Hugh Downs, Anchor of NBC’s ‘Today’ and ABC’s ‘20/20,’ Dies At 99

Broadcasting icon Hugh Downs, who is remembered for his long stints as co-anchor on both NBC’s Today show and ABC News’ 20/20, not to mention his roles as a game show host and a program announcer, died on Wednesday at his Scottsdale, Arizona home. He was 99 years of age.

Born on February 14, 1921, Downs began his career in radio, and started in live television in 1945 in Chicago, where he became a regular on several nationally broadcast programs over the next decade. In 1954, Downs moved to New York City for a position as the announcer for Pat Weaver’s daytime The Home Show starring Arlene Francis. Immediately following, he was the announcer for Sid Caesar’s primetime Caeser’s Hour in the 1956-57 season, and then for NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar in late night.

Downs was also the announcer on early children’s puppet series Kukla, Fran and Ollie.

In 1958, Downs entered the game show arena as host of the original version of Concentration, which lasted more than 10 years. And, in 1962, he began his nine-year run as co-host on NBC’s Today show. At Today, he famously championed the career of Barbara Walters on camera, who was then a writer/producer on the morning show. The pair later teamed for syndicated daytime program Not for Women Only, which aired in the 1975-76 season (and, of course, ABC’s 20/20).

Downs also made appearances as a panelist on game show To Tell the Truth, and as himself in an episode of NBC sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? Additionally, he guest-starred as an actor in dramas Riverboat and Call To Glory, and 1980 theatrical Oh God, Book II.

In 1978, Downs became co-anchor on ABC’s 20/20 from the second episode in 1978 to his retirement in 1999. Barbara Walters joined him in 1979. During his tenure on 20/20, through 1983, Downs also hosted PBS program Over Easy, which was a series about aging.

Also a published composer, Downs returned to PBS in 1990 to host Live from Lincoln Center.

“I would like it if people remembered me as being fair and enjoying what I did and being honest with the audience," Downs said in 2012. "Because I just could not, under any circumstance, say something I didn’t believe in or something that I thought was wrong.”

The Guinness World Records once recognized Hugh Downs for appearing in more hours of U.S. television (and estimated 10,000) than anyone else, which was later broken by Regis Philbin.

Downs’ wife, Ruth Shaheen Downs, died in 2017 at the age of 95. The pair was married for 73 years.