The board of regents has approved three new members to the George Foster Peabody Awards Board. Joining other experts who select television and radio’s most coveted prize are Harry Jessell of New York, Frank-Dieter Freiling of Mainz, Germany, and Dwight Ellis of Bowie, Md.
“We are delighted to welcome such a distinguished group,” said Horace Newcomb, Peabody Awards director. “Our board of 16 changes over time to ensure a variety of viewpoints and a range of expertise. The individuals named will help expand that expertise and contribute substantially to the enduring importance of the Peabody Awards.”
In late March, Jessell, Freiling and Ellis will join Newcomb, board chair Meryl Marshall-Daniels and 11 other board members in Athens to choose the recipients of the 66th annual Peabody Awards from a field of nearly 1,100 entries from broadcast and cable television, radio and the Internet. The winners are scheduled to be announced April 4.
Jessell is editor and publisher of TVNewsday: The Business of Broadcasting, a daily online news and information service and resource for the media industries. Prior to creating TVNewsday, Jessell served as a reporter, executive editor and editor of Broadcasting & Cable. Freiling is senior vice president for international affairs, ZDF German Television. After earning a law degree from Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt, he worked as a freelance journalist, focusing on foreign trade and international development aid. Ellis is the president and CEO of Dwight Ellis and Associates Ltd., a development consultancy. From 1980-2004 he was vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters.
