The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation has unveiled its lineup of trailblazing industry leaders selected for lifetime achievement honors during the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony, scheduled for November 14 in New York.
With CBS News’ 60 Minutes correspondent and 2018 Giant honoree Bill Whitaker again serving as emcee for the annual luncheon, the LABF will celebrate the following “remarkable creators, innovators, leaders, performers, and journalists who have blazed trails in the radio and television broadcasting industry”:
Retired TEGNA EVP/Chief Operating Officer Lynn Beall
Iconic radio personality Rick Dees
Communications attorney and broadcast advisor John Feore Jr.
Retired Cox Radio Group Executive VP Dick Ferguson
Actor and producer Kelsey Grammer, known for roles including “Frasier Crane,” a “Cheers” bar patron-turned-Seattle talk radio host
ABC World News Tonight Anchor and Managing Editor David Muir
Stage, screen and television anchor Gary Sandy, known as “Andy Travis,” Program Director on the classic CBS sitcom “WKRP In Cincinnati”
Legendary sportscaster Leslie Visser
Additionally, ABC News Radio National Correspondent Steven Portnoy will receive the 2025 LABF Excellence in Broadcast Preservation Award for “his outstanding dedication and commitment to promoting awareness to the importance of collection and preservation of broadcast history.”
The 2025 honors are scheduled for Friday, November 14 at Gotham Hall in the City of New York, from 11:30am-2pm.
“This event honors the innovators and groundbreakers of the media industry,” said LABF co-chairs Heidi Raphael, who serves as Beasley Media Group’s Chief Communications Officer; and Jack Goodman, the longtime Washington, D.C.-based communications attorney. “It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate these incredible individuals for their significant impact on broadcasting and American culture.”
TEGNA and ABC News are “Diamond” sponsors of this year’s event. The Giants reception began in 2003, and net proceeds from the luncheon will support the preservation and expansion of the Library of American Broadcasting collection, which is curated at the University of Maryland. The LABF also supports the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) through the underwriting of research, creative grants, and academic publications focused on broadcast media.
For complete details about the honorees, sponsorship opportunities, tables and individual tickets, please contact Debbie Beagan-Carcich, 2025 Giants of Broadcasting Event Producer, at [email protected]
