MTR Honors Sir Howard Stringer at Annual New York Gala
Thursday, February 8, 2007
New York, NY—The Museum of Television & Radio today announced it will honor Sir Howard Stringer and Sony Corporation at its 2007 annual gala in New York, for both Mr. Stringer's contributions as a business leader and the company's contributions to the media, technology, and entertainment industries. The gala will be held on February 8, 2007, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Proceeds from the event will benefit MTR's work to lead the discussion about the creative and social relevance of television, radio, and emerging platforms in today's world. Through various public and industry programs—including seminars, special events, and intimate conversations—MTR presents some of the biggest names in entertainment, art, pop culture, and the news to the public.
"The Museum is delighted to recognize Howard Stringer as one of the entertainment industry's most successful and accomplished figures. It's particularly fitting for MTR to honor Howard and Sony as Howard's career as an innovative media executive, and Sony's role as a leading media corporation, as they both mirror many of the facets of the media world that MTR speaks to through its work," commented Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of MTR. "And, Howard is rightly admired throughout the industry for his tenacity, loyalty, innovative thinking, business diplomacy, and good humor."
Howard Stringer has been chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Corporation since June 2005, also retaining his responsibilities as chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Corporation of America, as well as corporate head of Sony Corporation's Entertainment Business Group. Mr. Stringer is a member of the board of directors of Sony Corporation, and is also a board member of Sony BMG Music Entertainment (which is 50 percent owned by Bertelsmann A.G. and 50 percent owned by Sony Corporation of America), one of the largest recorded music companies in the world, and he oversees Sony's other music-related holdings in the U.S. Mr. Stringer is also a board member of Sony Ericsson, a 50:50 joint venture of Sony Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, which is a global provider of mobile multimedia devices, including feature-rich phones and accessories and PC cards. He joined the company in May 1997.
Before joining Sony, Mr. Stringer had a distinguished thirty-year career as a journalist, producer, and executive at CBS Inc. As president of CBS from 1988 to 1995, he was responsible for all the broadcast activities of the company including entertainment, news, sports, radio, and television stations. Under his leadership, the CBS Television Network became the first network to rise from last to first place in one season. In 1993, in what became one of the most chronicled coups in television history, Mr. Stringer convinced David Letterman to bring his critically acclaimed late night show to CBS.
From 1986 to 1988, Mr. Stringer served as president of CBS News, where he developed several new programs including the award-winning 48 Hours. Earlier, during his tenure as executive producer of the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather from 1981 to 1984, that program became the dominant network evening newscast of its day. From 1976 to 1981, while Mr. Stringer was executive producer of the CBS Reports documentary unit, it won virtually every major honor, including thirty-one Emmys, four Peabody Awards, three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Christopher Awards, three Overseas Press Club Awards, an ABA Silver Gavel, and a Robert F. Kennedy Grand Prize. Mr. Stringer himself earned nine individual Emmys as a writer, director, and producer from 1974 to 1976. After leaving CBS Inc., Mr. Stringer was chairman and CEO of TELE-TV, the media and technology company formed by Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, and Pacific Telesis, three of the largest telephone companies in the United States, from February 1995 to April 1997.
Mr. Stringer is the recipient of numerous media and philanthropic awards, including honors from Phoenix House, Literacy Partners, Teach for America, the New York Hall of Science, the Center for Communication, the UJA-Federation of New York, the Radio & Television News Directors Foundation, the International Radio and Television Society, and the American Museum of the Moving Image. In addition, he has been inducted into the Royal Television Society's Welsh Hall of Fame and the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
Mr. Stringer serves as chairman of the American Film Institute Board of Trustees and is on the Board of Trustees of The Museum of Television & Radio. He is a board member of the New York/Presbyterian Hospital, the American Theatre Wing, the American Friends of the British Museum, and the Corporate Leadership Committee of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He has honorary fellowships from Merton College, Oxford, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2003, Mr. Stringer received an Honorary Doctorate from the London Institute.
A native of Cardiff, Wales, Mr. Stringer received the title of Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours list of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on December 31, 1999. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in modern history from Oxford University. He is a recipient of the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement for service in Vietnam (1965-67). He became a U.S. citizen in 1985.
Past MTR 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 of Everybody 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, John Wells, Tom Werner, Dick Wolf, and Bob Wright. In October MTR honored Leslie Moonves and Jerry Bruckheimer at its gala in Los Angeles.
Individual tickets for The Museum of Television & Radio's Annual Gala honoring Sir Howard Stinger and Sony Corporation are available for $1,500 per person, and tables are offered at the $20,000, $25,000, and $30,000 levels. Advertising space in the tribute journal is also available for purchase at the $5,000, $7,500, and $10,000 levels. Please contact the Museum's Special Events office at (212) 621-6815 for details.
The Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. Founded by William S. Paley in 1976, MTR draws upon its curatorial expertise, an international collection, and close relationships with the leaders of the media community to explore and explain the intersections between media and society. Through the MTR Media Center and the International Council, MTR develops new initiatives and fosters partnerships around the world. The general public and industry professionals can access the collection and participate in programs at both of MTR's locations that celebrate the creativity, the innovations, the personalities and leaders who are shaping the media landscape. For more information, please visit www.mtr.org.
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. 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.