Jess Marlow

Myron Jess Marlow (November 29, 1929 – August 3, 2014) was a Los Angeles television newsman.^[1] He hailed from Salem, IL and was an anchor at KNTV-TV, KNBC-TV and KCBS-TV for over 40 years, beginning in the late 1950s. As an anchor, Marlow also delivered commentaries for KNBC and hosted the station's public affairs program "News Conference", He also filed reports from Vietnam and the Soviet Union. He and his wife Phyllis lived in Colorado.

Marlow began his TV career in 1958 at a station in Rock Island, IL. He moved from Rock Island to San Jose California. He was first a reporter and then became Anchor for KNTV, then an ABC affiliate. He was regarded as a knowledgeable reporter covering politics, including the beginning of Ronald Reagan's first campaign for Governor. NBC learned of Jess Marlow's excellent skills and hired him. Also hired at the same time was another Midwestern television newsman, Tom Brokaw. Jess came to KNBC in 1966 as a reporter and became an anchor in 1968. At one point, Jess anchored the 5 pm news, with Tom Snyder at 6 PM and Tom Brokaw at 11 PM. In 1980, Jess moved to KCBS and moved back to KNBC in 1986. While at KCBS, his co-anchor was Connie Chung.

He retired in 1997, but returned to host "Life & Times", a Southern California public affairs program on KCET-TV in 2001 until he officially retired in 2003. In retirement, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and later to Loveland, CO.^[2]

During his 37 years in Los Angeles, which began in 1966, he won numerous awards, including an Emmy and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 14 May 1999, located at 6420 Hollywood Blvd.^[3]

He had worked with many television news anchors during his period in Los Angeles, including Kelly Lange, Colleen Williams, Paul Moyer and his "Life & Times" co-host Val Zavala. He was also very involved in professional journalism organizations, including to help found the Foundation for American Communications which, for more than a quarter-century, was the leading educator of working journalists. He received many awards for his outstanding reporting and leadership in journalism and was highly regarded by his colleagues and those he covered.

At his last broadcast, Marlow said: "You may have heard and you may have cheered that it's my final broadcast, and I hope I'm glad to be here."

References

External links