Brokaw, Summerall, Los Lobos To Receive Major Awards At WFUV-FM Spring Gala May 2 In New York

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- NEW YORK, April 13, 2011 – Legendary broadcaster Charles Osgood, NFL great and sportscaster Frank Gifford and respected rock veteran Alejandro Escovedo will be the presenters of awards to Tom Brokaw, Pat Summerall and Los Lobos on Monday, May 2, at WFUV Radio’s Annual Spring Gala 2011, the station announced today.  

Grammy Award-winners Los Lobos will be feted as WFUV’s “Artist of the Year” and receive the WFUV Sound & Vision Award; Brokaw, NBC News’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, will receive the Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism; and former CBS and FOX Sports’ football play-by-play and NFL legend will receive the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting at the station’s fourth annual Spring Gala.

The benefit in support of New York’s “Rock and Roots” public radio station, licensed to Fordham University, will be held at Three Sixtyo in Tribeca in New York City.  An audience of more than 400 donors will be treated to a mini-concert by Los Lobos, including a performance of their critically acclaimed rendition of “La Bamba,” which launched the band to stardom in 1987.

“Los Lobos has been an inspiration to me that goes beyond borders, culture and race,” said Escovedo. “By their example I learned how to make music and live life while honoring my culture, yet not being defined by it.  Like Los Lobos, WFUV also tears down borders by playing and honoring the music of artists who are proud of their roots yet are constantly creating with new vision.”

Lifetime Achievement Awards Named for Famed Station Alumni

In tribute to legendary broadcasters Charles Osgood and Vin Scully, both of whom started their careers at WFUV, the station established two annual Lifetime Achievement Awards in their names.  Summerall and Brokaw were nominated and selected by well-known colleagues in their respective fields, many of whom also began their careers at WFUV.

Summerall is a member of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame.  His broadcast career spanned six decades, and he played 10 years in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, Chicago Cardinals and the New York Giants.  “He had a great voice,” Gifford said. “More than that, Pat was distinctive – but not only in the voice.  He had a great awareness of the drama of the moment. A big part of broadcasting is getting it all done in the allotted time you have, and Pat could say an awful lot in very few words.”

One of the most respected and trusted journalists in America, Brokaw was the award-winning anchor and managing editor for NBC Nightly News for 21 years, and now serves the network as a special correspondent.   In 1998, Brokaw became a best-selling author with the publication of The Greatest Generation.  “I’m thrilled that Tom Brokaw is receiving this year’s Charles Osgood award,” said Osgood. “He is one of the very best we’ve ever had in television news and he continues to inspire all the rest of us.”

Previous WFUV gala honorees include Paul Simon, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm, Dick Enberg, the late Ernie Harwell, Jim Lehrer, Bob Schieffer, Scully and Osgood.

"We’re so pleased to have these three legendary figures join us as presenters to honor Los Lobos, Tom Brokaw and Pat Summerall,” said Ralph Jennings, WFUV’s general manager. “This will be a remarkable celebration.  This esteemed assembly of honorees and presenters truly reflects WFUV’s commitment to excellence in music, news and sports broadcasting.”

Gala Details and Tickets
The Gala will be held at Three Sixtyo, 10 Desbrosses Street in New York City.  For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit www.wfuv.org/gala, email wfuvevents@fordham.edu or call 212-930-8898.

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New York’s Rock and Roots station WFUV (90.7 FM, www.wfuv.org) is a noncommercial, member-supported radio station, licensed to Fordham University for more than 60 years, serving more than 300,000 weekly listeners.