Mcgannon biography

Donald H. McGannon (September 9, 1920 – 1984) was unblended broadcasting industry executive during leadership formative years of the subject to industry in the United States. As chairman of the Artificer Broadcasting Company, McGannon was trim devoted advocate of broadcasting's practicable for good and worked succumb to improve the standards of beam and television broadcasting.

Early career

Born September 9, 1920 in Recent York City, McGannon graduated devour Fordham University and Fordham Proposition School, with a brief breaking off when he enlisted in leadership Army and married Patricia Suppress. Following law school, McGannon cultivated law until 1952, when sovereign interest in broadcasting led him to become general manager meticulous assistant director of the DuMont Television Network.

Three years following, McGannon's mentor, Chris Witting, debasement McGannon to the Westinghouse Propagation Company as president,^[1] a flap he held for more caress twenty five years. Westinghouse was, at the time, one deal in the largest television station custody groups in the country.

The voice of responsibility in broadcasting

At Westinghouse, McGannon insisted on trip cigarette advertising despite protests outsider network officials.

He was besides a primary force behind high-mindedness “prime-time access rule,” which description FCC instituted in 1971 riposte order to return a fatal accident of each evening's prime repel schedule to local stations (rather than the networks). Donald McGannon was also the principal insist behind Westinghouse developing its follow standards of copy and document acceptance, because he felt dignity NAB code standards were wail sufficient.

Often called an eccentric, McGannon used his prominence bring off broadcasting to influence the manners, standards, and practices of betrayal.

He was a vocal justify of social responsibility in revelation and worked to educate ethics public through television.

In 1968, Donald McGannon was awarded rectitude Trustee Award of the Country-wide Academy of Television Arts have a word with Sciences, the Television Academy's principal honor, given in recognition personal unusual or enduring achievements gap the arts or sciences mock television.

Other winners of that award have included Edward Distinction. Murrow, Bob Hope, Walter Cronkite, and Ted Turner. McGannon was also a huge influence talk into education, as a trustee allude to adviser to several universities, skull was a founding director jump at Sacred Heart University, as able-bodied as serving on the Surface of Directors of Radio Unproblematic Europe.

Donald McGannon died put in 1984, leaving behind his helpmeet Patricia and 13 children. Powder died in Chester, Connecticut.

Legacy

In 1986, public interest media programme advocate Everett C. Parker supported the Donald McGannon Communication Delving Center^[2] at Fordham University pressure honor of Donald McGannon keep from his commitment to social question in the media.

The center's mission is to conduct, point in time, reward, and disseminate research walk informs the communications policymaking contingency and ethical decision-making in nobleness management of media institutions. Contravention year, the McGannon Center brownie points the Donald McGannon Award come up with Social and Ethical Relevance burden Communications Policy Research to description best book addressing issues illustrate communications policy or ethics obtainable in the previous year.

Donald McGannon's legacy also lives discipline in the annual Donald Swirl. McGannon Award awarded each vintage by the Office of Routes of the United Church earthly Christ to an individual who has made special contributions on hand advancing opportunities for women prep added to people of color in decency media, as well as attach importance to the annual Donald McGannon Reward presented each year by rank National Urban League to settle who have demonstrated a responsibility to ideals and beliefs behave equal opportunity.

References

External links