Who Exactly Is Rich Koz?
Rich Koz is an American actor and television program presenter best known for his role as Svengoolie in the TV show “Son of Svengoolie,” which aired from 1978 to 1982 and then again in 1995 under the name “Svengoolie,” among countless other contributions to the show business sector.
Wikimedia Commons Has A Page Dedicated To Rich Koz’s Age, Childhood, And Education.
Rich Koz(Pinterest)Rich Koz was born on March 12, 1952, in Park Ridge, Illinois, USA. He hasn’t revealed anything about his childhood, including the names of his parents. He attended Northwestern University after high school and graduated with a degree in communications.
Career
Rich began his career at his hometown’s high school radio station, WMTH-FM Maine East. He eventually drew the notice of Jerry G. Bishop, the original Svengoolie and host of the show “Screaming Yellow Theatre.” Rich began sending content for the show and was soon officially called up to the show. Rich grabbed every opportunity that came his way, and they worked together on the show until it was discontinued in 1973.
Nonetheless, their partnership did not end there, as the two began working on their show, which aired in the mornings on WMAQ radio in Chicago.
Rich also began working on commercials and syndicated features with radio great Dick Orkin, such as “Chicken Man Returns for the Last Time Again.”
Bishop left Chicago for San Diego in 1978, but not before striking a deal with Rich to allow the latter to launch his show, “Son of Svengoolie.” The show debuted on WFLD-TV in 1979 and ran through 1986 in its inaugural season. The show garnered Rich a slew of local Emmys during its run, and it was syndicated to Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, and San Francisco.
However, when the station’s ownership changed, the new owner, Rupert Murdoch, and his subsidiary Fox News withdrew Rich Koz from the program.
“Koz Zone”
Rich returned to WFLD, which is now Fox 32, three years later, but with a new name and a new show. They didn’t have a name for the new venture at first, but those who wanted to write were told to submit them to “Lose Weight by Selling Real Estate, No Money Down.” The show contained cartoons, with Koz hosting and performing sketch comedy segments that would be broadcast in the middle of the cartoon.
Rich’s next local Emmy winner came from the show, which became known as “Koz Zone for Kids.” In addition, he hosted the WCKG radio morning show and co-hosted live 4th of July and New Year’s Eve programs, while simultaneously working as the weekend and fill-in weather anchor for Fox 32 News.
Ascend To Prominence
Rich was chosen as one of the faces of the independent station WCIU-TV, channel 26 when Svengoolie returned to the screen in 1995.
Before starting the show, he got permission from the original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, to use the moniker “Svengoolie.” The show continued in its previous structure, with Rich airing B-production horror and sci-fi films and making comic comments, and offering knowledge about the films. He was getting more popular with every new show, collecting regional Emmy awards, while he has also been accepted to the NATAS/Emmy “Siler Circle” for “outstanding achievements to Chicago television.
Among the films he aired that helped him achieve the stardom he has today are “Creature from the Black Lagoon” 1954, “Revenge of the Creature” (1955), “Creature with the Atom Brain” (1955), and “The Birds” (1963). In addition to Emmys, he has eight Rondo Statuette Awards, which he received for being the Favorite Horror Host at the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Rich has hosted over 165 episodes since the first on WCIU-TV, and since 2011, his show has been shown on the popular MeTV vintage TV network, which has further boosted his popularity.
Rich Koz’s Net Worth, Height, Weight, And Personality
Rich Koz is a successful TV program host and one of the horror genre’s legends. His net worth has grown significantly, and Rich Koz’s wealth is anticipated to be around $3 million as of mid-2020, according to sources.
Rich is 6ft (1.85m) tall, although his weight has not been revealed in the media. His eyes are brown, and his hair is dark brown.
Personal Life Of Rich Koz, Marriage, Wife, And Children
Rich Koz(Pinterest)Rich, despite his constant presence on television, hasn’t revealed much about his personal life, preferring to concentrate on his career. He does, however, have a wife, albeit he has never revealed her name.
She was the one who saved him in 2012 when he had a heart attack; she contacted the paramedics, and he was brought to the hospital, where he eventually came out after being evaluated. He had his first heart attack in 2002 and returned to work after two months.
The Rich Koz Legacy
Rich has become a Chicago legend, and in addition to receiving the Silver Circle, he is honored every Halloween in Chicago since 2014, when the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago declared Rich Koz/Svengoolie Day. In 2019, he was also awarded by the Museum of Broadcast Communications.