David Horowitz, "Fight Back!", General Publicist Hijacked in the 80s, Dies at 81



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David Horowitz, whose program subscribes to "Fight Back!" Has made him the best-known consumer journalist in the United States, has passed away. He was 81 years old.

Horowitz was demented and died Thursday in Los Angeles, a family spokesman said.

"Defend With David Horowitz", he won numerous Emmys and a large audience while Horowitz investigated product defects, tested advertising claims and confronted companies with their customers' claims.

A popular "Fight Back!" Feature focused on business challenges, including "helicopter dropped products or demolition bullets to test strength claims" and even sustainability tests with an elephant, according to a family biography.

"Fight Back!" Aired on KNBC-TV, where Horowitz has been a mainstream journalist for more than 15 years.

At its peak, the program was subscribed on dozens of TV channels across the country. Horowitz has also made regular appearances in KNBC TV news and on NBC's Today. He also had a popular radio show and a column in a newspaper and was the author of several best-selling books.

In 1993, Horowitz joined KCBS-TV where he aired "Fight Back!" Segments during news programs, according to the family biography.

"I do not consider myself a consumer advocate," Horowitz told The Los Angeles Times in 1988. "If you're on TV, you really have to broadcast in the public interest … but you also have to be objective … There are many stories where the consumer is wrong – where he also tries to steal businesses. "

In 1987, Horowitz was taken hostage during a TV show on the KNBC channel by an armed man suffering from mental disorders. The reporter read the statements of the man on camera, although the hostage taker did not realize that the broadcast had been interrupted. The weapon has turned out to be an empty BB gun.

This experience has led Horowitz to join a successful campaign to ban realistic firearms in California and other states.

Some reporters and consumer rights advocates have blamed his reports for being too concerned about the lack of showmanship and less serious consumer concerns, for example whether a particular brand of popcorn was at stake. the height of its advertising.

However, the Chicago Tribune noted in 1987 that Mr. Horowitz had successfully conducted campaigns to eliminate deadly sulphites from salad bars and require car manufacturers to install anti-collision devices for the rear window. . He was honored by consumer groups and, in 1981, he became the first journalist to receive the award from the Chief Inspector of the United States Post for discovering postal fraud, the daily reported Tribune.

Mr. Horowitz was also touched by his paid work for Better Books, which featured ad directories containing ads, consumer tips, and lists of members of the Business Ethics Board, but it was not a good idea. collapsed into bankruptcy.

Horowitz was born on June 30, 1937 in the Bronx and had a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Before joining KNBC-TV in the 1970s, he worked for various newspapers and TV channels.

Horowitz also appeared in episodes of "Silver Spoons", "ALF", "The Golden Girls" and "Saved by the Bell".

Horowitz has worked "to make the world a better and more honest place," said his family in a statement.

He is survived by his wife Suzanne, two daughters and two grandchildren.

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