Northeast Ohio TV Legend Fred Griffith Passes Away

CLEVELAND — Fred Griffith, the longtime and beloved host of Channel 5's Morning Exchange, has passed away. He was 90.

Griffith helped put Cleveland on the TV map. He spent 27 years as host of the Morning Exchange, revolutionizing morning television in Northeast Ohio in the process. Grifftin worked at Channel 5 from 1966 to 1999, the station reported on Friday.

The unique morning show format pioneered by Griffith and company became a model for nationally syndicated programs like Good Morning America. Clips of Griffith's interviews with various stars, including actors like Andy Griffith, survive on the Internet.

After leaving Channel 5, Griffith moved to WKYC and began hosting Good Company. His run with that channel continued through his retirement in 2012.

Griffith was a longtime Shaker Heights resident and did much to support his community and its police department. When he needed surgery in 2017, the Shaker Heights police helped raise money for Griffith.

If that wasn't enough, Linda Griffith, Fred's wife, co-authored a series of cookbooks with her husband and helped bring forth a renaissance in the Cleveland food scene.

The Griffiths have also been extremely altruistic in their free time. Fred worked with several local charities, including Slow Food, the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, and Coit Road Market. The Griffiths were also supporters of their local police department in Shaker Heights.

The Northeast Ohio community mourned Griffith's passing on social media on Friday.