Maurice "Bud" Rifkin, Producer/Syndicator, 88

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/News/09/26/obit.rifkin.reut/index.html

September 26, 2001 Posted: 9:54 AM EDT (1354 GMT)

>From staff and wire reports

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Maurice "Bud" Rifkin, a producer and syndicator of radio and television programs, including "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" and the "National Geographic Specials," has died, relatives said. He was 88. 

Rifkin, who also pioneered what he called "documatics," combining fact with fictional story lines, died of cancer September 4 in Beverly Hills, his wife, Tedde, told the Los Angeles Times. 

A native of Ohio, Rifkin began his career in a small advertising agency and joined a Youngstown, Ohio, radio station to sell commercials. In 1938 he helped Frederic W. Ziv to syndicate radio shows, including "The Guy Lombardo Show," before moving to New York in 1946. There he helped the Ziv companies -- which later became United Artists Television -- develop the medium of television. 

During the 1950s and early '60s, Rifkin distributed some 35 major syndicated series, including Lloyd Bridges' innovative underwater adventure "Sea Hunt" and "Science Fiction Theater." 

In 1966 he joined Wolper Productions, which later became Metromedia Producers Corp., and was the company's president. 

Among Metromedia's most popular programs were the documentary series charting the underwater explorations of Jacques-Ives Cousteau and the "National Geographic Specials." Both were successful for infusing nonfiction with a sense of drama to bring documentaries into the realm of entertainment programming. 

"People want to know about things," Rifkin told the Times in 1969 during a discussion of the advent of the docudrama. "When we started 'National Geographic,' they said, 'Who'll watch it? The National Geographic is something you find in dentists' offices. But the ratings are phenomenal." 

Rifkin also foresaw the future expansion of syndication as well as the advent of cable television, and continued working throughout his career to ensure his company evolved to serve specialized and changing markets. 

He is survived by his wife and two daughters. 

Copyright 2001 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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