News 12 Congratulates Bob Wolff On Governor’s Award From NY Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences

WOODBURY, N.Y. - May 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Legendary sportscaster Bob Wolff was honored with the prestigious Governor’s award the New York Emmy’s® highest honor by the New York Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  Maury Povich presented the career achievement award during the New York Emmy® award gala Saturday night at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.   Bob Wolff’s son, Rick Wolff, accepted the award on his behalf.  Wolff, recognized by Guinness World Records for having the “longest career as a sportscaster and broadcaster,” is currently enjoying his 75th year in broadcasting, with more than 68 of those in television.

“I am privileged to receive this incredible honor from the New York Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  As an Emmy award winner and multiple nominee, I hold this organization in the highest esteem,” said Bob Wolff.  “I’m grateful to the academy for recognizing me, although there are countless others who have contributed to my success.  I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best professionals in the business at News 12 Networks, Madison Square Garden and others, have a dedicated and supportive family, and have had the love and devotion of my wife of 70 years, Jane. I count these among my most cherished awards.”

Patrick Dolan, President, News 12 Networks, noted: “For nearly 30 years, we have been thrilled and honored to count Bob Wolff as a member of the News 12 family.  As a broadcast legend, the Governor’s award could not be going to a more deserving recipient than Bob.  His talent, showmanship and sheer mastery of the art of sports broadcasting have inspired scores of professionals at News 12 and elsewhere.  We congratulate him on this award and his continued success.”

About Bob Wolff
Wolff began his professional career in 1939 working for WDNC-CBS while a freshman at Duke University in Durham, NC.  The Phi Beta Kappa graduate became a sports television pioneer in 1946 when he joined DuMont Network’s WTTG-TV as the first telecaster in Washington, D.C.  He was also the first basketball team telecaster in history, calling play-by-play for the Red Auerbach-coached Washington Capitols in their inaugural 1946-1947 season.  During his 15 years in Washington, D.C., Wolff became a local broadcasting legend.  He was the television voice of the Washington Senators beginning in 1947 and, in addition to calling games, he also handled the team’s pre-game and post-game TV and radio shows.

Beginning in 1954, he began a remarkable 36-year television run as MSG play-by-play broadcaster where he held the record for telecasting more MSG events than any other sportscaster, including long-running tenures as the TV voice of the New York Knicks, the Rangers, numerous college basketball teams, the National Invitation Tournament, the Millrose Games, Virginia Slims Tennis, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the National Horse Show.   He’s also been the national play-by-play voice for NBC, ABC and the Mutual Broadcasting System’s “Game of the Week” in baseball and college football, and the local television play caller for eight pro teams in five sports.  On the college scene, he was a popular play caller for Maryland, Navy and St. John’s.

Wolff has been behind the microphone for many sporting firsts.  In 1956, he was selected to cover Mutual Broadcasting System’s broadcast of the 1956 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.  He had a sportscasting first in Game 5 when he called Don Larsen’s perfect game – the only one in World Series history.  He also called the Baltimore Colts 1958 victory over the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium in the first overtime NFL Championship that has been called “the greatest game ever played.”  And in 1960, Wolff teamed with Canadian TV hockey great Foster Hewitt to call television’s first-ever pay-per-view game, Toronto against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.  In 1961, Wolff followed the Senators to Minnesota to become the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota Twins and in 1962, he was selected to be the play-by-play telecaster on NBC’s Baseball Game of the Week. Wolff joined News 12 Long Island when it launched in 1986 and continues to serve as an active sportscaster with the network.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has received numerous accolades.  For starters, Wolff holds the rare distinction of having broadcast the play-by-play championships in all four major professional sports – the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Championship and the National Football League Championship.  In 2003, he became the first person to capture the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association’s (NSSA) Triple Crown of awards.  Wolff was inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame and was also selected as New York State Sportscaster of the Year for the sixth time and received the national Powerade Award for Best Sportscast for the “Bob Wolff Baseball Scrapbook” show on the MSG Network.  That same year, he was also inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame.  In 1995, he was honored with baseball’s prestigious Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball and was inducted into the broadcast wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  In July 2008, he was voted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame with the Curt Gowdy Award, joining Curt as one of the first two sportscasters to be in both the basketball and the baseball halls.  Wolff has also been honored by selection to the Hall of Fame of his collegiate fraternity- Sigma Nu.

A New York native, Wolff resides in Rockland County, NY, with his wife Jane.  They have two sons and a daughter.  The “Wolffpack” now includes nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and another one on the way.

About News 12 Networks
News 12 Networks is the first, largest, and most watched 24-hour local cable news network in the country.  News 12 Long Island, the first of its kind, launched in 1986, and today the network of 7 individual local 24-hour news channels remains a cable-exclusive service, serving New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester, Hudson Valley (Rockland and Orange Counties), the Bronx, and Brooklyn in addition to Long Island.  News 12 Networks also includes five traffic and weather channels, providing constantly updated information in those two key subject areas, throughout the same coverage footprint.  In addition to the 12 cable channels, News 12 also features the award winning news12.com, the premiere destination for local  news on the web; and News 12 Interactive, channel 612 on Optimum  TV,  providing local news on-demand to Cablevision subscribers.   News 12 Networks is owned and operated by Cablevision Systems Corporation.