Famous 20th Century TV Anchors

TV personality, musician, and author, Fred Rogers, is best remembered for hosting the preschool TV series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran for over 30 years, from 1968 to 2001. His work was widely lauded and he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Besides his TV career, he was also an ordained Presbyterian minister.

The founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Martha Stewart has found success with several business ventures. She is also the publisher of a magazine called Martha Stewart Living and has written many bestselling books. Although she was convicted of charges pertaining to the ImClone stock trading case, she made a comeback and became chairwoman of her company.

Ryan Seacrest is an American television host, radio personality, and producer. He gained national recognition after hosting the popular singing competition TV series, American Idol. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Seacrest established the Ryan Seacrest Foundation in 2010. He is also credited with producing a men's skincare line called Polished.

Known for her stints on Fox News and CBS News, TV journalist Gretchen Carlson made headlines when she accused Fox CEO Roger Ailes of having sexually harassed her earlier, eventually causing him to resign. The former Miss America is also a skilled classical violinist and a Juilliard alumna.

As one of the leading television journalists for the past 10 years, Anderson Cooper has played a prominent role in influencing several important events in the United States of America. An openly gay man, Anderson Cooper has also served as an inspiration to the entire LGBTQ community.

Barbara Walters is an American retired television personality and broadcast journalist. Renowned for her popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as the host of several popular TV shows. A pioneer for women in broadcasting, Walters became the first woman to co-host shows like Today and ABC Evening News. In 1996, she was named in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars list.

George Stephanopoulos is an American political commentator and TV host. Currently serving as the chief anchor for ABC News, Stephanopoulos plays an important role in deciding the format of shows like Good Morning America. A well-known figure in popular culture, Stephanopoulos inspired the character of Henry Burton in the novel Primary Colors, which was later adapted into a film.

NBC News anchor and broadcast journalist Savannah Guthrie is best known for co-anchoring the show Today. She appeared in the series finale of 30 Rock. She has penned two children’s books, too. She is also a practicing lawyer and has worked with domestic abuse victims.

Gayle King is an American author and TV personality. Since 2012, King has been co-hosting CBS News' popular program, CBS This Morning. She has also been serving as CBS News' broadcast journalist. Also an editor-at-large for the famous O, The Oprah Magazine, King was included in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in 2019.

Lauren Sánchez is a news anchor who has won an Emmy Award for her work. Apart from being a news anchor, Sánchez is also an actress, pilot, and entrepreneur. She is credited with founding the first female-owned aerial production company, Black Ops Aviation. Also known for her good looks, Sánchez has been featured in lists like People's 50 Most Beautiful.

Lara Logan is a South African radio and television journalist. She has also worked as a war correspondent; in 2001, she interviewed General Babajan after successfully infiltrating the American-British-backed Northern Alliance at the Bagram Air Base. Over the years Lara Logan has worked for popular news channels like CBS News and Fox Nation. 

Lester Holt is an American journalist who is the face of 'NBC News' since 2000. He hosts and co-hosts some of NBC's important programs, such as Dateline NBC and NBC Nightly News. In 1990, he was honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his work. In 2015, he was made an inductee of the California Hall of Fame.

A former basketball and tennis player, Rubin Roberts began her career as a sports anchor and reporter for a Mississippi channel, WDAM-TV, eventually joining ESPN as sportscaster, concurrently serving as a featured reporter for Good Morning America. In 2005, she left ESPN to become a co-anchor for Good Morning America, currently serving as an anchor for the same program.

Shepard Smith is a broadcast journalist who played a major role in upholding the reputation of Fox News Channel during his 23-year career at Fox. He currently works for CNBC, serving as the chief general news anchor of the channel. An openly gay man, Shepard Smith serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community.

Mel B is an English television personality and singer-songwriter. She gained international recognition as part of the popular pop girl group Spice Girls, which has sold more than 85 million records. Over the years, Mel B has been an important TV personality, appearing in several reality series as a participant as well as a judge.

Peabody-winner Chris Cuomo, best known for hosting the CNN morning show, has also been associated with Fox and the show 20/20. His work on the ABC show Good Morning America won him an Emmy. He has covered sensitive issues such as heroin addiction and the war on terror, with finesse. 

Canadian-American journalist Peter Jennings is best remembered for his stint on ABC World News Tonight, as its sole anchor. A high-school drop-out, Jennings became one of the U.S.’s Big Three news anchors, along with Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather. He was known for his meticulous coverage of breaking news stories.

Journalist, Chris Wallace ,is best known for his stint as the TV news anchor of the Fox News program Fox News Sunday. As an ambitious young man, he graduated from Harvard University and became a broadcast journalist. Over the years, he gained fame for his tough and wide-ranging interviews. He is the recipient of a Paul White lifetime achievement award.

Born to a Japanese mother and an American father, journalist Ann Curry is best known for her extensive war reporting and has covered disturbances from areas such as Syria and Afghanistan. The Emmy Award-winning journalist has had a long stint on NBC. She also supports cancer research.

Lawyer Greta Van Susteren gained fame as an anchor for CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. She is best known for her 14-year stint on Fox News's On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren and for MSNBC’s For the Record with Greta. She was named one of Forbes's most powerful women.

Denise van Outen is an English actress, dancer, singer, and presenter. She is known for presenting the TV show, The Big Breakfast, and for competing in the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing where she finished as runner-up. Also known for her humanitarian work, Denise supports charity organizations, such as Breast Cancer Care and Comic Relief.

Michelle Beadle is a sports reporter best known for her association with the popular cable sports channel, ESPN. Over the years, she has hosted important shows for various networks, including ESPN. Apart from being a sports reporter, Michelle Beadle has also been a Red Carpet reporter for popular shows like Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Tony Awards, and SAG Awards.

Lou Dobbs is an American author, political commentator, and former TV host. He is best known for hosting the popular political and financial talk program Lou Dobbs Tonight. For his immense contribution to television journalism, Dobbs has won major awards including an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He has also won the George Foster Peabody Award and Eugene Katz Award.

Chris Morris is an English actor and filmmaker. He is known for his deadpan dark humor and surrealism and often dabbles in controversial subjects in his works. Along with radio producer Armando Iannucci, he created the TV show The Day Today, which went on to be hailed as one of the most important satirical shows of the 1990s. 

British journalist, documentary filmmaker, and newsreader Emily Maitlis is currently the lead anchor of BBC Two's news and current affairs program Newsnight. An alumnus of the Queens' College, Cambridge, she began her career as a documentary filmmaker before moving to broadcast journalism. She built a successful career, becoming one of the highest-paid BBC news and current affairs staff.