Personal Award: J. Leonard Reinsch

It is especially fitting that this award is made to a giant of broadcasting and cable television in the state and city that was home to many of his achievements. J. Leonard Reinsch is a true pioneer in communications. Under his stewardship, the broadcast division of Cox Enterprises grew from a small subsidiary of a newspaper chain to a dominant force in the telecommunications industry. Long before “superstations,” he had the vision of interconnected cable systems sharing programming resources. Indeed, Mr. Reinsch was an early and often singular voice in the broadcast industry calling for cooperation and co-venturing with the fledgling cable industry. And, long before the term “media adviser” became part of the vernacular, Mr. Reinsch was counseling presidents, including Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy, on the proper role of mass communication in their election campaigns. For his unmatched record of achievement in broadcasting, cable, and political communication, including six years of service to the Peabody Board, a personal award to J. Leonard Reinsch.