Athens, Ga. – The George Foster Peabody Awards’ 67th annual search for excellence in electronic media has begun. More than 100,000 call for entries alerts have been mailed worldwide, supplemented by ads in media-industry publications. Original broadcast, cablecast and webcast programs presented in the calendar year 2007 are eligible. The entry deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 15. Entrants may apply online at www.peabody.uga.edu.
The Peabody Awards, established in 1940 and administered by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, are the oldest honor in television and radio. Today the Peabody recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by TV and radio stations, networks, producing organizations, individuals and the World Wide Web.
Recipients of the 66th Annual Peabody Awards, which were emceed by sportscaster/talk-show host Bob Costas at New York’s Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, ranged from When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, Spike Lee’s moving HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans, to NBC’s inventive comedy Scrubs; from Brotherhood, Showtime’s richly atmospheric dramatic serial about politics, crime and family ties in Providence, R.I., to Command Mistake, an ambitious expose by WISH-TV in Indianapolis of unnecessarily inadequate helmets being issued to U.S. soldiers.
International winners included “The Three Amigos HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme,” a multi-nation funded series of public-service announcements that feature three animated condoms, and “four docs” (www.channel14.com/fourdocs ), a website established by England’s Channel 4 to teach, encourage and showcase video documentary makers. National Public Radio, HBO, NBC, ABC, and the BBC won multiple Peabodys.
The Peabody Award, considered the most selective and prestigious honor for electronic media programming, is unique in that there are no categories for entry or nominations. Entries are judged by a 15-member board that includes television critics, industry practitioners, scholars and experts in culture and fine arts.
For more information regarding the Peabody Awards or to request an entry form, call 706/542-3787, e-mail the Peabody office at peabody@uga.edu or visit the Peabody Web site at www.peabody.uga.edu.