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Ralph Story, a legend in Los Angeles news and host of The $64,000 Challenge, died Sept. 26 at his home near Santa Barbara of complications from emphysema. He was 86.Story, one of television's most articulate commentators and always considered one of the classiest of emcees, never did another quiz show after Challenge. Yet, the controversial quiz brought him arguably his most significant national fame.
Born Ralph Bernard Snyder in 1920 in Kalamazoo, Mi., Story was an Army Air Corps fighter pilot during World War II. After the war ended, he hooked on as a host and producer at KNX-AM in Los Angeles. From the outset, L.A. listeners migrated to his casual conversational style.
He became one of L.A.'s pioneer broadcasters, primarily in news, though he ventured into sports on several occasions.
His first game show experience came in the summer of 1954 when he did CBS's What Do You Have in Common?.
In late 1956, Story was tapped to replace Sonny Fox as host of the Sunday night spinoff of The $64,000 Question after some consideration was given to having Question host Hal March do both shows.
Fox addressed his departure in a 1992 PBS documentary on the quiz scandals. "I had a predilection for asking the answers," Fox said, referring to his frequent nerves and stammering which led to his firing.
Story immediately settled the show down, even though Challenge would become even more embroiled in the ultimate quiz scandals than its mother show. Behind-the-scenes pre-show coaching of contestants, led by Challenge producer Shirley Bernstein, according to books by Kent Anderson and New York federal attorney Joseph Stone, were among the most critical of the scandal era.
Story, as was the case with almost all of the emcees of the tainted shows, was exonerated of any knowledge of the cheating.
He returned to Los Angeles to local radio and television news. In the mid-1960s, he was an anchor for KNXT's The Big News, one of the nation's first hour-long local newscasts. His franchise feature, "Human Predicament," later evolved into a regular series, Ralph Story's Los Angeles.
Story moved to KABC in the 1970s and eventually took over the station's morning show. For a portion of the summer of 1975, he went to New York as a substitute co-host of A.M. America, the unsuccesful prequel to ABC's Good Morning America. He was given consideration for the host job on GMA, which ultimately went to actor David Hartman.
Retiring to Santa Barbara County in the mid-1980s, Story and his wife Diana enjoyed a life of leisure. He continued as a fundraiser for public television and worked with the Rose Parade.
In addition to his wife, Story is survived by a son, Bradley Snyder. A memorial service is scheduled Oct. 8 in Los Olivos, Cal.
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