WASHINGTON, DC - Gulf Coast broadcasters will be honored for their public service efforts before, during and after Hurricane Katrina at the eighth annual NAB Education Foundation's Service to America Celebration June 12 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington DC. NABEF will also recognize local broadcasters nationwide for raising over $200 million to aid victims and communities impacted by the deadly storm.
On hand to accept the Service to America Samaritan Award will be Louise Munson, Louisiana Association of Broadcasters President and CEO; Jackie Lett, Mississippi Association of Broadcasters President; Sharon Tinsley, Alabama Broadcasters Association Executive Director; and Whit Adamson, National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations President-elect.
"At great personal risk, Gulf Coast broadcasters stayed on air and provided critical life-saving information to citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina," said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. "Employees lost homes and waded through alligator and snake-infested waters to keep their signal on air and their communities informed. We salute these broadcasters for their heroic service and dedication in response to the worst natural disaster in our nation's history."
Previous STA Samaritan Award recipients include syndicated radio personality Don Imus for his work with the Imus Ranch, a working ranch for children with cancer, and for raising millions for research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Other Samaritan recipients include the Children's Miracle Network; syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner for raising millions of dollars in scholarships for students attending black colleges and universities; and a group of Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters and law enforcement officials for initiating the first AMBER Plan.
Last year's STA Samaritan Award went to Tribune Company Chairman, President and CEO Dennis J. FitzSimons for his leadership in a number of charitable and community organizations, including the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
The Service to America Awards are sponsored and produced by NABEF with major support from Bonneville International Corp. and the National Association of Broadcasters. In recent years, First Lady Laura Bush, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter, and former First Lady Nancy Reagan have been recognized at the event. Details about the Service to America Awards Gala are available at www.nabef.org.
Founded in 1964, Bonneville operates 28 radio stations in the Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, St. Louis, and Salt Lake City markets, as well as KSL-TV (NBC affiliate) in Salt Lake City. Bonneville's motto is "Do good, do well, make a difference, and have fun." In addition to competing aggressively in major market broadcasting, Bonneville has a nationally recognized tradition of commitment to community. Its three-fold business model is founded on building its people, serving its communities, and achieving aggressive financial goals.
The NAB Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in supporting and advocating: education and training programs, strategies to increase diversity, initiatives stressing the importance of the First Amendment, community service, philanthropy and other timely broadcasting issues.
The National Association of Broadcasters is a full-service trade association that promotes and protects free, over-the-air broadcasting interests in Washington and around the world. NAB is the broadcaster's voice before Congress, federal agencies and the courts. NAB also serves a growing number of associate and international broadcaster members. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.
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