Comments (1) Best Television Host - 2009
Ted Simons, Horizon
Since taking the host's seat at Channel 8's Horizon show a few years ago, Simons has done wonders to spice up a public-affairs show that, frankly, had become as exciting as watching toast brown or water boil. The guy truly is erudite, able to discuss the nuances of Dylan's Blonde on Blonde in one breath and evolving Arizona water policies, local politics, and Supreme Court appointments in the next. (That said, we're still gonna scream the next time we hear windbag Howie Fischer use the phrase "In terms of . . ." when he chimes in during Simons' roundtable discussion most Friday nights.) Simons is one smooth operator, able to mix it up in his own genteel way with characters as diverse as Sheriff Joe Arpaio, ASU President Michael Crow, cartoonist Steve Benson, and ex-Governor Janet Napolitano. What we really want to know is how Mr. Simons keeps his hair from ever moving — even a little — onscreen.
