Preserving the history, heritage and works
of electronic media
60 Minutes, with (l-r) correspondent Harry Reasoner, producer Don Hewitt and correspondent Mike Wallace, debuted on CBS in 1968.
Our principal mission is supporting the Library of American Broadcasting at the University of Maryland. Through its collections, the LAB tells the extraordinary story of electronic media’s first century and lights the way into the second.
We encourage all efforts to preserve, explore and document the history of electronic media and to enrich the public’s understanding of the media and how it impacts the world.
And each year we salute the giants of electronic media — leading business people, journalists, performers, technologists and program producers, past and present — who have made it all possible.
All About the LABF and the LAB
In Just 65 Seconds
Giants Of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts
11:30 a.m to 2 p.m.
Gotham Hall, New York City
Friday, Nov. 14, 2025
BEALL…DEES…FEORE…FERGUSON…
GRAMMER…MUIR…SANDY…VISSER
Lynn Beall [bio]
Visionary strategist and innovator, retired EVP and COO, Media, Tegna
22nd ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON
Rick Dees [bio]
Legendary radio icon, entertainer and entrepreneur
John Feore, Jr. [bio]
Esteemed communications lawyer and trusted advisor
to broadcasters
Dick Ferguson [bio]
Distinguished radio executive and retired EVP, Cox Radio Group
Kelsey Grammer [bio]
Award-winning stage,
screen and television actor and producer
Preservation Award
ABC News Radio National Correspondent Steven Portnoy will receive at the Giants luncheon the LABF Excellence in Broadcast Preservation Award for his dedication and commitment to promoting the importance of the collection and preservation of broadcast history.
David Muir [bio]
Anchor, ABC World News Tonight, co-anchor, 2020 on ABC
Lesley Visser [bio]
Hall of Fame Sportscaster, trailblazer at Boston Globe, CBS, ABC and HBO
Gary Sandy [bio]
Stage, screen and TV actor, beloved for role in WKRP in Cincinnati
ABOUT THE GIANTS: Each fall in New York City, the LABF honors business executives, innovators, journalists, performers, producers and others who have excelled in the world of electronic media over the past century. Since its inception, we have recognized 262 distinguished individuals.
We invite you to join us this year for a reception and luncheon and the induction of the 2025 Giants in New York on Nov. 14.
Bill Whitaker, correspondent, CBS News’ 60 Minutes and 2018 Giant honoree, will emcee the affair.
For tickets, tables and sponsorships, download this form and return it as indicated. Or, contact Debbie Beagan-Carcich: debbie@giantsofbroadcasting.org or 723-245-7799.
(Photo credit: Wendy Moger-Bross).
Giants: Class of 2024
The LABF each year recognizes as GIants business executives, innovators, journalists, performers, producers and others who have excelled in the world of electronic media. The presentation luncheon is the foundation’s principal fundraiser.
This 2024 luncheon took place at Gotham Hall in New York on Nov. 12 with seven joining the honor roll of Giants, now 262 names long. In the photo, the names of the seven are in boldface, L-r: Heidi Raphael, co-chair, LABF; Christine Baranski, actor; Mike McVay, McVay Media; Patsy Smullin, California Oregon Broadcasting; Al Roker, NBC News; Wendy McMahon, CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventues; Stephen A. Smith, TV and podcast sports commentator; Steve Jones; Skyview Networks; Jack Goodman, co-chair, LABF; and Bill Whitaker, CBS News, emcee. The 2024 Giants Digital Journal contains bios and tributes to the honorees and recognizes the luncheon’s many generous sponsors. See earlier classes of Giants here.
Insight Honoree for 2025: Delilah
Legendary syndicated radio personality Delilah (center) received the fourth annual Insight Award from the LABF during the NAB Show on April 7 in Las Vegas. She was joined at the presentation ceremony by LABF board members (l-r): Co-Chair Heidi Raphael, Julie Talbott, Chandra Clark, Deborah Parenti, Co-Chair Jack Goodman, Wally Podrazik, Chachi Denes and April Carty-Sipp. Delilah, whose radio show is syndicated by Premiere Networks, is the most-listened-to woman on radio in the U.S. with more than eight million weekly listeners on approximately 160 radio stations.
Reflective of LABF’s purpose, the Insight Award recognizes an individual or organization for an outstanding artistic or journalistic work or body of work that enhances the public’s understanding of the role, operation, history or impact of media in our society. Past recipients include actor, director and educator LeVar Burton, CBS News’ 60 Minutes and award-winning producer and journalist Soledad O’Brien.
LABF Sponsors Career Fair at NAB
The LABF was among top industry trade groups that supported the Broadcast Education Association’s career fair at the annual NAB Convention in Las Vegas in April.
The four-hour event gave students and other job seekers a chance to meet face-to-face with recruiters and representatives of leading broadcasting companies.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be a part of it,” said LABF Co-Chairs Heidi Raphael and Jack Goodman. “BEA’s mission underscores our commitment to fostering the next generation of talent in broadcasting and media while promoting the rich history of broadcasting.”
Other supporters of the fair included the National Association of Broadcasters, the NAB Leadership Foundation, RAB, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and SMPTE.
Michael J. Hayes, president of Hearst Television (second from left), accepted the award on behalf of the station group at the Giants luncheon on Nov. 12. He is flanked by luncheon emcee Bill Whitaker of CBS News (left) and LABF Co-chairs Jack Goodman and Heidi Raphael (right).
Hearst TV Preservation
Efforts Earns LABF Honor
Hearst Television was honored with the 2nd annual Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s Excellence in Broadcast Preservation Award in recognition of the company’s extensive on-going program to digitize the news archives at all its news-producing stations.
The presentation took place during the annual Giants luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Gotham Hall in New York City.
“Hearst is leading the way in preservation among media companies across the country,” said LABF Co-chairs Heidi Raphael and Jack Goodman. “Their commitment and dedication to preserving important moments in local and national broadcast history across the entire company for future generations to follow for years to come is truly exceptional.”
Hearst Television is one of the country’s great station groups with 35 TV stations, two radio stations, and digital properties in 27 markets.
RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Nine Million Pages of Media History
Are you interested in researching the history of TV and radio for an academic paper or news article? How about in seeking out long-term industry trends? Or, do you just want to relive your career by browsing through Broadcasting or R&R?
May we suggest worldradiohistory.com, an extensive online collection of industry publications — broadcasting and cable trades, books, music mags, technical manuals, directories, yearbooks, company and station pubs, programming guides and more.
The collection is the avocation of David Gleason, a broadcaster and radio programming and research consultant who, over the past two decades, has digitized more than nine millions printed pages, organized them and made them fully searchable for all to explore.
In recognition of his extraordinary work, the LABF presented Gleason its Excellence in Broadcast Preservation Award at NAB New York in 2023. There is more on Gleason here.
“There is no stopping him,” says LABF Co-chairman Heidi Raphael. “What he has accomplished – virtually single-handedly — is extraordinary. He’s made an unparalleled contribution not only to the history of broadcasting, but to the story of the modern world as reflected and shaped by the media.”
And if that’s not enough…
Other major searchable online archives of books, magazines and other publications about electronic media and film include the Media History Digital Library, part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Communication Arts Department, and the Internet Archive, a non-profit funded by a variety of foundations. The Internet Archive also has audio recordings, still images and TV news programs.
SAVE THAT TAPE!
Co-produced by the LABF and the National Association of Broadcasters, Preserving Broadcast History was recorded at NAB Studios last year with LABF Co-chairman Jack Goodman and NAB’s April Carty-Sipp hosting. In the 30-minute video, Dr. Laura Schnitker joins University of Maryland Libraries colleague Mike Henry in encouraging stations and networks to save their old film, tapes, disks and printed matter for documentarians, podcasters, scholars, biographers, historians, students, genealogists, producers and others. Institutions like UMD are ready to help, they say. Stations often fail to recognize the value of the material that piles up in their storage rooms, says Schnitker, “Once a station changes format or management, which happens all the time, they’ll just chuck everything into a dumpster.”
“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows
to the world and inspire us
to explore and achieve.”
— Sidney Sheldon, TV producer and author