CBS’s Lesley Stahl and ABC’s Sam Donaldson have been named two of the 2010 “Giants of Broadcasting” by the Library of American Broadcasting.

CBS’s Charles Osgood will serve as master of ceremonies for the October 6 awards ceremony in New York.

Other honorees include:
• TV and radio legend Dick Clark
• Writer Norman Corwin, often called America’s “poet laureate of radio”
• Edward Fritts, former President of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
• Radio and TV pioneer Hal Jackson
• All My Children and One Life to Live creator Agnes Nixon

A posthumous award goes to veteran CBS, CNN, and NPR newsman Daniel Schorr, who died in July. Others being honored posthumously: radio and TV host Art Linkletter, actress Rue McClanahan, and TV documentary and film producer David Wolper.

Located at the University of Maryland, The Library of American Broadcasting is self-described as a “national information resource” for the TV, radio, and academic communities.

Sunday marked ABC News White House correspondent Jake Tapper‘s last day as interim host of “This Week.” Next Sunday Christiane Amanpour takes over the role full-time.

Tapper made the most of his last day, talking to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner about the economy and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, about… Snooki.

During the roundtable segment, Cokie Roberts, Sam Donaldson, Donna Brazile and Stephen Hayes discussed the Shirley Sherrod incident. Video of that discussion is after the jump.

Read more

On today’s “Morning Mix” on “Good Morning America,” Democratic strategist Donna Brazile called CNN’s Larry King “a hottie.” George Stephanopoulos, along with ABC’s Sam Donaldson, USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan, and Brazile also discussed some of the week’s most talked about stories, including Ben Roethlisberger and the Supreme Court vacancy.

As we reported earlier today, Christiane Amanpour is leaving CNN after nearly 27 years with the network and heading to ABC News where she’ll succeed George Stephanopoulos as moderator of that network’s Sunday public affairs show, “This Week.”

TVNewser spoke with Amanpour this evening for a Q&A about working on a D.C.-based political show (she’ll still live in New York) and her thoughts about departing the network where she’s been such a prominent figure.

What are your feelings about leaving CNN?

Amanpour: I thought about this long and hard. Clearly, as you can imagine, it was an intense decision-making process. I’ve spent 26 and a half years at CNN and together with my colleagues we’ve built this incredible place. I have a great amount of respect and admiration for CNN.

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a part of this honored tradition that is “This Week” and to build on it with an international perspective, and build on what “This Week” has forged over the years.

What kind of changes are you planning for the program?

Amanpour: The nuts and bolts are a work in progress. This is a show that’s established in viewers’ minds and in their hearts and in their interests. What we’re doing is building on it to include the international perspective. We’ll focus on the vital domestic policies and issues of the day and the international policies and issues of the day. We’ll use the perspective that I’ve gained over the years of being around the world and interviewing world leaders all over the place.

The round table will continue with the amazing people like George Will, who’s a national treasure, Paul Krugman, Donna Brazile and the ABC correspondents, Jake Tapper, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, who’s had incredibly distinguished career. I’m very very proud to be able to join in a collegial way with all these people.

Read more

“There’s a difference between governing,” says media critic Jane Hall, “and getting elected.”

One year ago today, Pres. Barack Obama began to govern — and the nets and cablers started covering his administration.

So how have they done?

“I think many reporters in the White House press corps have been asking tough questions,” says Hall, an associate professor at American University’s School of Communication and a former Fox News contributor. “I think Obama’s getting more scrutiny out of the gate certainly than [George W.] Bush did, because of 9/11.”

Hall cites ABC’s Jake Tapper as a particularly assertive questioner. “[I]n some ways [he] looks to me as if he’s taken on some of the Sam Donaldson-David Gregory role” in the White House press briefing room.

Overall, tvnewsers “have been more rigorous in their coverage [of Obama] than they were during the campaign,” says Fox News contributor Tucker Carlson, co-founder of The Daily Caller. “Some kind of hangover, breakup — pick your metaphor — is inevitable. The love affair was so intense between the press and Obama the candidate…The expectations were always unsustainable.”

Read more

In honor of Veterans Day, TVNewser would like to take a moment to recognize the following TV news anchors, reporters, and technicians who’ve served in the U.S. armed forces. We apologize for those missing, of which there are likely many, but here is a brief list:

• Bob Schieffer, “Face the Nation” host
  
  U.S. Air Force
• Oliver North, Fox News “War Stories” host
  
  U.S. Marine Corps, retired Lieutenant Colonel
• Chris Lawrence, CNN Pentagon correspondent
  
  U.S. Navy Reserve
• Russel L. Honoré, CNN Preparedness Contributor
  U.S. Army, Retired Lieutenant General
• Steve Kroft, “60 Minutes” correspondent
  
  U.S. Army, and worked for Stars and Stripes in Vietnam
• Charlie Gibson, ABC “World News” Anchor
  
  U.S. Coast Guard
• Don Teague, CBS News Correspondent
  U.S. Army, trained at Fort Hood
• Andy Rooney, “60 Minutes” personality
  
  U.S. Army, and wrote for Stars and Stripes in WWII
• Greg Kelly, “Good Day New York” host, former FNC host/correspondent
  U.S. Marine Corps, (and currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves)
• Jack H. Jacobs, MSNBC military analyst
  
  U.S. Army, former Colonel Medal of Honor recipient
• Clark Howard, HLN Host
  
  U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, Captain in the Georgia State Defense Force.
• Ray Bribiesca, “60 Minutes” cameraman
  
  U.S. Marine Corps
• Andrew Soto, “60 Minutes” editor
  
  U.S. Army
• Joe Murania, “60 Minutes” editor
  
  U.S. Navy
• Sam Donaldson, ABC News reporter/anchor
  
  U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Captain, USAR
• David Martin, CBS News correspondent
  
  U.S. Navy, Officer for 3 years aboard a destroyer in Pearl Harbor during Vietnam
• Herb Schwartz, Pat Gillen, and Mike Pelech of CBS News

Tonight, PBS’ Gwen Ifill will appear as a part of the “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” special, primetime run. For the 10th Anniversary celebration of the show, original host Regis Philbin returned and introduced a new life-line called “Ask the Expert” where contestants can talk to a different celebrity expert each night.

So far, most of the experts have been familiar newser faces including Sam Donaldson, George Stephanopoulos, Wolf Blitzer, Cokie Roberts, Candy Crowley, and Connie Chung.

You can see some full episodes from the past week here.

FOX News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace is profiled in this week’s Broadcasting & Cable.

Of former ABC News president Roone Arledge: “[Roone] understood why people watch TV and what attracts an audience. It’s one of the things he shares with another great boss I’ve had, [Fox News Chairman] Roger Ailes.”

Of his move to cable: “It struck me as almost silly to work at a news organization that wasn’t on the air most of the time.”

Sam Donaldson, praising his former competitor: “If there had never been a Mike Wallace, we would just be looking at Chris as one of the premier interviewers.”

The 19th annual First Amendment Awards Dinner, hosted by RTNDF, took place last night in Washington, D.C., and FishbowlDC’s Christine Delargy writes about the crowd — from former White House press secretary Dana Perino to CBS’ Lara Logan — and event.

Delargy highlights the “comedy act” brought by ABC’s Charlie Gibson and Sam Donaldson to present an award to Cokie Roberts.

In accepting the award last night, Roberts turned the lens on her hometown of New Orleans, saying news coverage there, and in many other locales, exacerbates racial tension: “[T]here’s a big difference between a couple of thoughtful people trying to get to some solution and a shoutfest where the shouter is seeking attention and the broadcaster is hoping for ratings.”

The other winners included CNN’s Susan Grant and Google’s Eric Schmidt. Click here to see pictures from the event.

• More: Politico’s Patrick Gavin also attended the awards ceremony, and talked to emcee Chris Matthews and Donaldson about their favorite current White House correspondents and more. Video is after the jump…

Read more

ABC’s Charles Gibson and Sam Donaldson will present the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award to Cokie Roberts at the RTNDF’s 19th annual First Amendment Awards Dinner next Thursday.

Also honored at the Washington, DC event: Google, Inc. which will receive the First Amendment Leadership Award. PBS’ Judy Woodruff will present to Google’s chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt.

Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball, will emcee the event.