David Horowitz will not be fighting back anymore...dead at 81
David Horowitz, the creator and host of the popular Fight Back! news segments and programs that went to bat for consumers, has died. He was 81.
Horowitz died Thursday in Los Angeles from complications related to dementia, a family spokesman announced.
A 15-time Emmy Award winner, Horowitz confronted companies and investigated defective products and false claims for everyday people. He spent two decades at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles before moving to KCBS-TV starting in 1993, and his syndicated Fight Back! With David Horowitz was on the air for 18 years in more than 60 markets.
Horowitz was the Today show's consumer correspondent for eight years, and he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson more than 40 times. One of Carson's recurring characters was "David Howitzer, Consumer Supporter," and that gained him a legion of fans.
Horowitz also appeared as himself on episodes of such shows as Silver Spoons, ALF, The Golden Girls and Saved by the Bell.
While live on the air during a KNBC 4 p.m. newscast in August 1987, Horowitz was taken hostage and forced to read a long letter by a deranged man who appeared to be wielding a loaded gun. He remained calm, and it turned out the gun was a toy replica.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 21, 2019 10:00 PM
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Does someone know if he was an EGOT?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | February 20, 2019 12:43 AM
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He was the good David Horowitz.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | February 20, 2019 12:53 AM
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Exactly my thought, R2. I was actually hoping that's who it was.
RIP, Mr. Fight Back
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 20, 2019 1:02 AM
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On August 19, 1987, during KNBC's 4 p.m. newscast, a gun-wielding mental patient identifying himself as "Gary" got into the NBC Studios in Burbank, California, as a guest of an employee on the set and took Horowitz hostage live on the air. With the gun pressed on his side, Horowitz calmly read the gunman's statements on camera; unbeknownst to the gunman, the news feed had been taken off the air. The unidentified man revealed at the end of his statement that the gun was an empty BB gun, and set the gun down on the newsdesk, at which point anchorman John Beard quickly confiscated it. It led Horowitz to start a successful campaign to help ban "look-alike" toy guns in several states, including California and New York
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 20, 2019 7:24 AM
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He remained amazingly composed.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 20, 2019 7:43 AM
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I LOVED watching David Horowtiz' syndicated Fight Back! in the '80s. He was a consumer advocate who seemed to actually care. And you got the sense he could never be bought off. Great respect for him.
A couple years earlier, there was an even more harrowing local news live on air hostage situation, only it was in Phoenix, AZ. These poor news anchors were held at gunpoint for 4.5 hours. Anchor Bill Close too charge, and went live on air to read the gunman's rantings, with a gun pointed at his back. Bill Close is a real hero. As soon as he talked the gunman into handing over the gun, of course he called his wife and children off-air.
About 20 minutes later (39:32 on the YouTube video) he was back on the air live, recounting the entire situation to the anchor woman. Bill was matter of fact, and clear headed. Had a firm grasp of the situation, and wasn't emotional about it in the least.
I have to say, they don't make men like that anymore. Myself included.
Watch this video. It's harrowing, shocking, and oddly entertaining, because we know the outcome. No one is hurt.
Anyway, Rest in Peace David Horowitz, and thank you for all the good you did with your time here among us.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 20, 2019 7:56 AM
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Condolences to his daughter Cher.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | February 21, 2019 12:02 AM
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I liked Fight Back, which was produced by zany, syndicated record hop show host Lloyd Thaxton. It could be funny at times, but Horowitz's delivery to camera seems sort of wooden in this old show, though.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 21, 2019 4:37 AM
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Didn't Lloyd play disgusting cook "Dirty Moore" on the show?
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 21, 2019 6:09 PM
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I recall his guest turn on silver spoons fondly
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 21, 2019 10:00 PM
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