Roger King, a renowned television executive who revolutionized the TV syndication business, died Dec. 8 of a stroke at his home in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 63.
King, whose father started King World Productions in 1964, helped launch the TV careers of Oprah Winfrey, Alex Trebek and Dr. Phil McGraw, to name just a few. He made his mark in the business after regulatory changes in the early 1970s led to the creation of syndicated shows, which were produced independently of the networks.
At the time of his death, King was chief executive of CBS Television Distribution. Roger, and his brother Michael, helped build King World into a syndication leader. The company was sold to CBS in 1999 for $2.5 billion.
“The NAB team joins our colleagues in the broadcast business in mourning the passing of legendary television executive and former NAB Hall of Fame recipient Roger King,” the NAB said in a statement. “Roger was a broadcasting giant whose flair for sales and showmanship were unique to the field of television entertainment.”
