Rich Koz (born March 12, 1952) is an American actor and broadcaster
best known as horror-movie host Svengoolie and his early '90s
children's cartoon showcase The Koz Zone. Out of costume, he is also
the host of the syndicated The Three Stooges Stooge-a-Palooza
program.Koz got his start in broadcasting at WMTH-FM, the high school
radio station at Maine East in Park Ridge, Illinois. While Koz was at
Northwestern University, he sent the original Svengoolie, Jerry G.
Bishop, material for the horror-movie program. Bishop subsequently
invited Koz to join the show's staff. When the show was cancelled in
1973, Bishop and Koz worked together doing mornings on WMAQ radio in
Chicago, and Koz worked with radio legend Dick Orkin on commercials
and syndicated features, including "ChickenMan Returns for the Last
Time Again." When Bishop left for San Diego in 1978, he gave Koz
permission to create a show known as Son of Svengoolie, now simply
known as Svengoolie. (The character is often known simply as
"Sven.")In June 1979, on WFLD-TV Ch. 32, Koz began as Son of
Svengoolie, winning numerous local Emmy awards, and having his show
syndicated to Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, and San Francisco for a
brief period. In 1986, after the station was acquired by the News
Corporation, WFLD canceled Svengoolie, believing the show not
dignified for a network affiliate. Koz did some freelance radio,
including stints as a fill-in at WGN radio.From 1989 to 1993, Koz
returned to WFLD (now "Fox 32") to host a new hosted movie show where
he appeared to be "breaking in" to the Fox signal (a take-off of an
actual event where WGN and WTTW had their signals pirated). The show
was originally untitled, but viewers were asked to address letters to
"Lose Weight by Selling Real Estate, No Money Down" until the show
adopted the name The Koz Zone. The show featured cartoons presented by
Koz, interspersed by sketch comedy bits. This show won Koz his next
local Emmy, and later became the daily Koz Zone for Kids. Koz also did
mornings on WCKG radio for a brief period, co-hosted live 4 July and
New Year's Eve programming, and became weekend and fill-in weather
anchor for Fox 32 News.
best known as horror-movie host Svengoolie and his early '90s
children's cartoon showcase The Koz Zone. Out of costume, he is also
the host of the syndicated The Three Stooges Stooge-a-Palooza
program.Koz got his start in broadcasting at WMTH-FM, the high school
radio station at Maine East in Park Ridge, Illinois. While Koz was at
Northwestern University, he sent the original Svengoolie, Jerry G.
Bishop, material for the horror-movie program. Bishop subsequently
invited Koz to join the show's staff. When the show was cancelled in
1973, Bishop and Koz worked together doing mornings on WMAQ radio in
Chicago, and Koz worked with radio legend Dick Orkin on commercials
and syndicated features, including "ChickenMan Returns for the Last
Time Again." When Bishop left for San Diego in 1978, he gave Koz
permission to create a show known as Son of Svengoolie, now simply
known as Svengoolie. (The character is often known simply as
"Sven.")In June 1979, on WFLD-TV Ch. 32, Koz began as Son of
Svengoolie, winning numerous local Emmy awards, and having his show
syndicated to Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, and San Francisco for a
brief period. In 1986, after the station was acquired by the News
Corporation, WFLD canceled Svengoolie, believing the show not
dignified for a network affiliate. Koz did some freelance radio,
including stints as a fill-in at WGN radio.From 1989 to 1993, Koz
returned to WFLD (now "Fox 32") to host a new hosted movie show where
he appeared to be "breaking in" to the Fox signal (a take-off of an
actual event where WGN and WTTW had their signals pirated). The show
was originally untitled, but viewers were asked to address letters to
"Lose Weight by Selling Real Estate, No Money Down" until the show
adopted the name The Koz Zone. The show featured cartoons presented by
Koz, interspersed by sketch comedy bits. This show won Koz his next
local Emmy, and later became the daily Koz Zone for Kids. Koz also did
mornings on WCKG radio for a brief period, co-hosted live 4 July and
New Year's Eve programming, and became weekend and fill-in weather
anchor for Fox 32 News.
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