Meet the NBC All-Stars: Ann Curry

Ann Curry is the news anchor of NBC News' "Today," America's number one morning news program, and the anchor of "Dateline NBC," the network's award-winning newsmagazine. Curry joined the "Today" show in March of 1997, and in May 2005, she was named co-anchor of "Dateline NBC." Curry also regularly substitute anchors for "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams."

Curry has distinguished herself in global humanitarian reporting frequently traveling to remote areas of the world for under-reported stories. During the span of one year, from March 2006 to March 2007, she traveled three times to Sudan to report on the violence and ethnic cleansing taking place in Darfur and Chad. While there, she provided in-depth reports focusing on the victims who have been caught in the deadly conflict of that region, and she also conducted exclusive interviews with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Chadian President Idrsiss Deby.

In spring 2008, Curry broadcast live from the Democratic Republic of the Congo where she reported on the horrific struggles of the women and children from the city of Goma. She also traveled to Serbia in 2008 where she examined the deplorable conditions of Serbia's mental institutions. Curry was the first network news anchor to report on the humanitarian refugee crisis caused by the genocide in Kosovo in 1999, reporting for NBC News from Albania and Macedonia.

Curry has conducted numerous exclusive interviews with world leaders and dignitaries including a one-on-one with Dalai Lama during his trip to the U.S amid violence in Tibet in April 2008, and a sit-down with former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto just two months before her assassination in December 2007. Curry also talked to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in his first-ever interview with an American news organization.

Other Curry exclusives include Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first female elected President of an African nation; the first highly sought after interview with Thomas Hamill, the truck driver for Halliburton subsidiary KBR, who escaped captivity in Iraq; the first interview with accused spy Wen Ho Lee after he was cleared of all charges of espionage against the United States; and the first interview with the parents of the McCaughey septuplets. Curry also repeatedly landed the first exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong after his Tour de France wins.

In July 2006, Curry reported on the Israel-Lebanon war, and she was one of the only American reporters to file stories on both sides of the conflict from Beirut and Northern Israel. In the summer of 2005, Curry traveled with First Lady Laura Bush throughout Africa to examine the continent's HIV/AIDS epidemic, women's rights and education.

She was the first network news anchor to report from inside the tsunami zone in Southeast Asia, filing reports from Sri Lanka for all NBC News and MSNBC programming. As part of "Today's" unprecedented Ends of the Earth series, Curry has extensively examined the effects of climate change traveling to Antarctica and the South Pole in November 2007, and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in November 2008.

In the first two weeks following the attacks of September 11, Curry reported live from ground zero every day. When the United States bombed Al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan in November 2001, she reported extensively from the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, and landed the first exclusive interview with the war's military commander, General Tommy Franks. Curry reported from Baghdad in the weeks leading up to the war in Iraq, and then from the USS Constellation as the war began, interviewing fighter pilots who flew the first wave of bombing runs over Iraq. She also filed reports from inside Iraq, from Qatar, and Kuwait during the first weeks of the war.

Curry first joined NBC News in August 1990 as a Chicago-based correspondent. In 1992 she was named anchor of "NBC News at Sunrise." She later helped launch MSNBC and then became news anchor at "Today." Before coming to NBC, Curry was a reporter for KCBS in Los Angeles. In 1981, she was a reporter and anchor for KGW, the NBC affiliate in Portland, Oregon. Curry began her broadcasting career as an intern in 1978 at KTVL, in Medford, Oregon, near her hometown, rising to become that station's first female news reporter.

Curry has earned four Emmys Awards, four Golden Mikes, several Associated Press Certificates of Excellence, two Gracie Allen Awards, and an award for Excellence in Reporting from the NAACP. In June 2007, Curry was honored with the Simon Wiesenthal Medal of Valor for her extensive reporting in Darfur. She has been awarded by Americares, Save the Children, the Anti-Defamation League as a Woman of Achievement, and the Asian American Journalists Association, receiving its National Journalism Award in 2003. She has also won numerous awards for her charity work, primarily for breast cancer research.

Curry graduated from the University of Oregon School of Journalism in 1978.

Source: NBC

Meet the NBC All Stars: Jimmy Fallon

Long a renowned comic talent, Jimmy Fallon's ability to deliver versatile, standout performances on the screen has allowed him to join the exclusive ranks as one of the "Saturday Night Live" alumni at the forefront of a diverse line-up of television and film projects -- while always staying grounded in his stand-up roots.

Most recently, NBC named Fallon as the replacement for Conan O’Brien on "Late Night" emanating out of New York City. The show -- which will serve as a platform for comedy, music and A-list talent to promote their upcoming projects -- is being executive-produced by Lorne Michaels and will premiere in March 2nd. In the months leading up to the broadcast debut, Fallon has produced video blogs that run online nightly at 12:30 a.m. on NBC.com.

Fallon first garnered attention in 1998 when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and quickly became an audience favorite for his impressions of Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, Adam Sandler as well as spot-on musical impressions of Justin Timberlake, Jack White and Enrique Iglesias. Fallon created many memorable recurring characters on "SNL," including: Nick Burns, the sarcastic tech-support representative; rowdy Boston teen "Sully" known for playing tonsil hockey with Denise, as played by Rachel Dratch; and the explosive "Barry Gibb" opposite Justin Timberlake in "The Barry Gibb Talk Show." In 2000, Fallon became the co-anchor of the popular segment "Weekend Update" alongside Tina Fey.

During his six-year stint on "SNL," Fallon ventured off into other television roles, including his role of Second Lieutenant George Rice in Tom Hanks’ and Steven Spielberg's 2001 Emmy Award-winning miniseries "Band of Brothers."

Always a favorite among the MTV audience, Fallon co-hosted the 2001 MTV Movie Awards with Kirsten Dunst and then again while solo in 2005. He also hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002. In 2005, Fallon participated in Cameron Diaz' MTV eco-friendly travel show "Trippin,’" where he traveled to Africa to educate viewers about one of the world's most unique and fragile ecosystems. In the Summer 2003, Fallon earned raves as guest hosting for David Letterman.

Fallon made his feature film debut in Cameron Crowe's rock ‘n roll road film, "Almost Famous," in which he played band manager Dennis Hope. In 2003, he appeared alongside Christina Ricci in Woody Allen's "Anything Else." In 2004, Fallon starred with Queen Latifah in the action-comedy "Taxi." That same year he starred opposite Drew Barrymore in the blockbuster romantic comedy "Fever Pitch," the Farrelly Brothers' homage to Boston Red Sox fanaticism. Most recently, Fallon starred with Lucy Liu in the comedy "The Year of Getting to Know Us," which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. He can next be seen in the roller derby feature "Whip It," opposite Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore.

Fallon is married and lives in New York City. His birthday is September 19.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Preview
Debuts Monday, March 2nd at 11:30 PM on WKYC-TV



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Courtesy: NBC

News: Thursday Night lineup best for NBC since March

NBC's Thursday stalwarts, "My Name is Earl," "The Office" and "ER" joined forces with the new comedy "Kath & Kim" and the first of three Thursday "Saturday Night Live" election specials to propel the network to its highest Thursday rating in 18-49 since last March, excluding sports, according to "fast affiliate-based" "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC finished within one rating point of the nightly lead in adults 18-49 and won this highly competitive Thursday in adults and men 18-34, pending updates.

"Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" began its three-week Thursday run with a 47 percent gain over NBC's time-period averages last season in adults 18-49.

"It's already been a historic season for 'Saturday Night Live,' with its earliest premiere ever and its biggest audiences in 14 years," commented Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "And we're thrilled that primetime viewers are now discovering what late-night audiences have known for a long time now -- nobody does political satire like 'Saturday Night Live'."

At 8 p.m. ET last night, "My Name is Earl" (2.7 rating 8 share in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) scored NBC's highest 18-49 rating and overall viewership in this time period so far this season. "Earl" was up 8 percent in 18-49 and 13 percent in total viewers versus its average in this half-hour with 60-minute telecasts this season. Pending updates, "Earl" ranked #2 in the time slot in adults 18-49 and #1 in adults 18-34 (tied) and men 18-34.

At 8:30 p.m. ET, the series premiere of "Kath & Kim" (3.2/9 in adults 18-49, 7.5 million viewers overall) built on its "Earl" lead-in by 19 percent in 18-49 rating and by 5 percent in total viewers. In adults 18-34, "Kath & Kim" built on its lead-in by 39 percent (3.2 vs. 2.3). "Kath & Kim" won its tough time period in adults and men 18-34, topping CBS's "Survivor," ABC's "Ugly Betty" and CW's "Smallville" in those demos, and ranked #2 in adults 18-49, behind only "Survivor."

At 9 p.m. ET, "The Office" (4.6/11 in 18-49, 9.0 million viewers overall) won its extremely competitive half-hour in adults and men 18-34, topping the season premiere of CBS's "CSI," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and Fox's baseball telecast in those demos. "The Office" retained 96 percent of its strong season-premiere rating in this half-hour two weeks ago (4.6 vs. 4.8), despite facing strong additional competition last night from the season premiere of "CSI."

At 9:31 p.m. ET, "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" (5.0/12 in 18-49, 10.6 million viewers overall) surged 47 percent in 18-49 rating and 40 percent in total viewers versus NBC's averages in this time period last season (3.4 in 18-49 and 7.6 million viewers). With 10.6 million total viewers, this "SNL" special topped every regular "SNL" telecast since January 20, 2001 in overall viewership.

The first of three special Thursday primetime editions of "SNL," last night's telecast, which featured guest appearances by Bill Murray (as town hall debate questioner "William Murray") and Chris Parnell (as moderator Tom Brokaw), built on its strong "Office" lead-in by 9 percent in 18-49 and 18 percent in total viewers. "SNL" won its highly competitive time period among men 18-34.

At 10:01 p.m. ET, "ER" (3.9/10 in 18-49, 9.3 million viewers overall) won its time period in adults 18-49, topping the series premieres of "Eleventh Hour" on CBS and "Life on Mars" on ABC. "ER" sewed up its highest 18-49 rating since November 15, 2007 and its largest overall audience since January 3, 2008

"ER" was up 11 percent in 18-49 rating versus the same night last year, when it did not face series premiere competition.

Note that all national ratings are "live plus same day" unless otherwise indicated.

Source: NBCU

Meet the NBC All Stars: Bob Costas

In this edition of "Meet the NBC All Stars," we focus on a broadcaster who has been charged with handling goliath duties for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

This Olympics will be Bob Costas' eighth for NBC Sports and his seventh as primetime host. After serving as late night host in 1988 from Seoul, Costas has won acclaim and Emmy Awards each year for his work as primetime host from Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Salt Lake City, and Athens. Costas, who has the longest tenure of the network's sports announcers, joined NBC in 1980. He has handled a wide array of assignments, including play-by-play, studio hosting and reporting.

The 19-time Emmy Award winner is one of the most respected and honored broadcasters of his generation. In 2005, Costas was named host of NBC's "Football Night in America," an exclusive and complete look at each Sunday in the NFL. "Football Night in America" encompasses more than four hours of NFL coverage, including a primetime pre-game show and the premier primetime game of the week "NBC's Sunday Night NFL Football." Costas also co-hosts NBC's coverage of the U.S. Open, The Players Championship, Ryder Cup, Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

Costas first worked on NBC's coverage of Major League Baseball, the NFL and college basketball. From 1982-89, Costas teamed with analyst Tony Kubek on MLB "Game-of-the-Week" telecasts, forming one of baseball's most popular broadcast teams. During that time, he served as the play-by-play commentator for "Game of the Week" assignments and coverage of the American League Championship Series in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989. He also hosted All-Star Game pre-game shows in those same years and World Series pre-games in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988.

Under the umbrella of The Baseball Network, Costas handled play-by-play chores for the 1994 All-Star Game and called 1995 Division Series and ALCS games on NBC. That year, he also called his first World Series on television, teaming with analysts Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker on Games 2, 3 and 6. The trio of Costas, Uecker and Morgan again joined in 1997 for NBC's exclusive coverage of the World Series, marking Costas' first start-to-finish coverage of the Fall Classic. The 1998 ALCS, 1999 NLCS, 1999 World Series and 2000 ALCS showcased the duo of Costas and Morgan. Costas and Morgan also called the 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game from Atlanta.

From 1984-92, Costas hosted NBC's NFL pre-game show, "NFL on NBC." In 1996, he returned to the NFL pre-game, contributing commentaries and interviews. He also hosted the pre-game shows for Super Bowls XX, XXIII and XXVII. From 1990-91 through the 1995-96 NBA season, Costas served as the host of "NBA Showtime," NBC Sports' pro basketball pre-game show. In November 1997, he moved from the studio to courtside to work as NBC's top play-by-play man for "NBA on NBC" game telecasts. Costas' call of Michael Jordan's game-winning shot at the buzzer in the deciding Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals between Chicago and Utah was one of sportscasting's most memorable calls of the modern era. After three seasons as the lead NBA on NBC play-by-play voice - the last two and a half with acclaimed analyst Doug Collins - Costas volunteered to hand the NBA mike back over to the NBA's signature voice, Marv Albert, for the 2000-01 season.

Costas also originated the popular "Costas Coast-to-Coast" nationally syndicated Sunday night sports radio talk show, and served as a regular host of the program through mid-1996. From August 1988 through January 1994, he hosted his own Emmy Award-winning late-night interview television show, "Later with Bob Costas," on NBC. In 1994, Costas expanded his broadcasting duties at NBC. He contributed segments to a variety of NBC News programs, including the primetime newsmagazine, "Dateline." On occasion he still provides special interviews for NBC News'"Today."

Costas began his broadcasting career in 1974 at WSYR-TV and Radio in Syracuse, N.Y. He later joined KMOX Radio in St. Louis, working as play-by-play voice of the ABA Spirits of St. Louis. He also called play-by-play for one season of Chicago Bulls road-game telecasts. He then went on to handle regional NFL and NBA assignments for CBS Sports while acting as the radio voice of University of Missouri basketball from 1976 to 1981.

In April 2000, Costas' book, "Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball" made The New York Times Best Seller list. Net proceeds from the book were donated to B.A.T - Baseball Assistance Team, which provides financial assistance to those members of the baseball family in need. Costas has won Emmy Awards as "Outstanding Sports Personality/Host" in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. He won his first Emmy for play-by-play work on his call of the 1997 World Series; and won Emmys for writing in 1988 and 1995. The latter award was for his moving tribute to the late Mickey Mantle on "NBC Nightly News." In addition to his 17 Sports Emmy Awards, Costas' interview program "Later with Bob Costas" won the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series.

Costas has been honored as "Sportscaster of the Year" by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association a record eight times. He won first in 1985, when at 33 years-old he became the youngest person to win the award. He added awards in 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997 and 2000. In March 2000, Costas was named "Favorite Sportscaster" at the TV Guide Awards, based on balloting by readers of TV Guide magazine.

One of television's most gifted interviewers, Costas won acclaim as host of HBO's "On The Record," a weekly show on which Costas interviewed luminaries from the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics. He recently began hosting "CostasNOW," on HBO, a monthly one-hour sports magazine program. Costas also hosted HBO's "Inside the NFL" from 2002-08. In 2005, he also signed on with CNN as a substitute for Larry King on "Larry King Live."

Costa's combination of wit and intelligence have made him a popular guest on the talk show circuit from his memorable play-by-play call of elevator races on "Late Night with David Letterman" to his current appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Costas attended Syracuse University.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet the NBC All Stars: Billy Ray Cyrus

In this edition of our "Meet the NBC All Stars," we are featuring Country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus who joined the NBC family this summer as host of the new hit show "Nashville Star.

Spanning the last 15 years, Cyrus has had a phenomenal career, not only in the music world, but in film and television as well. Last summer, Cyrus released his tenth album, "Home At Last," on Walt Disney Records. The first single from the album, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," is a heartfelt ballad he wrote for his daughter, Miley, as she prepared to leave for Los Angeles from Tennessee to start production on "Hannah Montana." The duet (featuring Miley Cyrus) and album both topped the Country charts.

Billy Ray recently recorded the Sheryl Crow-penned track "Real Gone" for the forthcoming "Country Sings Disney" CD, slated for release in July. The song will also be included on his next studio album which is currently being recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winning producer Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood). Cyrus' eleventh album, "Back to Tennessee" is set for release on October 21.

The multi-platinum singer/songwriter's musical roots go back to his childhood in Kentucky when the young Cyrus was singing with his father's gospel quartet before he started grade school. Discovered in 1990 while opening for Reba McEntire, Cyrus holds the record by a debut artist for his album "Some Gave All" which was #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Album chart for 17 weeks. "Some Gave All" certified multi-platinum, selling 14 million copies worldwide, while his other albums, "It Won't Be the Last" and "Storm in the Heart" certified platinum and gold respectively. He won Favorite New Artist - Country and Favorite Single - Country for "Achy Breaky Heart" at the American Music Awards. His hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" also earned him Single of the Year by the Country Music Association and the BMI Robert J. Burton Award in 1993.

Cyrus currently stars as Robby Stewart, father and "personal and professional" manager to his 15-year-old daughter, played by real-life daughter Miley, who has a secret identity as a pop star in the Emmy-nominated Disney Channel series, "Hannah Montana." Billy Ray and Miley are currently filming "The Hannah Montana Movie" for Walt Disney Pictures in Tennessee, which is slated for release next summer. Once production wraps on the feature film, father and daughter will return to Los Angeles to shoot the third season of the hit TV series.

In 2007, Cyrus gained an even larger fan base with his good-natured and entertaining performance on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," making it to the eighth week of competition as one of the final five. Most recently, Cyrus hosted the CMT Music Awards with Miley and starred in his own CMT reality series "Home at Last." He has also completed production on two films which will be released later this year: "Bait Shop" with Bill Engvall and "Flyin' By" with Heather Locklear.

Cyrus starred in the PAX series "Doc" for which he also composed the theme song. That series is now seen in over 50 countries. His film credits include "Elvis Has Left the Building," "Mulholland Drive," "Radical Jack" and "Wish You Were Dead." On the stage, he starred as Frank Butler in the stage production of "Annie Get Your Gun" in Toronto.

Cyrus resides on his 500-acre farm near Nashville when not working in Los Angeles.

Meet the NBC All Stars: Lester Holt

Lester Holt is the weekend anchor for the flagship broadcast "NBC Nightly News," and is also the co-anchor of the weekend edition of "Today." In addition, Holt serves as fill-in anchor and correspondent for "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" and the weekday "Today" program. He also contributes to MSNBC, NBC's 24-hour cable news network.

Holt has reported from many of the world's hot spots. In 2006, he reported from the front lines in Lebanon on the war between Israel and Hezbollah and from London on the terror threat to U.S. bound-airliners from the UK. In 2005, Holt was on the ground for Hurricane Katrina covering events both in Louisiana and Mississippi, and later that fall covered Hurricane Rita in Texas.

Before becoming co-anchor of "Weekend Today," Holt anchored "Lester Holt Live," a daily news show on MSNBC in which he covered breaking news and provided news updates and analysis. Holt has also served as the lead anchor for daytime news and breaking news coverage on MSNBC. He has served as a primary anchor for MSNBC's coverage of the biggest news events of the last several years, including Operation Iraqi Freedom and the war in Afghanistan, and he was the lead daytime anchor for MSNBC's coverage of Decision 2000. Holt also served as anchor of "Countdown: Iraq," a nightly news telecast concentrating on the latest developments surrounding the war with Iraq, from October 2002 through March 2003.

The award-winning broadcast journalist came to MSNBC from WBBM-TV in Chicago, where he spent 14 years. His duties at WBBM-TV included anchoring the evening news. Holt not only worked at the anchor desk in Chicago, but he also reported extensively from trouble spots around the world including Iraq, Northern Ireland, Somalia, El Salvador and Haiti. He has contributed to the CBS News broadcast "48 Hours," earning a 1990 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award for his work on "48 Hours: No Place Like Home."

Previously, Holt worked as a reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City from 1981-82. In 1982 he transferred to sister station KCBS-TV in Los Angeles as a reporter and weekend anchor and returned to WCBS-TV a year later as a reporter and weekend anchor.

Holt majored in government at California State University in Sacramento. He resides in New York City with his wife and family.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet the NBC All-Stars: Tim Russert

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This time around, we are featuring Tim Russert who certainly has a few ties to the Cleveland area, having gone to John Carroll University and Cleveland Marshall College of Law and - most recently - moderated NBC's coverage of the Democratic Presidential Debate at Cleveland State University on 2/26/08. So, let's Meet Tim Russert, one of NBC's All Stars.

Tim is currently the Managing Editor and Moderator of "Meet the Press" and political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and "Today." Russert also serves as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.

His two books -- "Big Russ and Me" in 2004 and "Wisdom of Our Fathers" in 2006 -- were both New York Times #1 bestsellers.

He has received forty-seven honorary doctorate degrees from American colleges and universities and has lectured at the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Reagan Presidential Libraries.

Russert took over the helm of "Meet the Press" in December 1991. Since then, MTP has become the most watched Sunday morning interview program in America and the most quoted news program in the world. Now in its 60th year, Meet the Press is the longest-running program in the history of television. Russert has interviewed every major figure on the American political scene.

Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he supervised the live broadcasts of the Today program from Rome, negotiating and arranging an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a first for American television. In 1986 and 1987 Russert led NBC News weeklong broadcasts from South America, Australia and China.

Washingtonian Magazine dubbed Tim Russert the best and most influential journalist in Washington, D. C. describing "Meet the Press" as "the most interesting and important hour on television."

TV Guide selected his use of the white dry eraser board (Florida, Florida, Florida) on Election Night 2000 as one of the "100 Most Memorable TV Moments" in history. The Washington Post credits him with coining the phrase "red state" and "blue state" to explain the nation's political divide.

In 2005, he was awarded an Emmy for his role in the coverage of the funeral of President Reagan. He is the recipient of the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. His Election 2000 Meet the Press interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore won the Radio and Television Correspondents' highest honor, the Joan S. Barone Award and the Annenberg Center's Walter Cronkite Award.

Russert's March 2000 interview of Senator John McCain shared the 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism. He is also the recipient of the John Peter Zenger Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award, the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communication, the Catholic Academy for Communication's Gabriel Award, and inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

He is a trustee of the Freedom Forum's Newseum and a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club and America's Promise -Alliance for Youth.

In 1995, the National Father's Day Committee named him "Father of the Year"; Parents magazine honored him as "Dream Dad" in 1998 and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.

Irish America magazine has named him one of the top 100 Irish Americans in the country and he was selected as a Fellow of the Commission of European Communities.

Russert was born in Buffalo, New York on May 7, 1950. He is a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and with honors from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Before joining NBC News, Russert observed firsthand the inner workings of the executive and legislative branches of government as counselor in the New York Governor's office in Albany in 1983 and 1984 and a special counsel in the United States Senate from 1977 to 1982.

He is admitted to the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

Russert is married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine. They live in Washington, D.C. with their son, Luke.

Photo & Information courtesy: NBC

Meet the NBC All Stars: Jason Lee of "My Name is Earl"

Multiple award nominee Jason Lee has been recognized with two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Television Series and two Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor for his starring role as Earl Hickey on NBC's hit comedy series "My Name Is Earl" which airs Thursday nights at 8 PM on WKYC.

Lee not only stars, but also serves as a producer on the show about a hapless crook who has an epiphany after winning a small fortune in the lottery. Determined to change his karma, he sets out to right all the wrongs he's inflicted on people.

To date, "My Name Is Earl" has received the People's Choice Award, two Television Critics Association Awards, a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, and Emmys for executive producers Garcia and Buckland for writing and directing, respectively.

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, California, Lee turned a childhood pastime of skateboarding into a professional career. However, after moving to Los Angeles during his early 20s, he began developing an interest in acting. "After watching Steve Buscemi as the bellboy in 'Barton Fink,' I knew I wanted to be in movies," said Lee.

Lee's big break came in 1995 with the lead role in writer-director Smith's comedy "Mallrats," in which he deftly portrayed the inconsiderate slacker Brodie. Lee then went on to star in Smith's "Chasing Amy" (for which he won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his role as Banky) and as the demonic Azrael in Smith's supernatural comedy "Dogma." He reunited with Smith in the Dimension Films comedy, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," and most recently, he had a cameo role in Smith's "Clerks II."

Lee co-starred in Cameron Crowe's Golden Globe-winning ensemble feature, "Almost Famous," in the role of Jeff Bebe, the lead singer of a 1970s rock band called Stillwater. He then re-teamed with Crowe on the writer-director's film "Vanilla Sky."

After working with director Lawrence Kasdan in the ensemble comedy "Mumford," Lee reunited with Kasdan for the director's suspense-thriller, "Dreamcatcher."

Lee’s additional film credits include writer-director Rebecca Miller's "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" (with Daniel Day-Lewis and Catherine Keener), director Barry Sonnenfeld's ensemble comedy "Big Trouble," "Enemy of the State," and "Kissing a Fool."

In addition, Lee co-starred as the voice of Syndrome in Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar's Academy Award-winning animated feature "The Incredibles," and he also voiced a character in the "motion-capture" feature "Monster House," about three teenagers who discover their neighbor's house is a monster. He voices the title character in "Underdog," in Spyglass Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures' live-action adaptation of the classic 1960s cartoon due for release August 3, 2007.

Over his recent summer hiatus, Lee starred in the CG/live-action hybrid feature film, "Alvin and the Chipmunks.” He stars as Dave Seville, the songwriter/father-figure to singing chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore. A December 14, 2007 release is anticipated.

In Summer 2006, Lee wrote and directed the short film, "The White Door," which stars Giovanni Ribisi and Beth Riesgraf. The film will have a future DVD release.

Lee is also a professional photographer, as well as an avid supporter and collector of the arts. He is currently shooting 20" x 24" Polaroid portraits for an upcoming gallery and book series. When not working on personal projects, Lee photographs for Los Angeles-based Anthem magazine. He is also actively involved with his skateboard company, Stereo Skateboards, which recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet the NBC All Stars: Howie Mandel

Host Howie Mandel can be seen on NBC's hit show "Deal or No Deal" where he helps contestants beat the banker and win up to a million dollars in cold hard cash.

Howie Mandel's versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, ranging from television to film and stage. From his work on the Emmy Award-winning "St. Elsewhere" to the international (and also Emmy-nominated) "Bobby's World," Mandel has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Mandel started his career on a dare during a trip to Los Angeles in 1979. He was at the legendary Comedy Store on amateur night and was coaxed by his friends to get up and try his luck. As fate would have it, there was a producer in the crowd who immediately hired him to appear on the comedy game-show "Make Me Laugh." His appearance on the show led to talk-show appearances, a stint as Diana Ross' opening act and, eventually, to the television series "St. Elsewhere," where he spent six seasons as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the NBC drama.

Mandel's Emmy-nominated animated children series "Bobby's World" ran eight seasons on Fox and now appears in syndication six days a week in 65 countries. As the series' creator and executive producer, Mandel was closely involved in its writing, as well as providing the voice of Bobby, Bobby's dad and other characters. Mandel attributes the show's success to drawing the storylines from real life.

Mandel has done countless comedy specials both on cable and network television. He has also hosted his own syndicated talk show "The Howie Mandel Show," and continues to be a mainstay on the talk-show circuit. He frequently appears on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," performing his signature hidden-camera bits. He also is one of the first people that Regis Philbin calls to fill in for him when he takes a vacation from "Live with Regis and Kelly." Mandel also continues to perform as many as 200 concerts a year throughout the United States and Canada.

Mandel lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Terry, and their three children.

Meet the NBC All Stars: Tina Fey

Let's take a moment to get to know another one of NBC's big name celebrities. This month in our "Meet the Stars" feature, we spotlight "30 Rock" star Tina Fey.

Tina writes, executive-produces and stars as Liz Lemon in NBC's Emmy Award-winning "30 Rock," currently in its second season on NBC. Prior to creating "30 Rock," Fey completed six seasons as head writer, cast member and co-anchor of the "Weekend Update" segment on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

Fey is an Emmy winner and two-time Writers Guild Award winner for her writing on "Saturday Night Live." Since her transition to being in front of the camera, she has won much acclaim -- including being named one of Entertainment Weekly's Entertainers of the Year, one of People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People" (twice), and one of Time magazine's "Prestigious Time 100." She has also won a Gracie Award, a Made in New York Award, and most recently was nominated for two Emmy Awards, including: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Liz Lemon on "30 Rock" and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

"30 Rock" is told through the comedic voice of Tina Fey (Liz Lemon) and features Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) as a top network executive and Tracy Morgan (Tracy Jordan) as the unpredictable star of Lemon's hit variety show, "TGS with Tracy Jordan." Lemon had her hands full this past season, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-wall star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.

Fey expanded to feature films in Spring 2004 as both a screenwriter and an actress opposite Lindsay Lohan in the hit comedy "Mean Girls," which earned her a nomination for a Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She is currently working on the film "Baby Mama," alongside "SNL's" Amy Poehler.

Fey lives in New York with her husband, Jeff Richmond, and their daughter.

Catch "30 Rock" Thursday Nights on WKYC.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet The NBC All Stars: Conan O'Brien

This time around in our "Meet the Stars" feature, we profile "Late Night" host Conan O'Brien - the man slated to succeed Jay Leno in 2009 as host of "The Tonight Show."

Since 1993, Conan O'Brien has been combining his talents as writer, performer and interviewer as host of "Late Night" and in 2009, he will take over the reins on the venerable "Tonight Show."

In 2002, O'Brien brought his signature wit and style to his hosting duties on the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, garnering big laughs and critical acclaim.

"Late Night" has been honored with nominations for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series since 2003 and for the last ten years, O'Brien and the "Late Night" writing team have consistently been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series. He and the "Late Night" writing staff have won six Writer's Guild Awards for Best Writing in a Comedy/Variety Series, including two consecutive wins in 2002 and 2003.

Two-time president of the venerable and notorious Harvard Lampoon, O'Brien moved to Los Angeles upon graduation and joined the writing staff of HBO's "Not Necessarily the News." During his two years with the show, he performed regularly with several improvisational groups, including The Groundlings.

By 1988 his talents had come to the attention of Lorne Michaels, executive producer of "Saturday Night Live," who hired O'Brien as a writer in January of that year. His three-and-a-half years on the show produced such recurring sketches as "Mr. Short-Term Memory" and "The Girl Watchers" (first performed by Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz). In 1989 his work on "SNL" was recognized with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series.

In the spring of 1991, O'Brien left "SNL" and wrote and produced a TV pilot, "Lookwell," starring Adam West. It was telecast on NBC in July of that year but was not picked up as a series. That fall O'Brien signed on as a writer/producer for the Fox series, "The Simpsons," where he later became the show's supervising producer. Of all the episodes he wrote, his favorite is "Springfield Gets a Monorail."

On April 26, 1993, O'Brien was selected from among the many talented potential hosts of "Late Night" for his particular and unique mix of "vitality, wit and intelligence," according to Michaels.

Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, O'Brien is married with a two children and resides in New York City. His birthday is April 18.

Catch "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" weeknights at 12:35 AM on WKYC.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet The NBC All Stars: Brian Williams

This time around in our "Meet the Stars" feature, we profile "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams. His recent appearance as host of Saturday Night Live has garnered much interest, so let's take a deeper look at the man who brings us the evening news on NBC:

Brian Williams is the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of "NBC Nightly News," which represents the largest single daily source of news in America. Recently, Williams became the most honored network evening news anchor. He received four Edward R. Murrow Awards, his fifth Emmy Award, the duPont-Columbia University Award and the industry's highest honor, the George Foster Peabody Award. Most were given for his work in New Orleans while covering Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, and all were awarded to Williams in only his second year on the job.

Williams was the first and only network evening news anchor to report from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit and was the only network news anchor to report from the Superdome during the storm. He remained in New Orleans to report on the aftermath and destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and continues to travel back and forth to the region to cover the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

The New York Times wrote that Williams' coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath was "a defining moment as a network reporter and anchor." Vanity Fair magazine called his work "Murrow-worthy" and said that while reporting live from New Orleans, Williams "exhibited unfaltering composure, compassion and grit," and during the crisis became "a nation's anchor."

In March 2007, Williams returned to Iraq and reported from throughout the country for several days. In May 2006, Williams joined Bono, traveling to three countries in Africa - Nigeria, Mali and Ghana - to report on the major issues facing the continent, including HIV/AIDS, poverty, disease and crushing debt.

In April 2005, Brian Williams was the first of the big three network news anchors to report that Pope John Paul II had died, and the first and only evening news anchor to travel to Rome to cover the funeral. In January 2005, he traveled to Baghdad and Mosul to report on the landmark Iraqi elections. He has reported on every aspect of the war, from the battlefield to the home front. Also in 2005, Williams was the first network evening news anchor to report from Banda Aceh, Indonesia - where, in the first week following the devastating tsunami, he covered the international relief and recovery effort, while working around the clock.

Since joining NBC News in 1993, Williams has become one of the nation's foremost television journalists, covering virtually every major breaking news event and traveling extensively around the world. He is a veteran of political campaigns and elections, the Middle East, and has traveled to dozens of U.S. cities and foreign countries in the course of covering the news over more than two decades. For seven years beginning in 1996, he was anchor and managing editor of "The News with Brian Williams," a live, hour-long nightly newscast on MSNBC and then on CNBC. Williams was the anchor and managing editor of the Saturday edition of "NBC Nightly News" for six years before becoming anchor of the weekday edition.

In 1994, Williams was named NBC News Chief White House correspondent. Accompanying President Clinton aboard Air Force One, Williams circled the world several times, covering virtually every foreign and domestic trip by the President until 1996. On perhaps one of the most historic trips of the Clinton presidency, Williams was the only television news correspondent to accompany three U.S. presidents - Clinton, Bush and Carter - to Yitzhak Rabin's funeral in Israel.

While covering the 2003 war in Iraq, Williams became the first NBC News correspondent to reach Baghdad after the U.S. military invasion of the city. Just days into the war, Williams was traveling on a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter mission when the lead helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Williams spent three days and two nights in the Iraqi desert south of Najaf, with a mechanized armored tank platoon of the Army's Third Infantry Division providing protection. During the war, Williams traveled to seven nations throughout the Mid East during his seven-week overseas deployment.

Williams moderated the 2003 Democratic presidential candidates' debate in New York and the 2000 Republican debate in South Carolina.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Williams was on the air for days of continuous coverage. USA Today named him Best Anchor of the marathon 2000 Presidential election night coverage. In 1997, his continuous coverage of the death of Princess Diana was watched by millions worldwide on the networks of NBC News, as were his many hours of live coverage following the crash of TWA Flight 800 and the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Williams' writing has appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times. GQ named him "the most interesting man in television today," and in 2001 named him "Man of the Year." The National Father's Day Committee named him "Father of the Year" in 1996.

Williams is a frequent guest on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Before joining NBC News, Williams spent seven years at CBS, as a correspondent and anchor in its Television Stations Division in Philadelphia and New York, during which time he covered the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and before that worked at WTTG in Washington. He started his career at KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Prior to his broadcasting career, Williams worked in the White House during the Carter administration, beginning as a White House intern. He later worked as assistant administrator of the political action committee of the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington. A native of both Elmira, N.Y. and Middletown, N.J., Williams is particularly proud of his several years of service as a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey.

Williams is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. He has lectured at Columbia University School of Journalism and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. He attended George Washington University and the Catholic University of America, both in Washington, and is the recipient of six honorary doctorate degrees. He and his wife, Jane Stoddard Williams, have two children.

You can see Brian anchor "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams" Monday through Friday at 6:30 (in high definition) on WKYC.

Courtesy: NBC

Meet the NBC All Stars: Al Roker

The Director's Cut Blog proudly presents another brand new & exclusive feature called "Meet the Stars" - our insider information on the TV stars you see on NBC and WKYC-TV. We'll kick it off with our hometown favorite Al Roker, who was a big hit here at WKYC before leaving for the network in 1983.

Al Roker has been the weather and feature reporter on NBC News' "Today" since January 1996. Until January of 2000, Roker also served as the weekday weather forecaster for News Channel 4's early evening newscast "Live at 5" on WNBC-TV, NBC's flagship owned and operated station in New York City.

New York magazine has twice named Roker Best Weatherman. He came to WNBC-TV as a weekend weathercaster in December 1983 from WKYC-TV, the NBC Television Station in Cleveland. Roker began his broadcasting career while still in college by landing a job as a weekend weatherman WTVH-TV in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1974. After graduation he moved on to weathercasting jobs in Washington, D.C. (1976-1978) and Cleveland, Ohio (1978-1983). He is a recipient of the American Meteorological Society's prestigious Seal of Approval and has been a pioneer in the use of computer graphics for weathercasting.

Among his interview highlights, Roker conducted an exclusive interview with Peanuts creator Charles Shultz shortly before his death from colon cancer. Since 1985, he has served each holiday season in midtown Manhattan as co-host for the annual "Christmas at Rockefeller Center." The seven time Emmy Award winner also co-hosts "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" and "Rose Bowl Parade" and appears on various specials for NBC.

In 1994, he founded Al Roker Productions, Inc. The company is involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video and public television projects. Two of the most successful projects include the critically acclaimed special on PBS about severe weather, "Savage Skies," and a highly rated travel series called, "Going Places." His company is also producing a series of specials for The Food Network. Roker is the author of "Don't Make Me Stop This Car! Adventures in Fatherhood," and "Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbeque."

Roker is a member of several professional organizations including the Friars Club, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Meteorological Society.

Raised in Queens, New York, Roker received his B.A. in Communications from the State University at Oswego in 1976, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the school in 1998. He resides in Manhattan with his wife, ABC News "20/20" Correspondent, Deborah Roberts, and has two daughters and one son.

Catch Al weekday mornings from 7 - 10 PM on the "Today Show" right here on WKYC, Channel 3.

Courtesy: NBC