Leonard H Goldenson

Broadcasting pioneer Leonard H. Goldenson was memorialized Friday in Manhattan for his vision and risk-taking that built ABC into one of the three pillars of network television. The last surviving and least well-known among broadcasting contemporaries David Sarnoff, founder of NBC, and CBS founder William S. Paley, the modest Goldenson died Dec. 27 at the age of 94.

In the last couple of weeks, the full-color extravaganza regularly playing inside my head (usually it's a Warner Bros. cartoon followed by "Spartacus") has turned into a Martin Scorsese production, rapidly cutting back and forth between two disparate sets of images.

Leonard H. Goldenson, who over 30 years built ABC from a struggling third network to a communications giant, was presented with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' governors award during Sunday's Emmy Awards telecast. "I'm extremely proud of the fact that we were able to build an organization through the years and out of it have great morale and spirit," he said during his acceptance speech, emphasizing ABC's success "against all odds."

Broadcasting pioneer Leonard H. Goldenson was memorialized Friday in Manhattan for his vision and risk-taking that built ABC into one of the three pillars of network television. The last surviving and least well-known among broadcasting contemporaries David Sarnoff, founder of NBC, and CBS founder William S. Paley, the modest Goldenson died Dec. 27 at the age of 94.

In 1955, Goldenson found another prime-time prospect on ABC's Los Angeles affiliate, KABC-TV. Lawrence Welk, another of our early shows, was phenomenally successful in a way that has never been duplicated. He and his band established themselves performing live at the LaMonica Ball Room in Santa Monica. Our Los Angeles station, KABC-TV, put him on the air locally at 9 Saturday night. In the summer of 1955 we picked this up for the network.

I n this excerpt from his forthcoming book "Beating the Odds," Leonard J. Goldenson describes what happened immediately after he merged his company, United Paramount Theatres, with the American Broadcasting Co. in 1953. The struggling ABC network "had no hit shows, no stars and nothing in prospect but struggle," he writes. ABC was deeply in debt and had only 14 affiliates compared to CBS' 74 and NBC's 71. The network ran no programming until 6 p.m.

At 85, Leonard Goldenson, the man who built ABC into a major television force, has a smile and a twinkle in his eye as he sits down at a restaurant table at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey. "In this business, you've gotta shoot craps," he says with youthful enthusiasm as he decries programming for "old fogies." ABC's programming must continue to focus on the 18-to-49-year-old audience, he says. "I'm an old man. I'm no longer our audience."

In the last couple of weeks, the full-color extravaganza regularly playing inside my head (usually it's a Warner Bros. cartoon followed by "Spartacus") has turned into a Martin Scorsese production, rapidly cutting back and forth between two disparate sets of images.

Leonard Goldenson, for 32 years the chairman of ABC, got into the broadcasting game more than two decades after the rulers of CBS and NBC, William Paley and David Sarnoff, did. With "Beating the Odds," Goldenson, now 85, has once again brought up the rear with an authorized life story. But in an effort to set himself apart, Goldenson has produced a curiously bland hybrid: part memoir, part Festschrift, part corporate history.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Seminars Committee will host "Is There a Dot Com in Your Future?" The April 6 panel discussion will feature new-media and broadcast executives discussing career options in today's entertainment environment. The panel, scheduled for 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., will take place at the academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre, 5230 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Admission is $15. Information: (818) 754-2890.

Leonard Goldenson, for 32 years the chairman of ABC, got into the broadcasting game more than two decades after the rulers of CBS and NBC, William Paley and David Sarnoff, did. With "Beating the Odds," Goldenson, now 85, has once again brought up the rear with an authorized life story. But in an effort to set himself apart, Goldenson has produced a curiously bland hybrid: part memoir, part Festschrift, part corporate history.

At 85, Leonard Goldenson, the man who built ABC into a major television force, has a smile and a twinkle in his eye as he sits down at a restaurant table at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey. "In this business, you've gotta shoot craps," he says with youthful enthusiasm as he decries programming for "old fogies." ABC's programming must continue to focus on the 18-to-49-year-old audience, he says. "I'm an old man. I'm no longer our audience."

In 1955, Goldenson found another prime-time prospect on ABC's Los Angeles affiliate, KABC-TV. Lawrence Welk, another of our early shows, was phenomenally successful in a way that has never been duplicated. He and his band established themselves performing live at the LaMonica Ball Room in Santa Monica. Our Los Angeles station, KABC-TV, put him on the air locally at 9 Saturday night. In the summer of 1955 we picked this up for the network.

I n this excerpt from his forthcoming book "Beating the Odds," Leonard J. Goldenson describes what happened immediately after he merged his company, United Paramount Theatres, with the American Broadcasting Co. in 1953. The struggling ABC network "had no hit shows, no stars and nothing in prospect but struggle," he writes. ABC was deeply in debt and had only 14 affiliates compared to CBS' 74 and NBC's 71. The network ran no programming until 6 p.m.

Leonard H. Goldenson, who over 30 years built ABC from a struggling third network to a communications giant, was presented with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' governors award during Sunday's Emmy Awards telecast. "I'm extremely proud of the fact that we were able to build an organization through the years and out of it have great morale and spirit," he said during his acceptance speech, emphasizing ABC's success "against all odds."

Goldenson's Gift to TV Academy: Veteran broadcasting executive Leonard H. Goldenson on Monday announced a $1-million personal contribution to support the work of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. It is the largest contribution ever received by the foundation, which is the academy's nonprofit charitable and educational wing. Goldenson is chairman of Capital Cities/ABC Inc.'s executive committee and founder of American Broadcasting Cos. Inc.

A public tribute for Mike Douglas, the TV talk-show host who died Aug. 11, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood. Reservations for the service, to be held at the academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre, 5220 Lankershim Blvd., may be made at (818) 754-2800 or at www.mikedouglastribute.com.