One Of CBS Television’s First Game Show Hosts…John Reed King

Pictured here is John Reed King hosting ‘It’s A Gift’. There’s a good chance this photo was taken the night of the show’s debut, January 29, 1946 in what is probably CBS Studio 42 at Grand Central Terminal.

This television story actually starts two years earlier. One of, if not the first, CBS television game show was ‘Missus’ Goes – A – Shopping’ which debuted the evening of August 3, 1944. King was the host of that show too, on radio and on television. When ‘Missus’ left the air, it was replaced by ‘It’s A Gift’ on January 29, 1946.

With King as host, ‘Missus Goes A-Shopping’ ran on CBS Radio from February of 1941 till December of 1951. Bud Collier took over the radio show when King took it to television. In 1952, Bill Cullen was his announcer and on camera assistant on ‘Give And Take’.

In addition to his radio and television quiz shows, Mr. King was also notable as the voice of many Paramount newsreels, and for a time he was coordinating producer of the series. His voice can often be heard on the Turner Movie Classics cable network when the movie newsreels are replayed from time to time.

One of John’s best known roles in radio was as the star of ‘Sky King’. In television, he is celebrated as the producer of one of the most popular series of the late 1950’s, ‘Death Valley Days’, which featured, among other hosts, Ronald Reagan.

From 1933 to 1936, while attending Princeton University, King broadcast news for the CBS network in New York. During World War II, King worked in Europe with CBS newsmen Edward R. Murrow and Robert Trout. At the height of the hostilities, King narrated a weekly news show in French beamed into occupied France. In later life, he retired to Fresno, California but kept his hand in the advertising business. Mr. King died in 1979. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

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