Peter Schlesinger, a noted figure in the television industry who served as Program director for KCOP-TV from 1971 to 2001 and as a multiple Emmy Award-winning executive producer for both national and local television programming, passed away on December 5, 2025, in Calabasas.
Schlesinger entered the television industry in the late 1950s as a staff director for a local Rockford, Illinois station and was recruited by San Diego CBS affiliate KFMB-TV in 1961 to produce the station’s popular daytime program The Bob Dale Show along with other programming.
In 1971, he relocated to Hollywood to produce The Steve Allen Show for KCOP-TV and later that same year, he was named Program director, a position he held for the next three decades.
Throughout his career with KCOP-TV, Schlesinger was the executive producer of numerous original productions for the station for which he earned 19 local Emmy Awards, including the Natalie Wood documentary Natalie: A Tribute To A Very Special Lady and the acclaimed annual Live From The Hollywood Bowl specials for 15 consecutive years.
Peter Schlesinger is survived by his wife of 50 years Carolrose, his daughter Debbe and his grandchildren Jackson and Ashley, his brother George, two nephews and six great grandchildren.
WODERFUL,KIND HUMAN….may his memory be a blessing!….