The Library of American Broadcasting at the University of Maryland has named the 11th class of its Giants of Broadcasting. The annual event celebrates leadership or performance in television and radio and is scheduled for October 16 in New York.
Jeff Smulyan represents the radio industry on the list. He is the founder, CEO and president of Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications. Emmis currently owns and operates 20 FM and two AM radio stations in the nation’s largest markets; six local, regional and national magazine operations; and radio stations in Slovakia and Bulgaria. A former director of the NAB and former chairman of the Board of Directors of the Radio Advertising Bureau, Smulyan also served as past chair of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. He recently has been leading efforts to expand FM radio’s reach to mobile phones.
Other 2013 honorees include:
● Barry Diller, creator of Fox Broadcasting Co., USA Broadcasting, former CEO of Paramount Pictures
● Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group
● Richard E. Wiley, former FCC chairman, commissioner and general counsel and senior partner in the Washington, law firm Wiley, Rein & Fielding
● Alex Trebek, longtime host of Jeopardy!
● Morley Safer, award-winning 60 Minutes correspondent and pioneering war reporter
● Dick Cavett, Emmy-winning talk show legend, comedian and writer
● Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET)
● David E. Kelley, television writer and producer
● Richard Leibner, founder and president of N.S. Bienstock, Inc.
● Carole Cooper, a talent agent for 40 years and Leibner’s wife and business partner
Previous honorees include Guglielmo Marconi, David Sarnoff of RCA and NBC, William S. Paley and Frank Stanton of CBS, Leonard Goldenson of ABC, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Philo Farnsworth, H. V. Kaltenborn, Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Arthur Godfrey, Paul Harvey, Charlie Rose, Ken Burns, Johnny Carson, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Christiane Amanpour, Lowry Mays and Tim Russert.
