Early Life and Career
Lee Leonard was born Maxwell Lefkowitz on April 3, 1929, in New York City. He developed an interest in broadcasting while serving in the US Army in Germany during the Korean War. He started his career as a radio personality on WNBC-AM in New York, where he hosted a quiz show called Fortune Phone. He later moved to CBS-TV, where he co-hosted The NFL on CBS, a studio-based show covering the National Football League. He also hosted Midday Live, a daily talk show on WNEW-TV in New York, and Sports Extra, a pioneering show for the Sunday evening sports wrap-up format.
Launching ESPN and CNN
In 1979, Leonard joined ESPN, the first cable television network dedicated to sports. He was the first voice ever heard on ESPN, as he gave a brief introduction before the network aired its first program, which was the first edition of SportsCenter. He made occasional appearances on the show afterwards. A year later, he moved to CNN, the first cable television network dedicated to news. He hosted People Tonight, the network’s first Los Angeles-based live entertainment news talk show. He interviewed many celebrities who made their first national talk show appearances on his show, such as Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, and Pee-wee Herman.
Death and Legacy
Lee Leonard died on December 16, 2018, at his home in South Orange, New Jersey, at the age of 89. The cause of death was not disclosed, but he had been suffering from dementia for several years. He was survived by his wife, actress Kelly Bishop, and his son, Andrew. He was remembered as a television pioneer who was involved in the launch of two groundbreaking cable television networks, ESPN and CNN. He was also praised for his warm and witty personality, and his ability to connect with his guests and audiences.
