Maury Povich Has Some Thoughts About The Media Business Today

Even though he has quite the legacy in covering major historical events in America and around the world throughout his long journalism career – from the Berlin Wall to John F. Kennedy’s funeral – media personality Maury Povich is still likely best known to most for revealing many paternity tests on The Maury Show, his daytime television talk show that aired from 1991 to 2022. Today, Povich, 86, has returned to the air waves in the form of a brand new weekly podcast titled On Par with Maury Povich.

Sitting down with the veteran journalist to discuss his pivot into this modern medium, I wondered what his career mindset is right now towards the podcast.

Povich said, “It’s very different for me because I always used to love to tell my friends when I stopped the talk show, my hero was Johnny Carson. When Johnny stopped his show, he was never to be seen again and I thought it was great. I thought I was going to do the same thing. Then, it’s like The Godfather 3 movie – just when I think I was out, they drag me back in. So, I’m here and I’m having a lot of fun. I don’t know if I like all of the stuff around the show. I like to learn about my guests and everything, but going back out, doing promotion, doing publicity, talking to people, doing that – I’ve been doing that for all my life, but doing [the podcast] is terrific. It’s like actors on-stage – they might not like the preparation of things, but they love doing it. They love being in front of people. I have that same feeling.”

On a recent podcast episode, with new episodes premiering on Mondays, Povich had his longtime wife and fellow notable news leader, Connie Chung, on as a guest. During the conversation, she brought up how many do not know or remember her husband’s media contributions throughout history – which Povich responded to her on the podcast by saying, “What have I always told you about all this stuff? As long as you know it, it’s okay.”

While reflecting upon his path in and around media, Povich said, “My father was the sports columnist of The Washington Post for 75 years, so I kind of learned journalism at his knee. He was always a spectacular observer and a great wordsmith, when it came to events. He would rather look at events in his own eyes. He didn’t rely on going to the locker room to find out what went through the pitcher’s head when someone hit it out of the park. It was the fact that what he saw when he hit it out of the park – that was more important than asking a pitcher what he pitched. And so, I always was a really good observer. I thought, even when I interview people, the two greatest compliments I could ever get from an interview are if somebody said – Wow, you know, nobody’s ever asked me that question – or they would say – Wow, that was so long ago. I can’t believe you dug that up. When you get those comments, you really feel good.”

Being arguably most iconic for his years revealing on The Maury Show whether a guest was or was not the father of a child through a paternity test, I was curious if Povich has come to embrace his most popular claim to fame, which has sometimes been seen with opposition.

“Absolutely, I embrace it,” Povich said. “I’ve had to answer from a lot of media critics over the years. Their biggest grievance was that I was exploiting people and I keep telling them – No, let me tell you what I’m doing. We all know that if a child grows up with two parents, instead of one parent, they’re going to have a better chance at life. All I’m trying to do – and by the way, maybe in a very sensational way, when somebody is denying being the parent of a child – I’m trying to get this guy in the life of that child, if he is the father. If he’s not the father, guess what? He can then relax and go on with his life. So, I hang my hat on that kind of feeling about the show. I defend it in every way. I think most people, even if they think of it as entertainment, underneath, they understand what I’m doing.”

In his own life, Povich is not only a father of three, but he is also a grandfather and mentions the possibility of soon becoming a great-grandparent, as one of his granddaughters will be getting married this fall. So, what exactly are Povich’s top priorities today alongside his family?

“I think what I’m really proud of, in terms of my children and my wife, is that my two daughters, who are much older than our son – one is in their late 50s, one is in her early 60s. They have two kids each, so I have four grandchildren. Then, I’ve got our son, who’s going to be 30. What I’m proud of, more than anything else, is they don’t have to worry about us – that we’re healthy and it’s not the kids becoming the parent of the parent. We’re not there yet – hopefully, we’ll never be there. I’m very proud that my kids don’t have to worry about us.”

With his extensive background within various media routes over the years, I wondered how Povich’s perception of journalism has perhaps evolved, and what he is liking and disliking about the ways in which we get our news today.

Povich said, “I do have a like and I’ll tell you about that in a moment, but I think a lot of us who started their careers in the 60s, 70s – even in the 80s – we can’t find it. It’s not there anymore, unfortunately. We’re at wit’s end as to what now is being taken as news and even how it’s gathered – and not only gathered, but then goes out, whether it be in print or whether it be on the air. I don’t think either Connie and I would fit today. I just don’t know whether we would have enough eyeballs watching us today because we’re from a different generation. We believe in observing things and giving out the news in a very balanced way – a way in which we are observers and we are not participants. I think it’s more difficult everyday.”

He added: “This is what I like, though. Local journalism is great. People who read the local papers or read them on their phones or whatever – local journalism hasn’t taken the hit that mainstream journalism has. I think we have to go back to that kind of journalism. The only other way is to get reborn again. I think that’s the silver lining to me in journalism, is what’s happening locally.”

Being a popular figure that we have come to know over the past few decades on our television screens, but seldom getting to really know the man himself, I decided to ask him – Who is Maury Povich in 2025? What brings you the most purpose and passion to your days lately?

“Well, I think more than anything else, I’m 86 – and I’m still as curious as I was at 26. If people want to stay young, boy – that’s a good way to start. I mean, still be curious. Don’t shut off all these things. Ask questions still. Don’t stay silent. Do a lot of reading. I still read a lot. I read for fun and I’m still reading stuff from historical knowledge of two centuries ago. I’m still fascinated about life. I think that’s just a key.”

This week in Denver, Povich will appear during Season 11 of SeriesFest, a nonprofit and annual festival happening from April 29 through May 4. So, what does it mean to Povich to have a festival in existence like this, that celebrates and provides an elevated platform for both up-and-coming creatives and established professionals to get their episodic storytelling publicly recognized?

Povich said, “It’s a celebration of content on television in many ways, whether it be episodic, whether it be nonfiction – and now with podcasts. There’s going to be a lot of podcasters there. I’m anxious to go because I feel like a rookie. I was going to television conventions for 40-some years, but I’ve never gone this way. I’m the new guy on the block. I love it! I’m looking forward to it. We’re going to tape an episode of On Par with Maury Povich with who I consider to be a terrific journalist, Jessica Yellin, who was the former White House Correspondent for CNN and has a great podcast herself with a great name of News Not Noise.”

Circling back to Povich’s life alongside Chung, whom he married in 1984, I wondered how she continues to bring insight, value and joy to his world today.

“If I track my career, my whole national career, which is now 1986 on – it’s almost 40 years – it would have never happened without Connie. This crazy Australian, Rupert Murdoch, buys the Metromedia television stations – turns them into Fox. I’m told one night when I’m anchoring the local news in Washington that Mr. Murdoch wants to see me in New York. Connie and I have had a commuting marriage. She’s in New York – I’m in Washington. We see each other on weekends. I come up to New York in June of 1986. Murdoch, I’ve never met the man, brings me in. He introduces me to all these guys who are Australian. They were all producers of his and writers and reporters of his from Australia. They said – We’re going to do this show. I said – Okay – well what kind of show is it? He said – You’ll figure it out, mate. Not only that, you’ll come up here. We’ll start this show and if it doesn’t work out, you’ll go back to Washington. I said – What is this, summer camp? He says – We’ll see if it works and you also might as well find out if you can live with your wife. So, that was the June of 1986 and the show called A Current Affair started. It became a huge hit. I always say now that I’ve been held hostage in New York for 40 years.”

Beyond his current podcasting work for On Par with Maury Povich, are there other projects or industries that he still would like to tap into in the near future?

Povich said, “Well, I do have one that Connie and I started 17 years ago. You won’t believe this – we founded a newspaper in the state of Montana up in the Flathead Valley near Glacier National Park called The Flathead Beacon. It has won every editorial award in the state: the best weekly newspaper, the best website, the best seasonal magazine – this glossy thing called Flathead Living that comes out four times a year. I’m not saying it’s a critical success – a financial success? It’s still a work-in-progress. We had to go from print back to digital and now it’s a daily newspaper. The Flathead Beacon is thriving in that part of Montana. We’re very proud of it – and so, I spend a lot of time there.”

Concluding the conversation with a familiar face and voice that so many of us have come to know over the years, I was curious what Povich is enjoying most about his life today, differently from in years past.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about going and doing this [The Maury Show] every single week, that I did for three and four days a week. I don’t have to worry about basically being responsible for a 100-person staff. I think if I miss anything in the talk show, it’s that most of those staff members were with me for 20 and 30 years. I saw their kids grow up – and because of the show, they were able to send their kids to school. They were able to have health benefits. They were able to do everything that they ever wanted to do. They were able to own homes and create terrific families. I miss that a lot.”