Richard Wayne Fields (born November 30, 1960) is an American media personality. He is a published author, a speaker, prolific game show announcer, meteorologist and veteran radio personality (having worked at some 14 different outlets across the country). Fields is probably best known as the on-camera announcer for the American version of The Price Is Right with both Bob Barker and Drew Carey from 2004 to 2010.
In early 2000, Fields returned to college at Mississippi State University to study meteorology and later became a successful Los Angeles television weatherman.[2] Rich completed his MSU Meteorology internship at WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida.
Career
Fields during his tenure with The Price Is Right, c. 2007
In 1978, during a question-and-answer segment with announcer Johnny Olson at a taping of The Price Is Right, Fields asked how he could get Olson's job. Olson brought Fields onstage and asked him to give an example of how he would call a contestant to "Come on down!"[3]
Fields worked as a radio personality starting in 1979, serving some 16 radio stations across the country, including markets like Los Angeles, California, and Tampa, Florida. He disc jockeyed music radio shows for over a decade on CBS' 93.1 FM frequency in Los Angeles during the 1980s and 1990s.[4] Between 1995 and 1999, he was the announcer of the Florida Lottery game show Flamingo Fortune.[5]
In 2002, Fields was offered the morning weather position at KPSP-LP in Palm Springs, California. Fields was later promoted to Chief Meteorologist for KPSP and was charged with the weather forecasts on the 5:00p.m., 6:00p.m., and 11:00p.m. newscasts for the station until May 2004.[6]
On March 30, 2004, producer Roger Dobkowitz notified Fields that Dobkowitz had chosen him as the next announcer for The Price Is Right, a decision following the death of longtime announcer Rod Roddy.[7] The announcement of Fields' hiring was announced by Bob Barker at the April 6, 2004, taping of the show, which aired on April 23.[7] Fields signed a contract to be the series' announcer through 2010.[7]
Fields served as the announcer of the All-Star summer tournament series Gameshow Marathon from May 31 until June 29, 2006, on CBS.[8] It was during this seven-show series that Fields set a record for announcing the most televised game show titles in a single season. This American version was hosted by actress and talk show host Ricki Lake.[9]
In 2007, Fields appeared with Bob Barker on a fictional episode of The Price Is Right in an episode of How I Met Your Mother.[10]
In 2009, Fields had his own comedy web series on YouTube called Rich Fields Gone Wild where he discusses situations in his daily life with Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and Adam West (Batman) as guest stars in those particular episodes.[11]
On July 16, 2010, Fields confirmed that he would not be returning to The Price Is Right for its 39th season.[12] From 2010 to 2016, Fields was a staff meteorologist for CBS, delivering forecasts on its Los Angeles properties KCBS-TV, KCAL-TV, KNX, KFWB, and KRTH.
Fields served as the announcer on 55 episodes of Wheel of Fortune in 2010 following the death of Charlie O'Donnell, and provided post-production voice-over work for over 11 weeks of episodes, plus specials.[13]
From 2017[14] until 2020, Fields held down the Afternoon Drive position on Q105 (WRBQ-FM). After nearly three years on the air at Q105, Fields and nearly the entire air-staff were let go during staffing cutbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]
Fields as seen in March 2023
In November 2021, Rich Fields was hired as a meteorologist at WTSP (10 Tampa Bay), the CBS affiliate in Tampa, Florida, where he stayed until 2023.[16] On February 16, 2023, Fields announced he was leaving traditional broadcasting to become a motivational speaker.[17]
