The Masters of Media flooded the ballroom of The Waldorf for the Annual Winter Gala of The Museum of Television & Radio, a repository of programming and memorabilia for the broadcast industry, offering screenings, exhibits, seminars for the public, and educational programs for students. This was the first gala event without the late Robert Batscha, charismatic president of the Museum since 1981 (six years after it was founded as The Museum of Broadcasting). Mention was made of Bob’s passing in July at the age of 58, after a long battle with cancer. His guidance and inspiration will be sorely missed as the Museum goes forward under the steward-ship of new President Stuart Brotman.
This year, a virtual Who’s Who of the broadcast industry gathered as the Museum honored Tom Brokaw (with a standing ovation, no less!) for his lifetime achievement in journalism. Brokaw, who will step down from his position as NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor in November (after the Presidential election coverage), joined NBC 38 years ago, creating a legacy of accurate and fair reporting as the network’s White House correspondent during the Watergate scandal, and covering every Presidential election since 1968. Rumor has it that Brokaw, now 63, will continue to work closely in politics (perhaps even running for Senator from his home state of South Dakota!).
Quipped the evening’s sarcastic host, Late Night’s Conan O’Brien, “Brokaw never used a teleprompter … because he makes all the news up!” Other presenters delivered heart-felt and humorous sentiments, including ABC World News Tonight’s Peter Jennings and CBS Evening News’s Dan Rather, MSNBC news anchor Brian Williams (Brokaw’s heir apparent, who will slip into his evening anchor seat in December 2004), Jane Pauley (with Gary Trudeau), Frank McCourt, and 60 Minutes’ Andy Rooney, who had the audience in stitches with, “It’s NBC’s own fault. If they hadn’t paid him so damn much, he wouldn’t have been able to retire!”
Other boldnames included 60 Minutes’ Morley Safer and Steve Kroft, WNBC news anchor Chuck Scarborough, Candice Bergen and Marshall Rose, Today’s (NBC) news anchor Ann Curry, Lucie Arnaz, Charles Grodin, Liz Smith, Gay and Nan Talese, Toni Goodale, Dominick Dunne, Mel Karmazin, Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen, Cynthia McFadden, Skitch Henderson, NBC’s Jeff Zucker, Bill and Nancy O’Shaughnessy, and former Mayor David Dinkins. The Museum honored one of the most-respected individuals in the industry. Nightly news will never be the same!
