Katie Couric and Phil Kent To Be Honored By Museum of the Moving Image at the St. Regis Hotel

By: Jan. 25, 2010
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Herbert S. Schlosser, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the Moving Image, announced today that Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and Phil Kent, chairman and chief executive officer of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., will be honored at the Museum's annual black-tie benefit on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at The St. Regis Hotel. Each spring, the Museum holds this event, recognizing two leaders in the media industry.

When the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric debuted on September 5, 2006, Couric became the first female solo anchor of a weekday network evening news broadcast. Couric, who is also a 60 Minutes correspondent and anchor of CBS News primetime specials, has reported on and anchored newscasts and broadcasts for some of the biggest domestic and international stories and has conducted numerous exclusive newsmaker interviews including the historic 2008 presidential election. The RTNDA honored the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric with the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in both 2008 and 2009. Also in 2009, USC's Annenberg School for Communication awarded Couric with the Walter Cronkite Award for Special Achievement for "National Impact on the 2008 Campaign" and the University of South Dakota and Freedom Forum awarded Couric the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media.

Prior to her work at CBS, Couric was co-anchor of NBC News' morning show Today for 15 years. Over the course of her career, Couric has covered most of the major breaking news events of recent times-the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, the Columbine tragedy, six Olympic games, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings-and interviewed an extraordinarily diverse collection of newsmakers, from presidents and prime ministers to captains of industry and cultural icons. She also writes a monthly column for Glamour Magazine which features an interview with a new female role model every month.

"As a broadcast journalist, Katie has shown a great talent for smart, incisive reporting," said Mr. Schlosser. "In her many years on the air, on both the Today show and CBS Evening News, Katie has interviewed many of the most important and interesting people in the world and has become one of the best interviewers in all of television. In her interviews she has always sought information and news and not the sensational item or the embarrassment of the person she is interviewing."

Since February 2003, Phil Kent has served as chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), the pioneering cable television company and a leading division of Time Warner Inc. He oversees the domestic and international networks and businesses of the company's news, entertainment and animation, young adult and kids media portfolio, which includes CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International, and CNN.com; TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, truTV, and Peachtree TV; and Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Adult Swim. He also has corporate oversight of all advertising and distribution, Turner Sports and Turner Studios. Previously, Kent was president and chief operating officer of CNN News Group; president of Turner Broadcasting System International, overseeing the company's wide-ranging business activity outside the U.S.; and president of Turner Home Entertainment, which included Turner's home video, licensing & merchandising and feature distribution businesses. He joined Turner Broadcasting from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where he was a packaging agent in the television department. In 2007, he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Mr. Schlosser stated, "Phil heads one of the most successful and innovative companies in the media industry. His career has been one of wide-ranging experience in many diverse aspects of the media business. In his current position at Turner Broadcasting, he oversees some of the industry's most popular and profitable brands. He is a highly respected and well-regarded business person and leader."

Rochelle Slovin, director of the Museum said, "Television is integral to the subject we explore at Museum of the Moving Image, where we are proud to recognize outstanding figures such as Katie Couric and Phil Kent. Thanks to these honorees, and to the industry leaders who will pay tribute to them, the Museum will have much-appreciated support in providing students and teachers with a multitude of education programs, including tours, screenings, hands-on workshops, after-school activities, and professional-development seminars."

Founded in 1981, Museum of the Moving Image is the only institution in the United States that deals comprehensively with the art, technology, and social impact of film, television, and digital media. It houses the nation's largest collection of moving image artifacts and screens hundreds of films annually. Its exhibitions-including the core exhibition, Behind the Screen-are noted for their integration of material objects, computer-based interactive experiences, and audiovisual presentations.

A major expansion and renovation of the Museum's facility is currently underway. Designed by architect Thomas Leeser, the project will double the size of the Museum and includes a new 264-seat theater, a 71-seat screening room, new galleries for the exhibition of digital art, and a multi-classroom education center. When it opens in the fall of 2010, the new Museum building will be ideal for showcasing the moving image in all its forms.

For ticket information, please contact Event Associates at 212.245.6570.


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