ESPN SportsCenter
anchor Bob Ley has been named cohost of the 22nd annual Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame ceremony, to be held Monday,
Oct. 29, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.
ESPN's longest-serving commentator joins previously
announced Access Hollywood
correspondent Michelle Beadle as cohost of the annual black-tie event, which
has honored more than 300 industry leaders since its inception.
Ley has been with ESPN since the network's third day of
operation in 1979, hosting both SportsCenter
and Outside the Lines since the
latter's debut in 1990. A lifelong soccer fan, Ley has served as play-by-play
announcer for ABC and ESPN's coverage of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament,
as well as ESPN's on-site coverage of the World Cup in South Africa and the
Women's World Cup in Germany.
His contributions to the sport earned him the Honorary
All-America Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Ley has also hosted ESPN's NFL Draft coverage, the NCAA
basketball tournament studio show and several NCAA basketball Final Fours. He
has also been a play-by-play announcer for college basketball, boxing and CBA
basketball.
Ley was the first anchor to cover the 1989 World Series
earthquake in San Francisco live from
the site and served as the network's anchor for its first studio show following
the Sept. 11 attacks. The native New Jerseyan began his career in television as
a production manager and sports/public affairs director before joining ESPN.
