The Library of American Broadcasting To Honor 15 "Giants" at 3rd Annual Luncheon, September 15

NEW YORK (PRWEB) July 22, 2005 -- The Library of American Broadcasting (LAB) will honor 15 radio and television luminaries at its third annual Celebration of Giants" luncheon, Thursday, September 15th, in New Yorks Grand Hyatt Hotel, it was announced today by Lucille Luongo, President and CEO of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF).

It will be our good fortune to convey, in person, our admiration and gratitude to those individuals who continue to grace our industry and our lives," remarked Luongo, and to honor those who are no longer with us. All are legendary for their contributions to broadcasting and this occasion is designed to keep their example, and that of their fellow pioneers, forever before us."

Charles Osgood (Anchor and Poet-in-Residence, CBS News Sunday Morning and CBS Radio network anchor, The Osgood File) is host for the afternoon and will help the LAB pay tribute to the Giants who will be in attendance:

-Bob Bennett (Former President, Metromedia Broadcasting; Founder, WCVB-TV, Boston)

-Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner (Carsey-Werner produced The Cosby Show, Roseanne, A Different World, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and That '70s Show, among others)

-Ron Davenport, Sr. (Founder/Chairman, Sheridan Broadcasting Corp., one of the largest African-American broadcasting companies in the US; Co-chairman, American Urban Radio Networks; Philanthropist)

-Dan Rather (Anchor/Managing Editor, CBS Evening News for 24 years; Currently, a correspondent for 60 Minutes)

-Lucie Salhany (Former President/CEO, UPN; Chairman, Fox Broadcasting; President,Paramount Domestic Television; Currently, a partner in the film distribution company Echo Bridge Entertainment)

-Lester Smith (Former co-owner, with Danny Kaye, of Pacific NW radio group Kaye-Smith Broadcasting; Former owner, Seattle Mariners; Philanthropist)

-McHenry (Mac) Tichenor, Jr. (Retired President, Univision Radio; Former President/CEO, Hispanic Broadcasting System, formed by merger of Tichenor Media System and Heftel Broadcasting; Third generation radio entrepreneur)

Other media innovators being honored:

-Mel Allen (Sportscaster best known as The Voice of the Yankees"; Earlier, he was a CBS Network announcer)

-Red Barber (Sportscaster best known as The Voice of the Dodgers" before transferring to the New York Yankees; Master of the baseball play-by-play)

-Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding (The celebrated comedic duos radio performances spanned 40 years - from their first show on Bostons WHDH, Matinee with Bob and Ray, to their final show on NPR, The Bob and Ray Public Radio Show, in 1986)

-Johnny Carson (The legendary "King of Late Night TV," he dominated the medium's time slot for three decades as host of NBCs Tonight show)

-Gabriel Heatter (Radio newscaster/commentator and host of We, the People on CBS and A Brighter Tomorrow for the Mutual Broadcasting System, among others)

-Fred Rogers (Cultural icon and host, for 33 years, of PBS-TVs Mister Rogers Neighborhood)

The Celebration of Giants" festivities will open with a reception to begin promptly at 11:30am, followed by the luncheon and ceremony at 12:30pm. Tickets are $500 each. Inquiries regarding table purchases, commemorative journal ads and event sponsorship should be directed to Jessica Chaikin, Special Assistant to the President, at 212-685-4233, by fax to 914-238-9187.

ABOUT THE LIBRARY OF AMERICAN BROADCASTING:

The Library of American Broadcasting (LAB) was founded over 30 years ago and is currently housed at the University of Maryland in College Park. The Librarys mission is to acquire the historical records of the past (papers, periodicals, books, recordings, scripts, research, videos and photographs), preserve them for posterity and make them available to academicians, the broadcast industry and the public. These three activities - acquisition, preservation and access - guide everything that the LAB does as the institutional memory of so powerful and pervasive a medium.

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) owns the collection and is committed to the care, growth and oversight of the library itself. Its mission is to provide the connection between the library and the broadcasting industry, to be its principal liaison with the real worlds of TV and radio, to assist the curators in their pursuit of collections, to conduct a program of oral histories and -- most importantly -- to provide a financial base for library operations.

For additional information about the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, which is headquartered at 21 Seven Bridges Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514, contact President & CEO Lucille Luongo at phone: (914) 238-8292; fax: (914) 238-9187.

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