NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2008, formed in 2007 to honor sports TV industry innovators and leaders, announced its 2008 inductee class today in New York. Marvin Bader, Chet Forte, Curt Gowdy, Teddy Nathanson, Don Ohlmeyer, Val Pinchbeck, Vin Scully, Bob Seiderman, and Charlie Steinberg will be officially inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Dec. 16 in New York in a ceremony hosted by Jim Nantz, CBS Sports lead play-by-play announcer.
The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame is produced by the Sports Video Group (SVG), an industry association dedicated to advancing the creation, production, and distribution of sports content. For more information about SVG, visit www.sportsvideo.org.
More than 80 industry leaders from national broadcast networks, cable sports networks, leagues, teams, and related organizations participated in the selection process this past summer. Honorees were elected in seven categories: management, production, technical operations, engineering, leagues and teams, manufacturers and vendors, and on-air talent.
The 2008 honorees will join last year's inaugural Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame class: Roone Arledge, Julius Barnathan, Frank Chirkinian, Howard Cosell, Harry Coyle, Jim McKay, Pete Rozelle, Ed Sabol, Tom Shelburne, Larry Thorpe, and George Wensel.
"The sports broadcast industry has become a powerhouse, thanks to the contributions of these individuals," says Ken Aagaard, Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame chairman and CBS Sports EVP, operations and production services. "Their vision and professional excellence has enriched the TV-viewing experience for millions of sports fans."
The 2008 class of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame:
Marvin Bader
Bader was responsible for all the production services during ABC's three-decade string of Olympics coverage (1960s, '70s, and '80s). As VP, ABC Sports Olympic Operations, he oversaw the host-broadcast feed of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Chet Forte
Forte was the first director of ABC's Monday Night Football in 1970, redefining NFL coverage in the process. He worked with executive producer Roone Arledge to display the game as entertainment as well as a sporting event and making it a must-watch for NFL fans.
Curt Gowdy
During his 34-year career, Gowdy did it all - covering 13 World Series, 16 MLB All-Star games, nine Super Bowls, 14 Rose Bowls, eight Olympic Games, and 24 NCAA Final Fours, not to mention co-creating and producing Wide World of Sports with Roone Arledge and working on American Sportsman.
Teddy Nathanson
Nathanson oversaw some of the greatest TV moments in sports history during his career as a director at NBC. For his work, he garnered an Emmy Award and the first Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Television (1991).
Don Ohlmeyer
Ohlmeyer began his career at ABC, where he worked on Wide World of Sports, produced Monday Night Football, and produced and directed three Olympic Games TV packages before moving to NBC, where he served as president of the West Coast division from 1993 to '99.
Val Pinchbeck
Pinchbeck was a long-time NFL executive and one of NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle's chief advisors. As the NFL's head of broadcasting for more than two decades, he served as a liaison on television and radio with the 30 NFL teams and with the various networks that broadcast games.
Vin Scully
The long-time voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, Scully has been with the franchise on both coasts for 57 seasons. He has called six World Series and 14 National League Championship series.
Bob Seiderman
A four-time Emmy Award winner, Seiderman's technical wizardry took the sports audio experience from a secondary position behind video to an equal one. While at CBS Sports and Fox Sports, Seiderman defined the aural landscape of everything from NASCAR to the NFL.
Charlie Steinberg
Steinberg oversaw the development of some of the most important production tools for sportscasters, including instant-replay systems in the late 1960s and, three decades later, HDTV. For transforming sports coverage through technology developments, Steinberg won three Emmys.
For biographies and tribute videos for last year's inductees, visit: www.sportsvideo.org/hof.
For information about sponsoring this year's Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, please contact Rob Payne at: rob@sportsvideo.org or 212-481-8131.
For tickets and tables, please contact Carrie Bowden at carrie@sportsvideo.org or 917-446-4412.