For 25 years, the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame has served as a gold standard within the broadcast industry, honoring the outstanding individuals whose influence will continue to be felt for generations to come. We’re proud that this year—the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary—The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger has joined this extraordinary group of pioneers, visionaries and stars of the electronic arts.
Mr. Iger, whose career began at ABC in 1974, was honored for his stewardship of The Walt Disney Company and his strategic vision focused on generating the best creative content possible, fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology and expanding into new markets around the world. Mr. Iger officially joined the Disney senior management team in 1996 as Chairman of the Disney-owned ABC Group, where he oversaw the broadcast television network and station group, cable television properties, and radio and publishing businesses and also guided the complex merger between Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and The Walt Disney Company. During Mr. Iger’s years with ABC, he obtained hands-on experience in every aspect of the television business—including news, sports, and entertainment—as well as in program acquisition, rights negotiations, and business affairs.
“I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do at a very early age—thanks to watching the nightly news every single night with my parents. And I decided I wanted to be Walter Cronkite,” Mr. Iger said at the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame Awards last night in New York City. “I eventually grew out of that—somewhere during my fourth or fifth month as a weatherman in Ithaca, New York. After making it through one winter, I figured I’d had enough experience giving people bad news and shifted my career goals… smartly. But, I never outgrew my fascination for television—which remains such a powerful storytelling medium in the world, even in this era of such vast change.”
Disney Legend Frank Gifford, who passed away August 9, was also honored with Broadcasting & Cable’s Lifetime Achievement Award. “He was an exceptional man who is missed by everyone who had the joy of seeing his talent on the field, the pleasure of watching his broadcasts, or the honor of knowing him,” Mr. Iger said.
Nearly 400 professionals have been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame to date. The 2015 Hall of Fame class includes:
• Ed Carroll—COO, AMC Networks, Inc.
• Michael T. Fries—president and CEO, Liberty Global
• Don Garber—commissioner, Major League Soccer; CEO, Soccer United Marketing
• Chris Geraci—president of National Broadcast, OMD
• Kathie Lee Gifford—cohost, fourth hour of NBC’s Today
• Robert A. Iger—chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
• Lou LaTorre—president, advertising sales, Fox Cable Networks (Retired)
• Alfred C. Liggins III—chairman and CEO, TV One
• Philip J. Lombardo—CEO, Citadel Communications Company, L.P.
• Dave Lougee—president, Tegna Media
• Dr. Phil McGraw—host and executive producer, Dr. Phil
• Donna Speciale—president, Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales
We congratulate Mr. Iger and all of this year’s honorees.