Who is Rich Koz?
Rich Koz is an American actor and television host, best known to the world as Svengoolie on the television show “Son of Svengoolie”, which first aired from 1978 to 1982 and then began again in 1995 as “Svengoolie”. , among many other contributions to the entertainment industry.
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Rich Koz Wiki – Age, Childhood & Upbringing
Born Richard Koz on March 12, 1952 in Park Ridge, Illinois USA, he hasn’t shared anything about his childhood, not even his parents’ names. After high school, he enrolled at Northwestern University, where he earned a degree in communications.
Today at 11 a.m. watch the 1955 horror film, Creature with the Atom Brain, with @Svengoolie on The U! #Svengoolie pic.twitter.com/2hqo0iwUBy
— WCIU, The U (@wciu) August 15, 2020
Carrier start
Rich began his career at the high school radio station, WMTH-FM in Maine East in his hometown. After a while, he caught the eye of Jerry G. Bishop, the first Svengoolie and the host of the “Screaming Yellow Theater” show. Rich began submitting content for the show, and within a short time, he was officially called to the show. A great honor, Rich took every opportunity that came his way and they worked on the show together until it was canceled in 1973.
However, that didn’t cut the chord on their collaboration, as the two began working on their own show, which airs on WMAQ radio in Chicago in the mornings.
Additionally, Rich also began working on commercials and syndicated feature films with radio legend Dick Orkin, such as “Chicken Man Returns for the Last Time Again.”
His colleague Bishop left Chicago for San Diego in 1978, but before leaving, he made a deal with Rich so that the latter could put on his own show “Son of Svengoolie”. The show debuted in 1979 on WFLD-TV, and in its first run lasted until 1986. Over the years it aired, the show won Rich a bunch of local Emmys, and she was unionized in Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit and San Francisco too.
However, when the station’s ownership changed, Rich Koz was dropped from the program by the new owner was Rupert Murdoch and his Fox News affiliate.
“The Koz Zone”
Three years later, Rich returned to WFLD, which is now Fox 32, but under the new name and new show. At first, they didn’t have a name for the new creation, but fans who wanted to send letters were asked to send in “Lose Weight by Selling Real Estate, No Money Down.” The show featured cartoons, with Koz the show’s host, and performed comedy sketches that would be played in the middle of the cartoon.
The show eventually became known as “Koz Zone for Kids”, winning Rich his next local Emmy award. Additionally, he was the host of the morning show on WCKG radio and co-hosted live 4th of July and New Years programming, while also being hired as a weekend weather forecaster and replacement for Fox 32 News.
Access to notoriety
Svengoolie returned to the screen in 1995 and Rich was selected as one of the faces of independent station WCIU-TV, channel 26.
Prior to launching the show, he received permission from the original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, to begin using the name “Svengoolie”. The show continued in its old format – Rich aired B-production horror and sci-fi films, and during the broadcast he made comedic commentary and offered trivia related to the film. He was growing in popularity with each new show, winning regional Emmy awards, while he was also inducted into the NATAS/Emmy “Siler Circle” for his “Outstanding Contributions to Chicago Television”.
Some of the films he released that helped him achieve the stardom he enjoys today are 1954’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Revenge of the Creature” (1955), “Creature with the Atom Brain” (1955), “The Birds” (1963), among many others. In addition to Emmys, he also has eight Rondo Statuette Awards, won for Favorite Horror Host and awarded by the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Since the first episode on WCIU-TV, Rich has hosted over 165 episodes, and starting in 2011, his show was also aired on the popular classic television network MeTV, which only increased his popularity.
Net worth, height, weight and appearance of Rich Koz
Rich Koz was a successful TV show host and is one of the legends of the horror genre. His net worth has increased significantly, and according to sources, Rich Koz’s wealth is estimated to be around $3 million as of mid-2020.
Rich is 6ft (1.85m), but his weight is unknown in the media. His eyes are brown and he has dark brown hair.
Rich Koz Personal life, marriage, wife, children
Rich, though continually on the small screens, hasn’t spoken much about his personal life, instead focusing on his work. However, it is known that he has a wife, although he has never revealed her name.
She was the one who saved him in 2012 when he had a heart attack; she called paramedics and he was rushed to hospital and eventually discharged after bypass surgery, after being initially examined. He suffered his first heart attack in 2002, but returned to work in just two months.
Rich Koz’s Legacy
Rich has become a Chicago legend, and in addition to being awarded the Silver Circle, he has been celebrated every Halloween beginning in 2014 in Chicago, ever since the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago declared him Rich Koz/Svengoolie Day. Additionally, he was honored by the Museum of Broadcast Communications in 2019.
