The Library of American Broadcasting will honor 50 men and women who pioneered radio and TV at a fundraiser next week in New York City.
Among the First Fifty Giants of Broadcasting expected for the Sept. 18 luncheon at the Grand Hyatt New York: Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney; longtime CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite; radio-station owner Ragan Henry; TV-station owner Stanley S. Hubbard; John Kluge, who built Metromedia into the largest independent broadcast group of its time; former Tribune executive Ward Quaal; and former CBS President Frank Stanton.
"All are legendary for their contributions to broadcasting, and this event is designed to keep their example before us," said LAB President Lucille Luongo.
Other "giants" being honored: Fred Allen, Edwin H. Armstrong, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Gertrude Berg, Edgar Bergen, Milton Berle, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, Frank Conrad, Bill Cosby, Bing Crosby, Powel Crosley Jr., Lee DeForest, Allen B. DuMont, Philo Farnsworth, Pauline Frederick, Dorothy Fuldheim, Jackie Gleason, Arthur Godfrey, Leonard H. Goldenson, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll (Amos 'n' Andy), Jack Harris, Paul Harvey, Bob Hope, Stanley E. Hubbard, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, Jim and Marian Jordan (Fibber McGee & Molly), H. V. Kaltenborn, Guglielmo Marconi, Donald H. McGannon, Gordon McLendon, Tom Murphy, Edward R. Murrow, William S. Paley, Irna Phillips, J. Leonard Reinsch, David Sarnoff, Eric Sevaried, George Storer, Ed Sullivan, Sol Taishoff, Lowell Thomas and Vladimir Zworykin.
Tickets for the luncheon may be obtained by calling the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation business office at (914) 238-8292.
The LAB used to occupy the basement of the National Association of Broadcasters but now resides at the University of Maryland in College Park, where its operations are the responsibility of Dean of Libraries Charles Lowry and Chief Curator Chuck Howell.
