NEW YORK—The Broadcasters Foundation of America has announced that Richard E. Wiley, will be receiving the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Wiley is a former chairman, commissioner, and general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and one of the most prominent media and telecommunications lawyers. 

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual who has made invaluable contributions to the television and radio industries and will be presented to Wiley during the Golden Mike Award gala on Monday, March 6, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The annual event is a major fundraiser for the Broadcasters Foundation, the only charity devoted exclusively to helping broadcasters in acute need.

“Dick’s commitment to fight for our industry in Washington has given broadcasters the opportunity to grow their business,” stated Scott Herman, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. “His strong belief in our industry has extended to his support of the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation to help those in our business who need it most. We are honored to present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.”  

“I am honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from the Broadcasters Foundation,” Wiley said. “Since arriving at the FCC more than 50 years ago, and co-founding our DC law firm almost 40 years ago, it’s been a privilege to work with broadcasters on landmark innovations including the development of high-definition TV. I’m proud to be a part of this great industry’s evolution, and to support the Foundation’s mission of providing a critical safety net for members of the broadcast profession.”

During his tenure at the FCC from 1970 to 1977, Wiley fostered increased competition and lessened regulation in the communications field. As chair of the FCC's Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service, from 1987 to 1995, he played a pivotal role in the development of HDTV, for which he won an Emmy.

“Dick has been a driving force in the advancement of the broadcast industry for both radio and television,” stated Tim McCarthy, president of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. “His achievements have allowed our industry to remain competitive in the ever-evolving media landscape, and we are delighted to recognize him for his many accomplishments.”

Wiley is currently chairman emeritus of the law firm he co-founded, Wiley Rein, LLP, which includes a premiere Telecom, Media & Technology practice and is celebrating its 40th year.  

He is credited with nurturing generations of legal talent and has received numerous accolades throughout his storied career, including being named a Washington “Visionary” by The National Law Journal, the “most influential media and telecommunications lawyer in the United States” by the International Herald Tribune, one of the top “100 Men of the Century” by Broadcasting & Cable, and the “Father of High-Definition” television by The Globe and Mail. He was honored by the Broadcasters Foundation in 2014 with the Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award.

Wiley joins broadcast luminaries Lesley Visser, Charles Osgood, George Beasley, Ed McLaughlin, and Dick Clark, as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. As previously announced, Jack Abernethy, Chief Executive Officer of FOX Television Stations, will be the 2023 honoree of the Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award.

For information, or to reserve a seat or table at the Golden Mike Award gala and fundraiser, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

NEW YORK—The original YouTube stars, founders Chad Hurley and Shin Chen, are being recognized for their creation by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Hurley, 42, and Chen, 40, first met when they were employees at PayPal. They would create the video-sharing website YouTube in February 2005, which would go on to be ranked as the 10th most popular website a year after its launch. Google purchased YouTube in November 2006, making it one of its subsidiaries.

Today, 1.3 billion people use YouTube; 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute; and almost five billion videos are watched on YouTube every day.

“YouTube is one of this generation’s masterpieces of scale and simplicity,” said NATAS Technology & Engineering Committee Chairman Emeritus Charles Jablonski in the announcement. “It succeeded because of the extraordinary work it took to make the site easy to use, fast and capable of never-thought-of amounts of video. Television now has the ability to create, store and distribute material without the need of an intermediate party to gate-keep material to consumers.”

“The success of YouTube and the way it has revolutionized the way the average consumer can view, create and engage with an audience of millions is extraordinary,” added Adam Sharp, president & CEO of NATAS. “Hurley and Chen are a testament to the story of the American technology entrepreneur who imagine something and through hard work and perseverance makes that dream a reality, not only creating a new method of media distribution for a wide audience, but enabling the true democratization of television.”

Hurley and Chen will receive their awards during the 70th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, which will take place at the Wynn Encore Resort & Spa in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7, in cooperation with the 2019 NAB Show.

NEW YORK—There will be a spot reserved for Bill Hoffman, Cox Media Group president, at the Golden Mike Award dinner in February, as the Broadcasters Foundation of America will award him with its 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bill Hoffman

As the president of Cox Media Group, Hoffman heads up 14 television stations, more than 60 radio stations, six daily newspapers, more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services, according to CoxReps. Hoffman has been with Cox since 1979 when he served as an account executive in Detroit. He also worked in local radio and TV stations and sales management and served as executive vice president of broadcast before being promoted to president.

Hoffman also serves on the boards of the BMI, the Associated Press, NAB, BFA, and the ABC Board of Governors, where he also previously served as Chairman.

“Bill is a respected leader in broadcasting, and we are proud to recognize his accomplishments at Cox and his contributions to our industry,” said Dan Mason, chairman of the BFA. “As a member of our Board for several years, Bill has helped us advance our mission of helping every broadcaster who qualifies for help.”

Hoffman joins previous Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, Dick Clark and Charles Osgood.

BFA will recognize Hoffman at the Golden Mike Award dinner on Feb. 27, 2017, at the Plaza Hotel in New York.