Think of some of the most iconic shows and names in television that are universally recognized by everyone. Judge Judy, CNN cable news, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. One man stands behind the success of each of these, and that man is Randy Douthit.
Douthit can almost be said to have been born into the world to revolutionize the broadcast industry. He recently told a reporter in an interview that he became intrigued with television at age four.
By age 10, he had already created and produced his first entertainment event. It was a “variety show” he was putting on in his grandparents’ barn. It’s not surprising, then, that his first job as an adult was at KGW in Portland. He won a prestigious Peabody Award for his excellence in creating children’s programming.
After a successful stint in the Seattle TV market, the twenty-something phenom Randy Douthit was tapped to help a new-concept operation get off the ground –- that would be none other than the very first 24-hour cable news channel we know today as CNN.
There, Douthit was responsible for producing mega-successful shows like Crossfire, The Capital Gang and Larry King Live.
It might be said, however, that his biggest achievement — and something that made television history — was his role as the executive producer and director of Judge Judy. It’s a show that became part of the fabric of American culture during its 25-year run and later its reinvention as Judy Justice for Amazon Studios.
The unparalleled depth of experience Randy Douthit brought to the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic era cannot be understated for its importance. It was the skills of this unstoppable producer of TV and films that found a way for the entertainment industry as a whole to keep functioning under the extraordinary limitations that resulted from pandemic mitigation protocols.
Randy Douthit said that what piques his interest most today is the transition of broadcast and cable TV to the new era of digital streaming. He said we’re witnessing a significant transition in the industry and where and how people access news & entertainment