George Putnam, real-life Ted Baxter, dies at 94

George Putnam, a long-time Los Angeles newscaster died at 94. He was the person who inspired the character Ted Baxter on the "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." The Los Angeles Daily News reported: "In a 1981 interview, (actor Ted) Knight recalled encountering Putnam at a banquet, where the newsman said to him, 'Hey, Ted, why don't you get your own act?' "

According to the Los Angeles Times:

Putnam did his last regular broadcast May 8 but returned July 14 for a one-hour broadcast marking his 94th birthday, during which he fielded phone calls from well-wishers, including actress Doris Day.

When Putnam was working for NBC in New York City in the early 1940s, influential newspaper columnist Walter Winchell declared that "George Putnam's voice is the greatest in radio."

But it was on television in Los Angeles a decade later that the tall, wavy-haired broadcaster with the rich baritone voice made his biggest mark.

Putnam won three Emmys. He died last Friday -- Sept. 12, 2008. He hosted the famous documentary "Perversion for Profit." A classic anti-porn flick. Here's a two-minute clip below. This was made in 1965. He said that 75-90 percent of all porn ended up in the hands of youths -- aka you way back in 1965. He was trying to save you. Enjoy.



If you are seeking a hearty laugh, here is a link to a nine-minute clip, which is totally funny. He talks about "girlie magazines," which he says contain "stark nudity on slick paper," and says these publications have women posing nude in positions "obviously calculated to simulate the reader." Seriously, this nine-minute clip is a hoot. In fact, he finds it very interesting that blind people tend not to join nudist colonies. Munch on that one for awhile. Yeah.

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