Maurice Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American retired television personality, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show Maury which aired from 1991 to 2022. Povich began his career as a radio reporter, initially at WWDC. In the late 1980s, he gained national fame as the host of tabloid infotainment TV show A Current Affair, based at Fox's New York flagship station WNYW. In 1991 he co-produced his own show The Maury Povich Show, which in 1998 was rebranded as Maury. Early life and education Povich was born on January 17, 1939, into a Jewish family in Washington, D.C., the second of three children born to Ethyl (née Friedman) and Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Lewis Povich. His paternal grandfather, Nathan Povich, emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1878 at age 12. Maury graduated from the Landon School in 1957, and from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 with a degree in television journalism. Career 1962–1986 Not long after graduation, Povich got his first job on Washington radio station WWDC, where he did publicity and worked as a reporter. By 1966, he was a news reporter and sportscaster for WTTG, the independent station owned by Metromedia. In 1967, he became the original co-host of the station's popular midday talk show, Panorama, which brought the rising star widespread acclaim and national recognition. Seeking to further his career, Povich left Washington in late 1976 for what would become a series of high-profile, short-lived television jobs, beginning with WMAQ-TV in Chicago in January 1977. Hired to co-anchor evening newscasts, he joined the NBC-owned station to much fanfare—ahead of his arrival, WMAQ-TV produced promotions featuring testimonials from U.S. senator Hubert Humphrey and actress Carol Channing, among others, touting Povich's credentials. But Povich left after only eight months when, after being promised a long-term contract, the station's management failed to present him one. Povich then headed to CBS-owned KNXT in Los Angeles—where he co-anchored alongside Connie Chung—but was ousted after a six-month stint following a change in the station's news management. Povich moved next to San Francisco, where he co-hosted AM San Francisco and co-anchored news for ABC-owned KGO-TV. Povich returned to the East Coast in April 1980, when Group W–owned KYW-TV in Philadelphia hired him to anchor newscasts and host AM/PM, a midday audience-participation talk show which, in February 1981 would be retitled People Are Talking. He departed KYW-TV after