Dawna Lee Heising of “Eye on Entertainment” Films Show at the Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards

North Hollywood, CA – Bea Arthur, Dan Burke, Larry Gelbart, Merv Griffin, Tom Murphy and Sherwood Schwartz were inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Science’s Hall of Fame in 2008.  Hall of Fame candidates are submitted from the Television Academy's membership and the industry at large to the Hall of Fame selection committee who votes upon the final decision. 

Founded by former Television Academy president John H. Mitchell, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to television: on-camera legends and pioneering talent that include directors, producers, costume designers, writers, animators, executives, reporters and explorers. Since the first ceremony in 1984, more than 100 of television’s notables have been inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. 

The 2008 selection committee is comprised of Mark Itkin, Chairman of the Television Academy Hall of Fame Selection Committee, Fred Silverman, Brian Graden, Mike Darnell, Courtney Cox-Arquette and  Anne Sweeney.  John Shaffner is the current Chairman/CEO of the Television Academy.  The award winners were chosen for their tremendous impact on the television business.  

The 2008 Television Academy Hall of Fame honorees included:

-Bea Arthur, who is a two-time Emmy® Award-winning and a Tony Award-winning comedienne, actress and singer and is best known as “Maude” in the hit television series “Golden Girls”,

-Daniel B. Burke, who was president of Capital Cities Communications for 22 years and CEO of Capital Cities/ ABC until his retirement in 1994,

-Larry Gelbart, who is a prolific comedy writer with over sixty years of credits. In 1972, Gelbart was one of the main forces behind the creation of the television series M*A*S*H

-Merv Griffin, an innovative force in television for nearly half a century, who hosted his syndicated talk show for 23 years and earned 32 Emmy nominations and 17 Emmys Awards

-Thomas Murphy, who was chairman and former CEO of Capital Cities/ABC, and built Capital Communications into one of the country's leading media companies and 

-Sherwood Schwartz, a writer/producer who has been involved with more than 700 television shows, but is still best remembered for two of the most enduring series, Gilligan's Island (1964-1967) and The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born. It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry.  In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Emmy® Award, the Television Academy publishes Emmy® Magazine and stages many industry-related programs, services and year-round events for the television community.

Eye on Entertainment

“Eye on Entertainment” (EOE) is a high-energy, high-impact television program focusing on extraordinary individuals and the entertainment industry.  The show, aired on Time Warner Cable in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, features powerhouse interviews with successful people in all walks of life, exploring the traits that they have in common, and covers entertainment events and awards shows.  Dawna Lee Heising is the executive producer and host of EOE.  Dawna is Ms. Universe 2009 and is a long-standing member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and AFTRA.  EOE’s producer and cinematographer is John Cox, an educator in the film and video departments at Orange Coast and Golden West Colleges.