Athens, Ga. – Bob Costas, one of television’s most accomplished broadcasters, will host the 66th annual George Foster Peabody Awards ceremony on Monday, June 4, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.
“We are delighted to have Bob as the host for the 66th annual Peabody Awards,” said Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards at the University of Georgia. He has made the world of sports accessible to everyone and has guided television audiences through some of history’s greatest moments in sports.The breadth and depth of his experience matches the Peabody search for excellence in electronic media wherever it appears.”
The winners of the Peabody Awards for original broadcast, cablecast and Webcast programs presented in 2006 will be announced via Webcast and satellite on April 5 from the university.
A multiple Emmy Award winner, Costas has anchored television coverage of seven Olympic Games (including primetime host from the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy) and participated in the broadcast of virtually every major sports event from the Super Bowl to the World Series. A 27-year veteran of NBC Sports who joined HBO Sports in February 2001, Costas currently hosts Costas Now, a hard-hitting, intelligent and topical sports series.
During his first four years at HBO, Costas hosted On the Record With Bob Costas, which established itself as one of network television’s most respected programs for its compelling mix of interviews, commentary and opinion. In addition, since 2002, he has been a co-host of HBO’s award- winning football program, Inside the NFL.
From August 1988 through January 1994, he hosted his own late-night interview show, Later with Bob Costas, on NBC; the program won the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series. Costas has been honored as Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association a record eight times.
The Peabodys, the oldest awards in broadcasting, are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes in electronic media. The Peabody Awards recognize excellence and meritorious work by radio and television stations, networks, Webcasters, producing organizations and individuals. The 16-member Peabody Board is a distinguished panel of television critics, industry practitioners and experts in culture and the arts. Selection is made by the Board following review by special screening committees of University of Georgia faculty, students and staff. For more information regarding the Peabody Awards program, the Peabody Awards Collection, and the Peabody Center for Media and Society, visit www.peabody.uga.edu.
The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia administers the Peabody Awards, as it has since the program’s inception in 1940. Established in 1915, the Grady College provides seven undergraduate majors including advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and telecommunication arts. The college offers two graduate degrees and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism. For more information, visit www.grady.uga.edu.