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Rick Ludwin, an NBC stalwart of three decades who proved his value to the network both as a trusted liaison to Johnny Carson and an early champion of Jerry Seinfeld, died Sunday in Los Angeles, according to the network. He was 71.

Ludwin launched his show-biz odyssey with one legendary funnyman — the future executive did some joke-writing for Bob Hope — and later cemented his legacy with another comedy icon by supporting the game-changing Seinfeld when other executives at NBC were skeptical of airing a show that was infamously “about nothing.”

Seinfled (1989-1998) became one of the most lucrative primetime ventures in television history but Ludwin’s primary focus at NBC was guiding the network’s specials and late-night programming. Taking over the speciality in 1989, Ludwin held the high-profile post through 2011. That 22-year tenure made him a linchpin figure for Saturday Night Live — it also put him in the crossfire of the...

Rick Ludwin, a former NBC executive and its head of late-night, has died. He was 71.

The native of Cleveland, Ohio died after “a brief illness,” an NBC spokeswoman told TheWrap. Ludwin was born on May 27, 1948.

Ludwin is perhaps best known for backing “Seinfeld,” a sitcom that at the time was not a particularly popular choice for NBC’s airwaves. After a shaky start, “Seinfeld” would go on to become one of television’s most popular and most successful comedies of all time.

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Ludwin, pictured above in 2004 documentary “Seinfeld: How It Began,” got his start in showbusiness by writing jokes for Bob Hope in the 1970s. He joined NBC in 1980.

By the end of his first decade there, Ludwin commissioned what was then called “The Seinfeld Chronicles.” He used money from his budget for TV specials to pay for four additional episodes...