LABF Recognizes Industry Leaders, Innovators And Networks At Giants Awards.

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) celebrated a distinguished group of industry leaders during its 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony on Friday, November 14, at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Bill Whitaker, 2018 Giant honoree and CBS News correspondent for “60 Minutes,” returned as emcee for the event, which recognizes creators, innovators, performers, journalists, and executives who have left an indelible mark on radio and television broadcasting.

“The Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts Awards are a true celebration of the visionaries and innovators whose work continues to shape the future of our industry,” said LABF Co-Chairs Heidi Raphael, Chief Communications Officer, Beasley Media Group, and D.C.-based communications attorney Jack Goodman. “This year’s honorees embody excellence, creativity, and perseverance, and their achievements are an enduring reminder of broadcasting’s power to inform, entertain, and inspire generations.”

This year’s honorees included:

• David Muir, anchor and managing editor of “ABC World News Tonight” and co-anchor of ABC’s “20/20” coverage

• Lynn Beall, visionary strategist and retired EVP & COO of Media Operations, TEGNA Inc.

• Rick Dees, legendary radio entertainer and entrepreneur

• John Feore Jr., communications attorney and trusted industry advisor

• Dick Ferguson, distinguished radio executive and retired EVP, Cox Radio Group

• NBC, marking 100 years in broadcasting (award accepted by Peter Alexander, Chief White House Correspondent and co-anchor of “Weekend Today”)

• Gary Sandy, stage, screen, and television actor best known as Andy Travis on “WKRP in Cincinnati”

• Lesley Visser, trailblazing Hall of Fame sportscaster and first woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

In addition, ABC News Radio National Correspondent Steven Portnoy was honored with the 3rd Annual LABF Excellence in Preservation Award, recognizing his dedication to preserving the history and integrity of journalism and documenting the work of White House correspondents.

Portnoy emphasized the importance of preserving broadcast history, identifying himself as “an amateur historian” and “radio evangelist,” while also humbly saying he felt unworthy of the honor compared to professional archivists and librarians.

“An old radio set, reel-to-reel, player, VTR playback machine, turntable... may seem like a relic to you, to me, each one of them is a time machine,” Portnoy said. “The moment the needle drops, or the tape threads past the capstan, the machine can transport people to a completely different time.”

Young reporters and journalists coming up through the industry were encouraged by Muir to focus on their work and not self-promotion. “I try to encourage them to keep their heads down,” he said. “There's a lot of pressure to brand yourself, to market yourself in some way on social media, but I always say that your work will speak louder than anything you do on social media. I really do believe that.”

Ferguson recalled the creation of employee-owned NewCity Communications, which he co-founded and served as President and CEO, which was acquired by Cox Radio Group. “Our team members paid $10 a share back when the company was formed. When Cox bought our company, it paid out $191 a share.”

After enjoying a successful run acting on soap operas, Sandy headed to California where he landed the role of Andy Travis on “WKRP in Cincinnati.” He recalled, “It was music, it was radio... I was always in love with radio.” Sandy, who has visited many radio stations across the country, said “inevitably, somebody could walk up to me and say, ‘Thank you.’ I'm in this business because of you.”

Reflecting on his long radio career, Dees said “It's just a joy to go and speak to so many people every week, to be able to say numerous times, ‘coming up next Taylor Swift.’”

Recognizing the caliber of talent in the hall, Dees joked, “I just want to say that everybody in here is a superstar. And you all realize, because you've achieved so much, I have scratched and thought my way to the middle.”

The event was supported through the Diamond Sponsorship of ABC News and TEGNA.