Jack Ford (news anchor)
Encyclopedia
Jack Ford is an American
television news personality specializing in legal commentary who has spent over two decades in front of the TV camera as host and presenter of numerous information and entertainment programs.
, Ford attended Point Pleasant Beach High School
. He played football and graduated from Yale University
. He also earned a law degree from Fordham University School of Law
. He subsequently spent three years as a prosecutor in New Jersey, before beginning his own private practice as a lawyer. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at Fordham Law School.
as its legal commentator and joined Courtroom Television Network
upon its launch on July 1, 1991. He moved to NBC News
in 1994 as the chief legal correspondent and succeeded Mike Schneider as the co-anchor with Giselle Fernandez
of the network's morning show Weekend Today
in May 1995. He continued to host the show with Jodi Applegate
from 1996 to April 1999 and with Soledad O'Brien
from April to July 1999. That year he was named "Sexiest News Anchor" by People
magazine.
In September 1999, Ford joined ABC News
and became a correspondent for 20/20 and Good Morning America
. On December 31, 1999, he was in Times Square
as part of ABC 2000 Today
, the network's 23-hour worldwide coverage of the Millennium, hosted by Peter Jennings
. During ABC's coverage of the millennium, both he and Dick Clark counted down the final minutes until 2000 arrived in Times Square. Ford was the moderator of ESPN
's The Sports Reporters
from 2002 to 2003 and co-hosted the short-lived syndicated talk show Living It Up! With Ali & Jack
, which premiered on September 15, 2003. Produced at the CBS Broadcast Center
in New York, the program, with "Ali", (actress Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth
), started with high ratings, but quickly lost ground and terminated production after seven months, although repeats continued for another four months, to August 2004.
In June 2004, Ford returned to Court TV (now truTV) and on January 17, 2006 began co-hosting, with Ashleigh Banfield
the two-hour daily afternoon program Banfield & Ford: Courtside. Since 2009 he has been a CBS News Legal Analyst. He has been a Visiting Lecturer at Yale University, teaching an undergraduate seminar entitled "Trials of the Century," since 2007.
He is the author of "The Osiris Alliance" (2009), a suspense novel about nuclear smuggling.
He has received two Emmy Award
s, a Peabody Award
, an American Radio and Television Award, a National Headliner Award, and the March of Dimes
FDR Award.
Ford resides in Spring Lake, New Jersey
with his wife and two children. He was a contestant on the original version of Jeopardy!
with Art Fleming
, winning three games.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television news personality specializing in legal commentary who has spent over two decades in front of the TV camera as host and presenter of numerous information and entertainment programs.
Early life
Raised by a single parent in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Ford attended Point Pleasant Beach High School
Point Pleasant Beach High School
Point Pleasant Beach High School is a four-year, comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Point Pleasant Beach School District...
. He played football and graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He also earned a law degree from Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law is a part of Fordham University in the United States. The School is located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city.-Overview:According to the U.S. News & World Report, 1,516 J.D. students attend...
. He subsequently spent three years as a prosecutor in New Jersey, before beginning his own private practice as a lawyer. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at Fordham Law School.
Career
In 1984, Ford was hired by WCBS-TVWCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
as its legal commentator and joined Courtroom Television Network
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
upon its launch on July 1, 1991. He moved to NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
in 1994 as the chief legal correspondent and succeeded Mike Schneider as the co-anchor with Giselle Fernandez
Giselle Fernández
-External links:...
of the network's morning show Weekend Today
Weekend Today
Weekend Today is the unofficial title of the weekend editions of Today, an American morning news and talk show which airs daily on NBC.-History:...
in May 1995. He continued to host the show with Jodi Applegate
Jodi Applegate
Jodi Applegate is an American news anchor for WPIX New York. She formerly anchored WNYW-TV's Good Day New York and News 12 Long Island.-Life and career:...
from 1996 to April 1999 and with Soledad O'Brien
Soledad O'Brien
María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien is an American Broadcast journalist. She is currently the host of the "In America" documentary unit on CNN, and is best known for anchoring the CNN marquee morning newscast American Morning from July 2003 to April 2007, with Miles O'Brien...
from April to July 1999. That year he was named "Sexiest News Anchor" by People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine.
In September 1999, Ford joined ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
and became a correspondent for 20/20 and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. On December 31, 1999, he was in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
as part of ABC 2000 Today
ABC 2000 Today
ABC 2000 Today was ABC News's coverage of the turn of the millennium from December 31, 1999 into January 1, 2000. Part of the 2000 Today programming in the United States, Peter Jennings anchored the 23 hours and 10 minutes of broadcast in Times Square Studios in Manhattan, New York...
, the network's 23-hour worldwide coverage of the Millennium, hosted by Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings
Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
. During ABC's coverage of the millennium, both he and Dick Clark counted down the final minutes until 2000 arrived in Times Square. Ford was the moderator of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's The Sports Reporters
The Sports Reporters
The Sports Reporters is a sports talk show that airs on ESPN at 9:30 a.m. ET every Sunday morning . It is broadcast from Bristol, Connecticut at the main ESPN studios. However, before 1999, it was broadcast from a studio in Manhattan. and from 1999-2010 it was recorded at the ESPN Zone at Times...
from 2002 to 2003 and co-hosted the short-lived syndicated talk show Living It Up! With Ali & Jack
Living It Up! With Ali & Jack
Living It Up! With Ali & Jack was a syndicated daytime television talk show show that aired from September 2003 to April 2004, hosted by Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth and Jack Ford, based out of New York City....
, which premiered on September 15, 2003. Produced at the CBS Broadcast Center
CBS Broadcast Center
The CBS Broadcast Center is a television and radio production facility located in New York City, New York. It is CBS's main East Coast production center, much as Television City in Los Angeles is the West Coast hub.-Overview:...
in New York, the program, with "Ali", (actress Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth is an American comedienne, actress and author who starred in Head Case on Starz.-Early life:...
), started with high ratings, but quickly lost ground and terminated production after seven months, although repeats continued for another four months, to August 2004.
In June 2004, Ford returned to Court TV (now truTV) and on January 17, 2006 began co-hosting, with Ashleigh Banfield
Ashleigh Banfield
Ashleigh Banfield is a Canadian-American journalist who as of 2010 hosts Disorder in the Court, Open Court and Hollywood Heat on Tru TV , where she reports on domestic and pop culture issues...
the two-hour daily afternoon program Banfield & Ford: Courtside. Since 2009 he has been a CBS News Legal Analyst. He has been a Visiting Lecturer at Yale University, teaching an undergraduate seminar entitled "Trials of the Century," since 2007.
He is the author of "The Osiris Alliance" (2009), a suspense novel about nuclear smuggling.
He has received two Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
, an American Radio and Television Award, a National Headliner Award, and the March of Dimes
March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
FDR Award.
Ford resides in Spring Lake, New Jersey
Spring Lake, New Jersey
Spring Lake is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,993....
with his wife and two children. He was a contestant on the original version of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
with Art Fleming
Art Fleming
Art Fleming was an American television host, most notably the original host of the TV game show Jeopardy!.-Early life:...
, winning three games.