Bob Braun

Who was Bob Braun?

Robert E. "Bob" Braun was a local television and radio personality in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born in Ludlow, Kentucky.

He was best known for The Bob Braun Show, which he hosted from 1967 to 1984. The show was the top-rated live entertainment/information program in the Midwest. Originating at WLWT, the daily 90-minute show was syndicated throughout the heartland of America, and featured a live band, singers, and special guests including Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Paul Lynde, Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller, Tom Dressen, and Dick Clark. Politicians including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, John Glenn, and Ted Kennedy were also guests.

The Bob Braun Show replaced the local television show, The 50-50 Club. Its host, Ruth Lyons, retired in 1967 due to declining health. Braun had appeared regularly on the show since 1957, and was frequently a fill-in host. On his own show, Braun heavily promoted and supported Lyons' charity, "The Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund," each Christmas season. Toward the end of its run, the show was renamed Braun and Company.