NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame has announced that eight legends in the sports-television industry will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on December 14, 2010, at a ceremony to be held at the New York Hilton Hotel. Jim Nantz, CBS Sports lead play-by-play announcer and two-time Emmy winner, will host the ceremony for the fourth consecutive year.
The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2010:
Leonard Chapman is CEO of Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, a company that has redefined the industry via cranes, camera support, and more.
Davey Finch has been CBS's lead handheld-camera operator for 30 years, covering the NFL, PGA, NBA, USTA, and NCAA Basketball, as well as three Winter Olympics.
John Madden is one of the industry's best-known color commentators and analysts, covering NFL football on all four major American television networks from 1979 through 2008.
Geoff Mason currently works for ESPN, but his career extends back to the formative years at ABC Sports, where he worked as an executive producer, including on ABC's Olympic coverage from 1968 to 1988.
John Roche has served as technical manager for some of the largest live television events, including the Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, the New York City Marathon, and the Kentucky Derby. His attention to detail laid the groundwork for success.
Chet Simmons served as president of NBC Sports, was the first CEO of ESPN, and founded the United States Football League, developing groundbreaking TV contracts along the way.
George Steinbrenner was principal owner and managing partner of the New York Yankees from 1973 to 2010, during which time he helped to revolutionize the business of regional MLB coverage by being the first owner to sell TV cable rights and later launching the YES Network.
Pat Summerall has broadcast 16 Super Bowls, in addition to play-by-play and color-commentary work on basketball, golf, and tennis, in a sports-announcing career that spans five decades and three networks.
"Now in its fourth year, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame demonstrates a range and diversity of inductees who truly represent the many facets of our unique business," says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman Ken Aagaard. "No other industry is so interdependent as one that goes live to air and crafts stories, legends, and dramas in real time before hundreds of millions of people."
The ceremony will be held in the Trianon Ballroom at the New York Hilton Hotel on December 14, 2010, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m.
To purchase tickets to attend this year's Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame ceremony, visit http://sportsvideo.org/main/hof2010/.