SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 20, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — It’s the end of the Gephardt era at KUTV.
Matt Gephardt — who a decade ago replaced his father, Bill Gephardt, in the consumer franchise “Get Gephardt” — has announced he is parting ways with the CBS affiliate.
Bill Gephardt, who founded and appeared in “Get Gephardt” for a dozen years, is the owner of this news service, Gephardt Daily.
“I am leaving happy,” Matt Gephardt said of his impending departure. “I had a great decade on the air. I had a great decade before that, behind the scenes. I am very proud of the work I have done, and of taking the baton handoff from my dad, and running with it as I have.”
Gephardt’s last day at KUTV is Dec. 31.
“The timing is just right to try something else,” Gephardt said. “Channel 2 did invite me to stay, and I am loyal to Channel 2. I am leaving at the end of my contract and have done what I agreed to when I signed it.”
Gephardt, 39, first started at KUTV in 1998, working on the production crew, he said.
“I loved it. Because of my dad, I grew up in television. I thought it was neat, a fun thing to do.”
As his career progressed, the younger Gephardt also worked as an assignment desk editor, a video editor, a photographer, a producer, and an executive producer. He even produced his father’s “Get Gephardt” for a time before stepping in front of the camera.
“It was a great responsibility to live up to,” Matt Gephardt said. “I felt a responsibility to do the ‘Gephardt’ franchise proud.
“I was very proud of the work my dad did, and I produced for him and understood the journalism part of it. But I felt great anxiety, most of it self-imposed.”
But viewers voted with their remotes, and the new Gephardt became a recognized consumer hero in his own right.
“I am proud of the work that I have done with the help of the producers who replaced me when I took over for my dad. I had three different brilliant producers in 10 years, and they all helped bring the franchise to what it has become.”
Gephardt said he’s not sure what his next life chapter will bring.
“I do believe in journalism, but I’m not limiting myself in any way,” he said. “I have no idea what the future holds.”
But he’s proud of what he has been able to accomplish so far. Most of his segments involved intervening on behalf of viewers who had seemingly unsolvable consumer problems. Gephardt usually found a positive resolution.
“I was very privileged to be able to help where I could,” he said of his work.
“That was absolutely one of the silver linings at the end of the day, that I was usually able to do some good for people who needed a little help.”
Wow, Sinclair is getting good at shooting themselves in the foot. I’m happy and relieved for Matt because he now has job security. I will be watching Ch 5 now.