RADIO AND TV HOST JOE FRANK DIES AT 88

Radio and television host, Joe Franklin died
Saturday of prostate cancer. He was 88.
Joseph was born in The Bronx, N.Y. He began
working behind the scenes on entertainment shows
as a teenager. He officially launched his broadcast

career in the 1950s and, as the host of The Joe
Franklin Show, was a pioneer in creating what is
now the common TV talk show format (sitting
behind a desk conducting interviews).
His more notable celebrity guests included Marilyn
Monroe and Madonna, as well as Bruce
Springsteen and Al Pacino when they were “up-
and-comers.”
Late Joe Franklin is listed in the Guinness Book of
World Records as the longest-running continuous
on-air TV talk show host.
Franklin was also impersonated by Billy Crystal on
Saturday Night Live.
After leaving television, Franklin focused on radio
and could be heard daily on the Bloomberg Radio
Network.