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Rich Fields

Richard Wayne Fields (born November 30, 1960), known professionally as Rich Fields, is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, , , , and media producer best known for serving as the announcer on the from 2004 to 2010, working alongside hosts and . Fields began his broadcasting career in 1979 as a radio host while attending the , from which he earned a in in 1983, later pursuing studies in . He worked for over 12 years as a prime-time at KCBS and in , co-anchoring evening newscasts with colleagues including and Suzanne Suh, during which the programs achieved top ratings for the 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10 p.m. slots for nearly three years; his contributions helped earn an Emmy Award for the station's news team. Following his departure from in 2010, Fields returned to at KCBS-KCAL until 2016 and served as a guest announcer for 35 episodes of later that year. In addition to his on-air work, Fields has built a multifaceted career in media production and authorship, founding Fields Productions, Inc., an award-winning company specializing in social media content, smartphone apps, and web-based video games. He is the author of two books: How to Pitch Your Show Idea (2024), a guide to pitching concepts in Hollywood, and Trust Your Inner GPS: How Trusting My Intuition Manifested My Way to Becoming Bob Barker's Announcer on The Price Is Right (2023), which details his career journey and personal insights on intuition. As of 2025, residing in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with his wife Christine and their pug Gunner, Fields continues to mentor emerging producers and talent while delivering keynote speeches on media, motivation, and personal development.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Richard Wayne Fields was born on November 30, 1960, in Bay Village, Ohio. He was raised in the nearby suburb of Avon, Ohio, where he spent his early years in a supportive family environment. In 1976, during his teenage years, Fields and his family relocated to Clearwater, Florida. Fields' father, a policeman and investigator, played a key role in nurturing his son's ambitions by actively encouraging his interest in media. This support was evident when, in 1979, his father accompanied him to CBS Television City in Los Angeles, where they sneaked onto the set of The Price Is Right, providing an early glimpse into the world of game show production. From a young age, Fields displayed a strong fascination with , particularly game shows. As a child, he was captivated by the voices of announcers, often mimicking figures like on programs such as , hosted by . This early exposure ignited his passion, leading him to envision a future in the industry; he later recalled knowing in his soul as a little boy that he would one day work alongside on .

Health challenges

During his time at the University of Florida in the early 1980s, Rich Fields was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently with cancer in his lower lymphatic system, the latter often referred to as lymphoma. These diagnoses occurred when Fields was between the ages of 18 and 21, around 1979 to 1982, interrupting his studies in broadcasting. He underwent successful surgical treatments for both conditions, including a second surgery that marked a turning point in his battle. By 1983, he had graduated from the with a in , indicating full remission from both cancers by the mid-1980s. This timeline aligns with his early career beginnings in radio shortly after graduation. Overcoming these health adversities fostered Fields' personal resilience and an initial motivational mindset, which he later described as trusting his "inner GPS"—an intuitive guidance system for navigating life's challenges. In reflecting on the experience, Fields noted that cancer acted as a catalyst, instilling a determination not to waste any more moments, a that began forming during this period. These early struggles laid the groundwork for his future work in motivational speaking.

Academic pursuits

After graduating from Clearwater High School in 1979, Fields attended the , where he pursued a degree in Broadcasting and Mass Communications, graduating in 1983. During his undergraduate years, he gained practical experience by working as a radio host at the campus station WRUF-FM starting in 1979, which served as a precursor to his formal studies and honed his broadcasting skills. This educational foundation directly aligned with Fields' early aspirations in radio and , providing him with both theoretical knowledge in media production and hands-on opportunities in on-air performance. Later, in the early , Fields pursued further specialization by completing training through Mississippi State University's Broadcast and Operational program, earning certification that supported his transition into weather reporting. This certification complemented his broadcasting background, enabling him to integrate meteorological expertise into his media career.

Career

Radio broadcasting

Rich Fields launched his radio career in 1979 at age 18 as a part-time host at WRUF-FM in Gainesville, Florida, while pursuing early college studies at the University of Florida. This initial role marked the beginning of his on-air experience in broadcasting. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Fields progressed as a disc jockey across 16 radio stations in multiple markets, including a decade-long tenure at CBS-owned outlets such as KCBS-FM and KRTH (K-EARTH 101) in Los Angeles. His positions spanned stations like KUAD in Windsor, Colorado, and WYUU in Tampa, Florida, where he handled music programming and audience interaction. Fields' work emphasized nighttime shifts and diverse music formats, from contemporary hits to specialized programming, which built his distinctive vocal delivery and engagement style. After graduating from the in 1983 with a degree in , he transitioned from East Coast and Midwest markets to prominent West Coast opportunities in . These early radio endeavors sharpened his announcing abilities, laying the foundation for subsequent voice work in other media. In 2017, following his departure from The Price Is Right, Fields returned to radio as the afternoon drive host (3-7 p.m. ET) at Q105 (WRBQ-FM) in Tampa, Florida, a role he held until 2020.

Game show announcing

Fields began his game show announcing career as the original announcer for the Florida Lottery's Flamingo Fortune, a syndicated television series that aired from 1995 to 1999, where he also filled in as host on at least one episode. In this role, he provided energetic voice-overs and on-screen introductions, contributing to the show's format of lottery-style contests with cash prizes up to $1 million. His breakthrough came in 2004 when he was selected by to succeed as the primary announcer on , a position he held until 2010, making him the only announcer in the show's history to work with both Barker (through 2007) and subsequent host . Fields described the role as his lifelong dream job, inspired by childhood games where he mimicked announcers using a as a , and he pursued it relentlessly after Roddy's death in 2003. During his tenure, he announced over 1,500 episodes, calling more than 13,500 contestants to "come on down" and delivering detailed prize descriptions from 38-40 pages of script per hour-long taping. Behind the scenes, Fields conducted 15-minute audience warmups with routines, rehearsed for an hour daily, and participated in two production meetings each morning to align with the director, models, and full staff. He developed a close professional rapport with Barker, who hand-picked him after reviewing audition tapes, and later with Carey, with whom he collaborated on improvisational elements to keep the energy high. Fields only missed one episode due to during his entire run, underscoring his reliability. In addition to his steady work on , Fields served as the announcer and narrator for the CBS summer series Gameshow Marathon in 2006, a celebrity tournament reviving classic game shows like and , where he handled voice-overs across all seven episodes. That same year, he made a cameo voice appearance as himself in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Showdown," calling character to "come on down" during a Price Is Right parody segment alongside . Following the death of longtime announcer in November 2010, Fields guest-announced 55 episodes of the syndicated series, providing prize cues and contestant introductions during a transitional period.

Television meteorology

Fields began his television meteorology career in , accepting the position of morning weather forecaster at KPSP-LP, the affiliate in . He was soon promoted to chief meteorologist at the station, where he delivered forecasts drawing on his formal training from . Fields continued in this role until June 2004, briefly overlapping with his early tenure as announcer on by providing weather updates from the show's studio set. After a period focused on announcing, Fields returned to full-time in 2010 as a staff meteorologist for CBS-owned stations and in . In this capacity, he specialized in nighttime weather segments, covering Southern California's variable conditions including and occasional storms, while emphasizing accurate, certification-informed delivery based on his academic background. His six-year stint at the duopoly ended in , during which he contributed to coverage of significant regional weather patterns. In November 2021, Fields relocated to and joined WTSP, the affiliate serving Tampa and St. Petersburg, as a . There, he provided on-air forecasts for weather events, such as tropical systems and daily coastal conditions, leveraging his expertise for viewer education on preparedness. Fields retired from on February 16, 2023, concluding a two-decade career in marked by consistent local event reporting across multiple markets.

Authorship and motivational speaking

Following his departure from television meteorology in 2023, Rich Fields transitioned into authorship with the publication of his memoir Trust Your Inner GPS: How Trusting My Intuition Manifested My Way to Becoming Bob Barker's Announcer on . Released in August 2023, the book chronicles Fields' life journey guided by intuition, including his path to , periods of in his early career, and triumphs over cancer diagnoses in 2003 and 2011. The narrative emphasizes themes of manifestation and resilience, drawing from personal adversities such as health struggles that informed his motivational outlook. In 2024, Fields published his second book, How to Pitch Your Show Idea, a guide offering insights on developing and pitching television, , or show concepts to network and production executives based on his experience. Fields expanded his creative output with the launch of the Come On Down with Rich Fields in 2022, co-hosted with journalist Dave Wagner. The weekly series focuses on history, featuring interviews with like producers and contestants, and shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes from Fields' time on . Episodes often explore production insights and personal stories from the industry, available on platforms including and ; the continues to release new episodes as of 2025. As a and event emcee, Fields leverages over 40 years in to deliver addresses and host events, captivating audiences with Hollywood anecdotes and photographs. His presentations cover topics such as through adversity, the power of via , and insider perspectives on media careers. This role aligns with the themes of his book, positioning Fields as an inspirational figure for professional and personal growth. Fields ventured into digital media early with the creation of the comedy series Rich Fields Gone Wild in 2009, a short-lived web show depicting humorous everyday scenarios starring Fields alongside guests like and . He maintains an active online presence through his official website, richfields.tv, which promotes his book, podcast, and speaking engagements, complemented by profiles on and X (formerly Twitter).

Personal life

Marriage and residence

Rich Fields married Christine Davidson in 2004. The couple has no children, a decision influenced by Fields' past cancer treatments, and shares their home with their pug, Gunner. Fields and Davidson's primary residence is in Clearwater Beach, Florida, a location they returned to after career-related relocations that included stints in Palm Springs, California, and Beverly Hills, California. This choice reflects the lasting influence of Fields' Florida roots, as his family relocated from Avon, Ohio, to Florida in 1976 during his youth. Post-retirement from major television roles, Fields and Davidson have maintained a low-profile family life, prioritizing while he continues work from their home.

Later health and transitions

Fields has maintained long-term wellness as a two-time following successful treatments for and in the early during his college years. He integrates these health experiences into his motivational narrative, drawing on them to inspire audiences about resilience and intuition, as detailed in his 2023 autobiography Trust Your Inner GPS: How Trusting My Intuition Manifested My Way to The Price Is Right. His past health struggles also sharpened his career intuition, guiding key professional decisions amid adversity. In February 2023, following a suspension after controversial on-air comments about a colleague in November 2022, Fields resigned from his meteorologist position at WTSP in Tampa, Florida, and retired from traditional broadcasting to focus full-time on motivational speaking. As of 2025, residing in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Fields emphasizes work-life balance through his speaking engagements and personal pursuits centered on growth and well-being.

Awards and recognition

Emmy Award

In 2004, CBS 2 News at 5 on KPSP-TV received the Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy Award from the of Television Arts and Sciences for the Best Newscast (Designated Day) in the Southwest region. This accolade recognized the excellence of the local newscast produced by the Palm Springs affiliate. As the station's primary meteorologist since 2002, Fields provided weather forecasts for the 5 p.m. edition of the newscast, contributing to its overall quality during his tenure there. This role overlapped with the early months of his announcing duties on The Price Is Right, which he began in April 2004 while still based in Palm Springs. Fields' work in television has earned him industry recognition, including contributions to Emmy Award-winning news teams in .

Other honors

In addition to his Emmy Award, Fields has received multiple accolades for his contributions to and work. He is a four-time recipient of the Addy Award, presented by the American Advertising Federation for excellence in advertising creativity, specifically recognizing his radio production and commercial performances. These awards were earned during his extensive career in media, spanning over four decades. Fields was honored with the Red Barber Award for excellence in broadcasting while at the University of Florida, named after the legendary sportscaster to celebrate outstanding student achievements in the field. This recognition highlighted his early talent and dedication during his collegiate years. In 2009, Fields won the Best Game Show Announcer award at the inaugural Game Show Awards, hosted by the Game Show Network at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills. The accolade acknowledged his distinctive voice and energetic delivery on programs like , where he served as announcer from 2004 to 2010, as well as his record-setting announcements for seven game shows in a single year through GameShow Marathon.

References

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