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The Museum of Television & Radio to Honor Leslie Moonves and Jerry Bruckheimer at Annual Gala in Los Angeles

Monday, July 10, 2006

Los Angeles, CA—The Museum of Television & Radio will honor at its annual gala in Los Angeles Leslie Moonves, president and chief executive officer of CBS Corporation, and award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Moonves is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to the television industry and Bruckheimer for his prolific achievements in television. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Museum's ongoing efforts to increase the public's understanding of the media and its growing significance in today's society through its various public and industry programs. The gala will be held on October 30, 2006, at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

"Leslie is one of the most respected executives in the entertainment business. His success speaks to his personal integrity, innovative thinking, and business acumen," commented Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of The Museum of Television & Radio. "Jerry's unique talent for finding great stories and bringing them to audiences in a visually compelling way has produced some of the most-watched programs on television today."

As president and CEO of CBS Corporation, Moonves oversees all operations of the company, including the CBS Television Network, UPN, CBS Television Stations, CBS Paramount Television, King World, Showtime, CBS Radio, CBS Outdoor, Simon & Schuster, CBS Digital Media, CSTV Networks, Inc., and CBS Consumer Products. In Fall 2006, UPN will cease operations and The CW, a new fifth broadcast television network, will launch as a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment. Prior to the Viacom separation in 2005, Moonves served as copresident and cochief operating officer of Viacom and chairman of CBS, overseeing all of Viacom's domestic and international broadcast television operations, radio division, and outdoor advertising operations. He was promoted to chairman and CEO of CBS in 2003, and prior to that, was president and CEO of CBS Television, a position he was elevated to in April 1998. Moonves joined CBS in July 1995 as president of CBS Entertainment from Warner Bros. Television, where he had been president since July 1993, when Warner Bros. and Lorimar Television combined operations. From 1989 to 1993, he had been president of Lorimar Television. He joined the company in 1985 as executive in charge of its movies and miniseries, and became head of creative affairs in 1988. Earlier in his career, Moonves was vice president of movies and miniseries for Twentieth Century Fox Television; vice president, development, for Saul Ilson Productions (in association with Columbia Pictures Television); and a development executive for Catalina Productions.

One of the most successful film producers of all time, Jerry Bruckheimer has made his mark as a television mogul who loves telling a story and delivering his trademark visual feast to the small screen. He has produced over thirty-five films including the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Glory Road, National Treasure, Black Hawk DownPearl HarborRemember the TitansArmageddonThe RockCrimson TideBad BoysTop GunBeverly Hills Cop, and Flashdance.  In 2000, Bruckheimer brought his movie success to television with C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation. The groundbreaking program quickly became the number one show in prime time, launching two spin-offs, C.S.I.: Miami andC.S.I.: NY. Bruckheimer Television broadened its imprint with Without a TraceCold Case, three-time Emmy Award-winning Amazing Race,Close to Home on CBS, and Justice for Fox. Bruckheimer consistently has four series listed in the top ten shows on television.

Variety selected Bruckheimer as their Showman of the Year for 2006. This award-determined by Variety's top editors and reporters-is presented to an individual who has had significant economic impact, innovations, and/or breakthroughs in the entertainment industry. He received the ShoWest Producer  of the Year Award in 1998 and in 2000 the Producers Guild honored him with the David O. SelznickAward for Lifetime Achievement. In 2003, the editors of Entertainment Weekly named Bruckheimer the number-one most powerful person in Hollywood. In 2006, Bruckheimer was honored with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona, his alma mater. His projects have been honored with thirty-five Academy Award nominations, five Oscars, eight Grammy Award nominations, five Grammys, twenty-three Golden Globe nominations, four Golden Globes, forty-three Emmy Award nominations, seven Emmys, sixteen People's Choice nominations, six People's Choice Awards, and numerous MTV Awards, including one for Best Picture of the Decade. His films—fourteen of which exceeded the $100 million mark in U.S. box office receipts—have launched the careers of many actors and directors and have produced more than $13.5 billion in box office, video, television, and recording sales to date.

Past Museum of Television & Radio gala honorees include Alan Alda, Julie Andrews, Steven Bochco, Kevin S. Bright, David Brinkley,Tom Brokaw, Carol Burnett, James Burrows, Sid Caesar, Marcy Carsey, Peter Chernin, David Crane, Ted Danson, the cast and writers ofEverybody Loves Raymond, Kelsey Grammer, Merv Griffin, Marta Kauffman, David E. Kelley, Mary Tyler Moore, Jack Paar, Dan Rather, the cast and writers of Saturday Night Live, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Martin Sheen, Barbara Walters, John Wells, Dick Wolf, and Bob Wright.  

The Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, was founded by William S. Paley to collect and preserve television and radio programs and advertisements and to make them available to the public. Since opening in 1976, the Museum has organized exhibitions, screening and listening series, seminars, and education classes to showcase its preeminent collection of over 120,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. Programs in the Museum's collection are selected for their artistic, cultural, and historic significance.


The Museum of Television & Radio in New York, located at 25 West 52 Street in Manhattan, is open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 6:00 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The Museum of Television & Radio in California, located at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5:00 p.m. Both Museums are closed on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Suggested contribution: Members free; $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for senior citizens and students; and $5.00 for children under fourteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles. The public areas in both Museums are accessible to wheelchairs, and assisted listening devices are available. Programs are subject to change. You may call the Museum in New York at 212.621.6800 or in Los Angeles at 310.786.1000. Visit the Museum's website at www.mtr.org.