Stevens, Maury

Maury Stevens (approximately 1922-1982) was a television producer, entrepreneur, and casino executive in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was the editor of several Las Vegas magazines, including Las Vegas Life, Now, and TV Log. Stevens produced many television shows, including The Muriel Stevens Show, a cooking show starring his wife. He founded Las Vegas Television Production Company (LVTP), was president of Trans-American Video (TAV), and co-founded Video Entertainment Industries.

Originally from Philadelphia, Stevens worked for RCA corporation developing large screen televisions in 1944. By the mid-1950s he owned a company that manufactured plastic showcases, counter displays, and furniture. It was successful until an acetylene torch explosion combined with inadequate insurance forced its closure. Stevens then worked as syndicated television show salesman on the West Coast until he settled in Las Vegas.

By the late 1950s Stevens was publishing TV Log magazine and running an advertising agency that handled the accounts of six hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. The magazine later folded, but in the meantime Stevens was hired as the public relations director of the Frontier Hotel. General manager positions at the Thunderbird Hotel and the Aladdin Hotel and Casino later followed.

Stevens' main interest was in television production. He produced many programs, including his wife Muriel Stevens' syndicated cooking show. Maury Stevens founded Las Vegas Television Production Company (LVTP) with equipment leased from Jack McClenahan's company Trans-American Video (TAV), which was the largest independent videotape company in the world. In 1976 Stevens sold LVTP to McClenahan and became president of TAV. McClenahan sold TAV in 1977, but Stevens remained in the company as president of Nevada operations. In 1978 Stevens and McClenahan founded a production company in Las Vegas under the umbrella corporation Video Entertainment Industries.