Library of American Broadcasting to Honor 'Giants'

The Library of American Broadcasting (LAB) will honor TV and radio stars in its third annual "Celebration of Giants" luncheon on Sept 15.

Charles Osgood, anchor of The Osgood File and poet-in-residence, CBS News Sunday Morning will announce the following honorees at event, to be held at the New York Grand Hyatt Hotel:


  • 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," "Third Rock From the Sun" and "That '70s Show," among others)
  • Ron Davenport, Sr. (founder/chairman, Sheridan Broadcasting, one of the largest African-American broadcasting companies in the United States; co-chairman, American Urban Radio Networks)
  • 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)
  • 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 duo's radio performances spanned 40 years, from their first show on Boston's 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 NBC's 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 (host, for 33 years, of PBS TV show, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood")



The LAB acquires historical records--papers, periodicals, books, recordings, scripts, research, videos and photographs--preserves them and makes them available to academicians, the broadcast industry and the public.