Peabody Award winners sounded the alarm on the threats to democratic norms, criminal justice reform and forward progress in diversity and inclusion goals as the 85th annual kudos were handed out Sunday in Beverly Hills.
Meanwhile, “Saturday Night Live” chief Lorne Michaels spoke from the heart as he accepted the Peabody’s Institutional Award for his enduring NBC sketch comedy series. It’s the sixth Peabody in total collected by the storied late-night show that bowed in 1975.
Referring to the “SNL50” specials that aired in February, Michaels said, “All those people coming back from the first season on, all being in one room performing and applauding was one of the most moving experiences of my life.”
Michaels, 84, also made what seemed to be an oblique nod to the endless churn of speculation about the long-term plan for the show.
“I’m not planning a sixtieth,” he said after referencing “SNL50.” “Getting to do what I get to do is sort of everything that makes me happy. Also makes me angry,” he said.
Michaels closed with a shout-out to the Peabody Awards, which are administered by the University of Georgia’s George Foster Peabody School of Communications.
“When you come to the Peabodys, unlike other awards shows, you know you’re in the right room. It’s really an honor to be here, so thank you,” he said.
There were also numerous calls for support of public media and opposition to Trump administration efforts to gut federal funding for PBS, NPR and other public media and arts program. The larger subject of the administration’s effort to slash federal spending in general was also decried by numerous winners as a violation of cherished democratic norms.
Dave Biscobing, chief investigative reporter for the ABC affiliate in Phoenix, was hailed for his years-long dedication to producing a 32-part series that uncovered systemic police brutality and racism in local policing. Just a few days ago, Trump’s Justice Department has “retracted” an earlier report that documented Biscobing’s work.
“They can retract the report, they can erase their words but they’ll never erase what we did,” Biscobing told the crowd. “Not as long as all of us are here. Not as long as there are people like us to tell stories that matter.”
Matthew Hashiguchi, the journalist behind the in-depth report “The Only Doctor” for the Reel South public media station, referenced the growing crisis in rural health care as he took in the kudo for his deep-dive report on the woman is the only physician around in a wide swath of rural Georgia’s Clay County.
Dr. Karen Kinsell was on hand with Hashiguichi and received the first standing ovation of the night. Hashiguchi emphasized that she has no choice but to treat anyone in need regardless of their ability to pay.
“If Medicaid is cut, we’re going to need more people like her,” he warned.
The power of TV to affect change around the world was also highlighted with the kudo presented to “Mr. Bates Vs. the Post Office.”
The British narrative drama was an expose of the scandal that engulfed the nation’s Post Office system in the early aughts, and law enforcement’s ruthless pursuit of everyday people despite evidence of their innocence. Public reaction to “Mr. Bates” was so strong that there was retroactive efforts to bring justice to those wrongly accused even 20 years later. Producers James Strong and Patrick Spence
“Such is the power of television. Such is the power of a nation brought to rage by such a naked abuse of power,” said producer Patrick Spence, who accepted with James Strong. “May that be an inspiration to all of us.”
More to come
(Pictured: Dave Biscobing, investigative reporter in Phoenix, accepts his Peabody for his 32-part series “Policing Phoenix”)
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