Giants of Broadcasting Announced

by TVB Staff | July 25, 2008

The sixth annual Giants of Broadcasting have been announced. The citation is bestowed by the Library of American Broadcasting at the University of Maryland near Washington, D.C.

Honorees this year include Robert Wright, president of NBC since 1986, longer than any executive since David Sarnoff, according to the Library. William Shatner, aka Capt. Kirk, T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane and “Rocketman” crooner will also be honored; as will Philadelphia radio entrepreneur Jerry Lee; political analyst Cokie Roberts; former FCC Commissioner and Chairman James Quello; Bill Baker, president emeritus of New York Thirteen/WNET-TV; and veteran documentary producer Lucy Jarvis.

Posthumous awards will be giving to sportscaster Jim McKay, who hosted “ABC’s Wide World of Sports,” and covered the massacre of athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics, when he was on for 14 hours without a break. Roger King, chief of King World Productions who mentored Oprah Winfrey; and newsman and “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert.

The Giants of Broadcasting award ceremony will take place Sept. 25 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York. Charles Osgood, host of “CBS Sunday Morning,” will serve as master of ceremonies.