Awardees and Guest Speakers
American Horizon Awardees
2024
Patrick Butler
President & CEO
America’s Public Television Stations
Presented by Judy Woodruff
2023
Michael K. Powell
President & CEO
NCTA – The Internet & Television Association
Presented by Nilda Gumbs
2022
Ken Burns
Documentary Filmmaker
Florentine Films
Presented by Patrick Butler
2021
William E. Kennard
Chairman of the Board
AT&T Inc.
Presented by Randall Stephenson
2020
David L. Cohen
Senior Executive VP
Comcast Corporation
Presented by Cesar Conde
2019
Caroline Beasley
Chief Executive Officer
Beasley Media Group, LLC
Presented by Senator Gordon Smith
2018
Cathy Hughes
Founder & Chairperson
Urban One, Inc.
Presented by Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick
2017
Dave Lougee
President & CEO
TEGNA Inc.
Presented by Senator Gordon Smith
2016
Perry A. Sook
Chairman, President & CEO
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
Presented by Adonis E. Hoffman
2015
Meredith Attwell Baker
President & CEO
CTIA–The Wireless Association
Presented by Larry Irving
2014
Gracia Martore
President & CEO
Gannett Co., Inc.
Presented by Gary B. Pruitt
2013
Senator Gordon Smith
President & CEO
National Association of Broadcasters
Presented by Rep. Greg Walden
2012
John Riccitiello
CEO
Electronic Arts
Presented by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
2011
Randall Stephenson
Chairman & CEO
AT&T Inc.
Presented by Ben Jealous
2010
Rupert Murdoch
Chairman & CEO
News Corporation
Presented by Joel I. Klein
2009
Gary Shapiro
President & CEO
Consumer Electronics Assn.
Presented by Rep. Darrell Issa
2008
Andrea Wong
President & CEO
Lifetime Entertainment Services
Presented by Kyle E. McSlarrow
2007
Kenneth W. Lowe
President & CEO
E.W. Scripps
Presented by Pat Mitchell
2006
Glenn A. Britt
President & CEO
Time Warner Cable
Presented by Decker Anstrom
2005
David J. Barrett
President & CEO
Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc.
Presented by Wade Hargrove
2004
Geraldine Laybourne
Chairman & CEO
Oxygen Media
Presented by Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy
2003
Dennis FitzSimons
CEO
Tribune Company
Presented by Don Cornelius
2002
Ralph Roberts
Chairman
Comcast
Presented by Charlie Rose
2001
Charles Dolan
Chairman
Cablevision Systems Corp.
Presented by The Honorable William Kennard
2000
Robert L. Johnson
Chairman & CEO
BET Holdings II
Presented by Chairman William Kennard
1999
Decker Anstrom
President & CEO
The Weather Channel
Presented by Judith McHale
1998
Steve Case
Chairman & CEO
America Online, Inc.
Presented by Commissioner Susan Ness
1997
Edward O. Fritts
President & CEO
National Association of Broadcasters
Presented by Jack Valenti
1996
John S. Hendricks
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Discovery Communications, Inc.
Presented by James Billington, Librarian of Congress
1995
Rep. Jack M. Fields, Jr.
U.S. House of Representatives
1994
Frank J. Biondi, Jr.
President & CEO
Viacom Inc.
Presented by Ivan Seidenberg, President of NYNEX
Freedom of Speech Awardees
2024
Floyd Abrams
Senior Counsel
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Presented by Dan Abrams
2023
Bob Woodward
Author and Associate Editor
The Washington Post
Presented by Donald E. Graham
2022
Lester Holt
Anchor and Managing Editor
“NBC Nightly News”
Presented by Harry Smith
2021
Norah O’Donnell
Anchor and Managing Editor
“CBS Evening News”
Presented by Gayle King
2020
Mignon Clyburn
Former Acting Chair
FCC
Presented by Rep. G. K. Butterfield
2019
Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.
Publisher & CEO
The Washington Post
Presented by Pamela Brown
2018
Chris Wallace
Journalist and Host of
“FOX News Sunday”
Presented by Brit Hume
2017
Jeffrey Herbst, Ph.D.
Former President & CEO
The Newseum
Presented by George B. Irish
2016
Ajit V. Pai
FCC Commissioner
Presented by Robert McDowell
2015
Peggy Noonan
Author and Columnist
The Wall Street Journal
Presented by Bob Woodward
2014
Senator Chris Dodd
Chairman & CEO
Motion Picture Association of America
Presented by Carl Hulse
2013
Josh Sapan
President & CEO
AMC Networks
Presented by Brian Lamb
2012
Bob Pittman
CEO
Clear Channel
Presented by Senator Roger F. Wicker
2011
Robert M. McDowell
FCC Commissioner
Presented by Rod Smolla
2010
Kyle E. McSlarrow
President & CEO
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
Presented by Decker Anstrom
2009
Rep. Rick Boucher
U.S. House of Representatives
Presented by Lucy Dalglish
2008
Peter Chernin
President & COO
News Corporation
Presented by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy
2007
Tony Snow
Press Secretary
White House
Presented by Ann Compton
2006
Sumner M. Redstone
Chairman
CBS Corporation & Viacom
Presented by Dan Glickman
2005
Roger Ailes
Chairman & CEO
Fox News
Presented by Alan Frank
2004
Bob Wright
Chairman & CEO
NBC Universal
Presented by Tim Russert
2003
Brian Lamb
Chairman & CEO
C-SPAN
Presented by Dr. Michael Kelley
2002
James Kennedy
Chairman & CEO
Cox Enterprises
Presented by Ambassador Andrew Young
2001
Barbara Cochran
President
Radio-Television News Directors Assn.
Presented by Judy Woodruff
2000
Jeff Bezos
CEO
Amazon.com
Presented by Tom Brokaw
1999
Comm. Michael K. Powell
Federal Communications Commission
Presented by The Honorable Harry Edwards
1998
Robert Decherd
President & CEO
A.H. Belo Corporation
Presented by Leslie Moonves
1997
Richard M. Schmidt, Jr.
General Counsel, ASNE
Cohn and Marks
Presented by Geneva Overholser
1996
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy
U.S. Senate
Presented by John Perry Barlow of Electronic Frontier Foundation
1995
Donald V. West
Editor & Senior Vice President
Broadcasting & Cable Magazine
1994
Nadine Strossen
President
American Civil Liberties Union
1993
John Seigenthaler
Chairman
The Freedom Forum
1992
Richard E. Wiley
Senior Partner
Wiley Rein & Fielding
Special Guest Speakers
2024
Commissioner Anna Gomez
FCC
Richard E. Wiley
Wiley Rein LLP
Lifetime Achievement Award
2023
Curtis LeGeyt
President & CEO
National Association of Broadcasters
2022
Commissioner Nathan Simington
FCC
2021
Senator Gordon Smith
President & CEO
National Association of Broadcasters
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
2020
Commissioner Brendan Carr
FCC
2019
Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
FCC
2018
Commissioner Michael O’Rielly
FCC
2017
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
U.S. House of Representatives
2016
Patricia de Stacy Harrison
President & CEO
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
2015
Rep. Bob Goodlatte
U.S. House of Representatives
2014
Commissioner Ajit Pai
FCC
2013
Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn
FCC
Floyd Abrams
Senior Partner
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
2012
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
FCC
2011
Senator Mark Warner
United States Senate
2010
Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker
FCC
2009
David Westin
President
ABC News
2008
Floyd Abrams
Senior Partner
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
2007
Peter Pritchard
President
The Newseum
2006
Commissioner Robert McDowell
FCC
2005
The Hon. Bruce Cole
Chairman
National Endowment for the Humanities
2003
Commissioner Kevin Martin
FCC
2002
Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy
FCC
2001
Rep. Fred Upton
U.S. House of Representatives
2000
Rep. Rick Boucher
U.S. House of Representatives