Scripps Legacy: Hall of Fame Producer Ken Ehrlich

About this series: The Scripps College of Communication is recognizing prominent Scripps College of Communication alumni. Look for a new entry each day, June 6-10.

Scripps College of Communication Legacy Week highlights people who showcase the Scripps College’s impact on history, culture, and journalism. Already this week, #ScrippsLegacyWeek has celebrated athlete-turned-TV anchor Jericka Duncan and D-Day reporter John R. Wilhelm, the founding dean of Ohio University’s College of Communication.

Our next legacy leader is legendary music producer Ken Ehrlich (BSJ), who graduated from Ohio University with a journalism degree on June 7, 1964.

Ken Ehrlich is a Scripps Legacy because:

• In Hollywood and beyond, his name is synonymous with music production. Best known for his long association with the Grammy Awards broadcast, Ehrlich also produced TV music specials, created the “Divas” television franchise and MTV Movie Awards, and directed Las Vegas shows as well as entertainment at major indoor and outdoor venues. You can read more about his work in this Ohio Today feature.
• He has been a key participant at Ohio University’s annual Music Industry Summit. With thousands connected online around the globe in 2021, Ehrlich explained “40 Years of Producing Music’s Biggest Night” (Grammy Awards). He is a star among stars. You can see his presentation here.
• He was inducted into the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame in 2016 for lifetime achievement, joining Pulitzer Prize winners, the voice of Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) and other luminaries.
• He has impacted Scripps and its students. When he was a student at Ohio University, Ken Ehrlich played piano at a tavern on Court Street called The Lantern. After graduation, he moved to Chicago, then Los Angeles. A Scripps music production student interviewed Ehrlich in 2019. Her takeaway: “it doesn't matter where you’re from, it matters who you are and what you’re passionate about. If your passion for the industry you’re in shows and you remain true to yourself, then everything else will fall into place.”

The next Scripps Legacy: Photographer Paul Fusco, who documented the Robert Kennedy funeral train from New York to Washington, DC, on June 8, 1968.