CPB Honors Minow, Eaton, WNET and NYPR
December 4, 2012
- The board of directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) awarded Newton N. Minow, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and one of the founding fathers of public broadcasting, with its Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding individual contributions to public media. Minow was honored for transforming the landscape of American television in the 1960s by putting the concepts of public interest and public service at the forefront of this emerging medium and by encouraging the spread of educational television, known today as public television, across the country.
- CPB announced the first Community Lifeline Awards recognizing public media stations that provide exemplary service to their communities during local emergencies, such as natural disasters, major industrial accidents, acts of terrorism or other urgent situations. WNET and WNYC/NJPR each received the award for serving as important lifelines to the citizens of New York and New Jersey leading up to and in the weeks following Hurricane Sandy. The stations provided extensive live coverage on storm preparedness, weather and flood bulletins, status updates about restoration of power and other services, and in-depth information regarding emergency resources and recovery assistance across multiple platforms including television and radio broadcasts, social media and online.
- Finally, the CPB board resented Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of Masterpiece, with the Ralph Lowell Award, the most prestigious public media award honoring an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to public television. Eaton, who has been executive producer of Masterpiece for more than 26 of its 41 years on the air, was recognized for ensuring the series upholds a high standard of excellence, not just for public media but for American television as a whole. She has produced some of the highest quality television dramas, including the break-out hit Downton Abbey, which was watched by more than 17 million people, and has increased the audience for the celebrated series through her collaborations with A-list talent and producers. Under Eaton’s leadership, Masterpiece has collected 65 Emmy Awards, 18 Peabody Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and dozens of industry awards.
CPB Honors Minow, Eaton, WNET and NYPR The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board Honors WNET, NYPR with Inaugural Community Lifeline Awards (WNET, NYPR) The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Honors Masterpiece's Rebecca Eaton with Lowell Award (Rebecca Eaton)