Bob Barker Announces Retirement

Zap2It.com | October 31, 2006
Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Discuss this story now

'Price Is Right' host will step down in June

The final Plinko tile is soon to fall in Bob Barker's storied career.

CBS confirmed on Tuesday (Oct. 31) that Barker will retire in June, ending a storied 50 years on television.

Barker turns 83 in December and the celebrated host had been talking about retirement for at least a decade.

"We knew this day would come, but that doesn't make it any easier," says Leslie Moonves, president and CEO, CBS Corporation, in a network statement. "Bob Barker is a daytime legend, an entertainment icon and one of the most beloved television personalities of our time. His contribution and loyalty to this Network is immeasurable."

Barker was previously best known for hosting duties on shows like "Truth and Consequences" when he began hosting "The Price Is Right" on Sept. 4, 1972. In his time as host, Barker earned 13 individual Emmys and three Emmys as one of the show's producers. He received a Daytime Television Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1999 and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in June 2004.

During that time, very little could keep Barker from his day job prodding college students and senior citizens to guess the prices of jet skis, common household items and new cars. In 2002, Barker even scheduled his elective prostate surgery for the show's hiatus so as not avoid missing shows.

Barker has acknowledged that the show's producers at Freemantle Media have been searching for his replacement for several years, but no official line of succession has been announced.

haydenpanettiere2_heroes_140

Greatest TV Character Poll

Vote for your favorite characters.


familyguy_140

Emmy Nominees List & Gallery

Find everything you need to know about the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards.


oliviamunn_140

Comic-Con 2009

Get all the latest Comic-Con news and pictures.


joshholloway_lost_s5_140

Get Zap2it Daily News Alerts & Updates

Sign up for our new daily e-mail newsletter so you'll always know what to watch and where to watch it.


chevychase_community_140

Fall TV Preview

What's new, what's coming back and what to watch.


jasonstackhouse_trueblood_140

Pick your favorite channels

Customize our TV listings to show only the channels you care about.

Find it fast

couples_retreat_300x125
 

What's On Tonight
Cleveland Show (FOX) Cleveland Show (FOX)

'80s musical duo Hall & Oates vocally guest star on a special Thanksgiving episode. 8:30 p.m. ET

TV Listings Guide

All Times Eastern

View Complete Guide to TV Listings




Too lazy to read our stories? Let News at Seven, a virtual broadcast created by Northwestern University's InfoLab, do it for you. It's not your average newscast.

Watch News at Seven now »
Let us know what you think »