Governors Award

For the first time in its history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is presenting one of its coveted annual honorary awards to a film preservationist. Kevin Brownlow, the revered British film historian, documentarian, author and preservationist, was chosen by the academy's Board of Governors for his "wide and devoted chronicling of the cinematic parade. " FOR THE RECORD: Kevin Brownlow: A Nov. 10 Calendar article about Kevin Brownlow, who on Saturday will receive a Governors Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said he was the first film preservationist to earn an honorary Oscar.

They all talk about the phone calls - Will Smith, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks. What binds them is the relentless prodding they've all received from Hollywood's most bullish fundraiser, Jeffrey Katzenberg. At the fourth-annual Governors Awards, inside the Ray Dolby Ballroom on Saturday night at the Hollywood & Highland Center, Katzenberg was about to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his many philanthropic efforts. American Film Institute founding director George Stevens Jr., stuntman and director Hal Needham and documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker also received honorary Oscars.

Writer-producer Fay Kanin will receive the Governors Award from the American Society of Cinematographers on Feb. 21, the first screenwriter to be so honored by the group.

A global social media campaign featuring a Bob Marley song was launched by some of the music industry's top stars on Tuesday to help stem the hunger crisis that is increasing in the Horn of Africa. More than 150 stars, including Lady Gaga, U2, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, are among the well-known figures using their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to urge fans to donate money to help the numerous families starving in the region. The campaign, called "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend," can be found at http://www.imgonnabeyourfriend.org . It shows a video by Kevin Macdonald of Bob Marley & the Wailers' 1973 song "High Tide or Low Tide" with footage of malnourished children.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the creators of such enduring television characters as Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, the Jetsons and Scooby-Doo, have been partners for 50 years--longer than most marriages last. The continuing association of the two, who received the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the 40th annual Emmy Awards Sunday night, is a classic example of yin and yang: Their talents and interests complement each other rather than overlap.

KCET Channel 28, which is marking its 25th anniversary this year, will be the recipient of the 1989 Los Angeles Area Governors Emmy Award, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Tuesday. The award will be presented at the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards May 20 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The Governors Award is bestowed in recognition of special and unique contributions to television in Los Angeles. KCET signed on the air on Sept. 28, 1964.

ABC Head Gets Governors Award: Leonard H. Goldenson, the founder of American Broadcasting Cos. Inc., and the chairman of the executive committee for Capital Cities/ABC Inc., has been voted this year's Governors Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Lucille Ball has been voted this year's Governors Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The posthumous award will be made during the 41st annual primetime Emmy Awards Sept. 17. Lucy was a four-time Emmy winner and one of the first inductees into the TV academy's Hall of Fame.

Stan Chambers, who has been reporting for KTLA Channel 5 since 1947--the year the station began broadcasting--has been chosen to receive the 1985 Los Angeles Area Governors Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Chambers will receive the special Emmy at the academy's June 1 banquet to present the local Emmy Awards for 1985. The Governors Award is meant to honor individuals, shows or organizations that have made unique contributions to television in Los Angeles.

"After almost 40 years of working in the business, it's a wonderful culmination, it means that I choose wisely the people I work with," Grant Tinker said backstage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Sunday night, after receiving the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' prestigious Governors Award. Earlier, during the Emmy ceremonies, NBC's former chairman of the board told the audience to stop its standing ovation after a glowing introduction from actress Betty White.

For the first time in its history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is presenting one of its coveted annual honorary awards to a film preservationist. Kevin Brownlow, the revered British film historian, documentarian, author and preservationist, was chosen by the academy's Board of Governors for his "wide and devoted chronicling of the cinematic parade. " FOR THE RECORD: Kevin Brownlow: A Nov. 10 Calendar article about Kevin Brownlow, who on Saturday will receive a Governors Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said he was the first film preservationist to earn an honorary Oscar.

The film academy's Board of Governors voted Tuesday to present Francis Ford Coppola, director and producer of " The Godfather," among other films, with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday morning that it will also present honorary awards to British film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow; French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, who made his feature directorial debut 50 years ago with "Breathless"; and veteran actor Eli Wallach, whose credits include "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

PBS executives are in active discussions with cash-strapped KCET-TV Channel 28 to keep the Los Angeles station a vibrant part of public television, PBS President Paula Kerger said Wednesday during the semiannual TV press tour in Beverly Hills. In town to tout her new slate of national programming, Kerger took a reporter's question about KCET's precarious financial situation, which was reported in The Times Wednesday. Station executives, hit hard by a drop in contributions and intense competition from other channels, are weighing leaving the PBS network and going independent, among other options.

Three major Oscar-contending movies -- "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker" and "The White Ribbon" -- were big winners over the weekend as the awards' season enters the final stretch. Christian Berger won the top feature film honor for "The White Ribbon" on Saturday evening at the 24th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards. The much-lauded German film, which is Oscar-nominated for best cinematography and foreign language film, was the only black-and-white film among the five nominees.

KCAL and KTTV Fox 11 led the pack Saturday night at the 57th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards. Each station won nine statuettes at the ceremony presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. KCAL's sister station, KCBS, won two top awards, including best daytime newscast for "CBS2 News" at 6 a.m. and best daily newscast under 35 minutes for "CBS2 News" at 11 p.m.

KMEX-TV Channel 34's public-affairs series "34 a Su Lado" (34 by Your Side) was named Thursday to receive the governor's award for broadcasting achievement at the annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards. Nominations for the local Emmys also were announced, with KTTV-TV Channel 11 capturing 24 to lead the pack of local outlets. It was followed by Fox Sports Net with 15, KCBS-TV Channel 2 with 13, KCAL-TV Channel 9 with 12 and KNBC-TV Channel 4 with 11. The winners will be announced Aug. 28.

Three major Oscar-contending movies -- "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker" and "The White Ribbon" -- were big winners over the weekend as the awards' season enters the final stretch. Christian Berger won the top feature film honor for "The White Ribbon" on Saturday evening at the 24th annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards. The much-lauded German film, which is Oscar-nominated for best cinematography and foreign language film, was the only black-and-white film among the five nominees.

PBS executives are in active discussions with cash-strapped KCET-TV Channel 28 to keep the Los Angeles station a vibrant part of public television, PBS President Paula Kerger said Wednesday during the semiannual TV press tour in Beverly Hills. In town to tout her new slate of national programming, Kerger took a reporter's question about KCET's precarious financial situation, which was reported in The Times Wednesday. Station executives, hit hard by a drop in contributions and intense competition from other channels, are weighing leaving the PBS network and going independent, among other options.

Crediting hard work by students, faculty and parents, Gov. Gray Davis gave Tarzana Elementary School a check Friday for $31,406 for meeting its Academic Performance Index growth target. Tarzana--one of 4,500 schools in the state sharing in $227 million in performance awards--achieved 107 performance index growth points, well above its target of 13. "Your numbers went off the charts," Davis told the students assembled in the school's auditorium.

Closer to home, hats off to Knott's Berry Farm for winning the first-ever Governor's Tourism Award, presented to the chicken champs at this year's California Conference on Tourism. The honor is the tourism version of a lifetime achievement award. After all, Walter and Cordelia Knott were wowing crowds with their chicken dinners and Wild West entertainment when Mickey Mouse was still in short pants. "It's fitting that it went to America's first theme park," said Knott's spokesman Bob Ochsner.