 until 2000, when his horse died. At the time, Putnam said that he was too advanced in age to train another Parade horse. Putnam lived and died at his 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) working ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in Chino
Chino, California
Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
. The ranch houses his sixty-five racehorses, which have competed at the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and all of the racetracks in Southern California. He also spent time at his home of fifty-seven years in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
.
Putnam was the well-known host of 'Talk Back', a conservative radio show he hosted daily since leaving the television anchor chair in 1975. It was based at KIEV 870 in Glendale,California Now(KRLA) until 2001 and moved to KCAA 1050 in San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
,in 2002 and was distributed nationwide on the Cable Radio Network
Cable Radio Network
CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, sometimes simply referred to as CRN or CRN Digital Talk, is a syndicator and distributor of radio programs and talk radio networks. Its legal name, and former branding, is Cable Radio Networks, Inc....
on CRN1. Although Putnam advocated many conservative viewpoints, he stated many times his status as a "lifelong Democrat" since his youthful admiration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
.
Putnam also published a weekly column, "One Reporter's Opinion," on the Web site NewsMax.com. His most recent focus was illegal immigration from Mexico. Putnam received an honorary LL.D. from Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
in 1985.
Putnam had a cameo role as a TV news reporter or anchor in at least three films: the 1951 Drama Fourteen Hours
Fourteen Hours
Fourteen Hours is a 1951 drama film directed by Henry Hathaway, which tells the story of a New York police officer trying to stop a despondent man from jumping to his death from the fifteenth floor of a hotel....
; the 1958 film about convicted murderer Barbara Graham
Barbara Graham
Barbara Graham was an American criminal and convicted murderess. She was executed in the gas chamber on the same day as two convicted accomplices, Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins. Nicknamed "Bloody Babs" by the press, Graham was the third woman in California to die by gas.-Early life:Graham was born...
, I Want to Live!
I Want to Live!
I Want to Live! is a 1958 film noir produced by Walter Wanger and directed by Robert Wise which tells the heavily fictionalized story of a woman, Barbara Graham, convicted of murder and facing execution. It stars Susan Hayward as Graham, and also features Simon Oakland, Stafford Repp, and Theodore...
; and the 1996 disaster spectacular, Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
.
In a June 12, 2008, e-mail to Putnam's Newsmax.com readers, it was announced that Putnam was in a Los Angeles hospital undergoing medical treatment on his liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
and kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
s. In mid-July he took part in a special on-air 94th "birthday" show, hosted by Chuck Wilder. http://www.crntalk.com/default.aspx?date=7/9/2008&eid=238847&pid=0
On September 12, 2008 Putnam died at Chino Valley Medical Center
Chino Valley Medical Center
Chino Valley Medical Center is a 126-bed acute care facility in Chino, California. CVMC is owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. , an innovative and rapidly expanding hospital management company in Victorville, California...
in Chino, California
Chino, California
Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
. His death was announced to Putnam's Newsmax.com readers. Upon Putnam's passing, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
recalled the words of former President Richard M. Nixon in a 1984 roast of Putnam given by KTTV to celebrate Putnam's 50th anniversary in broadcasting: "Some people didn't like what he said; some people liked what he said. But everybody listened to George Putnam. That is why he has been one of the most influential commentators of our times."
External links
- One Reporter's Opinion at NewsMax.com
- Perversion for Profit Part I and Part II.
- Los Angeles News Icon George Putnam Dies at 94 (videos).