Madeline Amgott

Madeline Amgott
Born Madeline Rochelle Barotz
August 31, 1921
Bronx
Died July 19, 2014 (aged 92)
Manhattan
Nationality American
Occupation television producer


Madeline Rochelle Amgott (August 31, 1921 – July 19, 2014) was an American television news producer. A pioneer of early television news, Amgott was one of the first, and only, women to producer television news shows during the 1950s and 1960s.[1][2]

Life

Amgott was born Madeline Rochelle Barotz on August 31, 1921, in the Bronx, New York.[1][2] She graduated from Brooklyn College.[1]

Amgott worked at the Washington D.C. bureau of the The San Diego Union before moving back to New York City.[1] In 1955, she joined the staff of CBS News. Amgott helped create Calendar, CBS daytime show aimed at women, which was hosted by Harry Reasoner and Mary Fickett from 1961 to 1963.[1] She left Calendar after being turned down for an open producer on the show.[1]

Amgott was next hired by as a television news producer at WABC-TV in New York. She produced "The Big News," is believed to have been the first major network affiliate news show made without network news staff.[1][2] The show aired on WABC. Duirng the 1970s, Amgott produced episodes of the NBC talk show, Not for Women Only, which was hosted by Barbara Walters.[1]

She later returned to CBS where she produced episodes of "60 Minutes," as well as episodes of "30 Minutes," a half hour children's format of 60 Minutes which aired on Saturdays from 1978 to 1982.[1] Amgott's work on 30 Minutes earned her three Daytime Emmy Awards.[1]

Amgott produced the 1987 PBS mini-series, In Search of the Constitution, hosted by Bill Moyers.[1] She also produced segments for Morning News on CBS. Amgott produced a television film on Hans Hofmann, which aired on PBS in 2003.[1]

Madeline Amgott died from lymphoma in Manhattan, New York City, on July 19, 2014, at the age of 92.[1] She was survived by her two sons, one daughter and one stepdaughter.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 "Madeline Amgott Dead: Pioneering Female TV News Producer Dies at 92". Variety. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Martin, Douglas (2014-07-22). "Madeline Amgott, Television Producer, Dies at 92". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-08-14.