2012 Chicago Silver Circle Honorees

The 2012 Chicago Silver Circle Honorees have been announced.

The honorees are:
Jorge Barbosa, Marshall Brodien, Jim Disch, Steve Lasker, Norman Shapiro, Ed Spray and Burr Tillstrom (Pioneer Award, posthumous). The Silver Circle Honors Dinner will be held on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Millenium Knickerbocker Hotel.

Ticket Orders:

Please go to this link to purchase a TV Academy member ticket for $130: Member Tickets

Please go to this link to purchase a TV Academy non-member ticket for $155: Non-Member Tickets

Honor one (or more) of the 2012 Chicago Silver Circle inductees with a congratulatory message or commemorative ad in the official program book for the dinner. Go to our 2012 Chicago Silver Circle Congratulatory Ads and Messages page for more information.

Honoree Backgrounds:

JORGE BARBOSA

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Jorge has been the News Anchor for Univision Chicago since 1995.  Before joining the Univision team, he worked as a reporter for WCIU.  Jorge has earned an Emmy Award for his news coverage.

MARSHALL BRODIEN
Marshall first appeared on BOZO’S CIRCUS in 1962 and was a regular contributor as Wizzo the Wizard from Arobia on BOZO’S CIRCUS and THE BOZO SHOW for more than 25 years.

He is also known as the designer and TV spokesman for numerous magic products marketed by major toy manufacturers and nationally known magicians such as Lance Burton.

JIM DISCH

Jim was a news producer, executive producer and Assistant News Director of WGN-TV and then Director of News and Programming for ChicagoLand Television News (CLTV).  He created innovative TV shows that blended web and print content such as “Good Eating,” which won several National Awards, “Metro-Mix” and “Your Money.” 

He is currently the Director of the Office of Radio and Television for the Archdiocese of Chicago.  He has been an adjunct faculty member of Columbia College since the 70s and also teaches Masters-level courses at DePaul University. 

He is a past President of the Chicago Chapter of NATAS and recipient of its 2006 Governor’s Award.

STEVE LASKER
Steve got his feet wet in news as a photographer for the Chicago American from 1955 to 1970.  He received over 37 awards for his work.  Most notable were his pictures of the 1958 Our Lady of the Angels fire which earned him a Pulitzer Nomination (he came in second). 

In 1970, he joined WBBM-TV as a news cameraman.  13 of his stories won Emmy Awards and he received a personal Emmy for his work on the 1973 story of Canada geese returning to Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.

From stills to 16mm sound on film to video tape and live shots he has done it all.  With cigar firmly planted between his teeth he is described as a “pure Chicago news talent, born and bred, street smart, savvy and his pictures sing.”

NORMAN SHAPIRO

Norman is President of Weigel Broadcasting.  He has literally built new businesses from the ground up.  He has established new television stations and has maximized low power television stations to better serve their markets.

He has overseen the development of two of the most successful digital television networks, “This TV” and “MeTV”.

Station Community Service includes broadcasting of CPS high school football and basketball games and production of “Green Screen Adventures” with CPS school students.

From 1995 to present, he has been responsible for growing his staff from 100 to 365 employees while avoiding layoffs.

EDWARD “ED” SPRAY
Ed started his career in broadcasting in 1966 as a Producer/Director at WMAQ-TV.  In 1974 he moved to WBBM-TV as Program Manager where he developed original local programming like the trial of Chicago White Sox star Shoeless Joe Jackson.  From 1980 to 1989, Ed moved from Broadcasting Director at WBBM to Programming Director for CBS Television Stations to Broadcast Director for KCBS-TV in LA to Vice President for Program Development for CBS Television Stations.

In 1994, he took over the VP of Programming job at a cable channel called HGTV.  He was promoted to Executive VP at HGTV, then to VP for Programming for all the Scripps Stations and in 2000 to Network President overseeing HGTV, Food TV, DIY channel and Fine Living.

With shows like “Weekend Warriors” and “House Hunters”, HGTV attracts more than 1 million views nightly. 

BURR TILLSTROM
This year the Pioneer Award will be presented posthumously to Burr Tillstrom for his pioneering achievements with the “Kuklapolitan Players”.  From 1947 to 1957, “Kukla, Fran and Ollie” not only appealed to children but also their parents.    

In 1965, Tillstrom received a special Emmy for his hand-ballet about the conflicts caused by the Berlin Wall.  He also received a George Foster Peabody for individual achievement for his work (which included the Berlin Wall hand-ballet) on “That Was The Week That Was”. Mr. Tillstrom is also a 1979 Chicago Governors' Award awardee.

Please go to this link to purchase a TV Academy member ticket for $130: Member Tickets

Please go to this link to purchase a TV Academy non-member ticket for $155: Non-Member Tickets

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