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ROBIN ROBERTS
Co-Anchor, "Good Morning America"
In May 2005, Robin Roberts was named third anchor of ABC News' "Good Morning America." In addition to anchoring the regular hourly newscasts from the show's home base in Times Square, Ms. Roberts continues to report on a wide variety of stories for the program. Since being named anchor, she has traveled extensively for the show, including a trip to Africa with former President Bill Clinton to bring viewers a first-hand look at the devastating AIDS crisis in that part of the world. She has also interviewed such newsmakers as Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton, Spike Lee and Tiger Woods.
In 2005 Ms. Roberts made morning television history as the first television news personality to broadcast live from a U.S. Navy submarine. For the historic broadcast, she spent an evening aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. There she reported live from an undisclosed location in the Atlantic Ocean, giving viewers a thrilling and never-before-seen glimpse at life aboard one of the underwater vessels. Ms. Roberts has also covered an array of special events for "Good Morning America," ranging from the homecoming of soldiers aboard the USS Roosevelt to the Golden Jubilee at Buckingham Palace and the 25th anniversary of the papacy of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City.
More recently Ms. Roberts reported extensively on Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it brought to the city of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. A native of the Gulf Coast, the story hit particularly hard for her, and she continues to bring viewers a first-hand look at the progress and recovery efforts in that part of the country. She was also instrumental in launching "GMA GETS IT DONE," a year-long effort to rebuild Ms. Roberts' hometown of Pass Christian, MS.
In March of 2003 Ms. Roberts traveled to the Persian Gulf Region to report from Kuwait on the impending war with Iraq. In March 2004 she returned to the war zone, reporting on the one-year anniversary of the war. She has also reported on the practicality of sky marshals on airplanes, the impact of the World Trade Center attacks on the town of Rockville Center, the custody battle over 12-year-old Timmie Meldrum, and the controversial gentrification of Harlem.
Ms. Roberts has contributed to "Good Morning America" since June 1995, and has worked in broadcasting for more than 20 years. Other ABC assignments have included segments hosting "Good Morning America Sunday" and "Prime Time."
Since 1990 Ms. Roberts has been a contributor to ESPN, where she has been one of the network's most versatile commentators, whose assignments have included hosting "SportsCenter," contributing to "NFL PrimeTime" from 1990-1994, and providing reports and interviews from the field. At ESPN she worked as play-by-play commentator and host of the network's WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) games and specials from 1997-2000; was the primary reporter for ESPN's coverage of the Winter and Summer Olympics; served as host of ESPN's primetime interview program, "In the SportsLight," and ESPN Classic's "Vintage NBA"; and provided coverage of the men's NCAA Final Four, the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and of LPGA events. She has also hosted ABC Sports' "Wide World of Sports."
In 1988 Ms. Roberts worked as a sports reporter and anchor at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, GA, and was also a morning personality on WVEE-FM, Atlanta's top-rated morning show. Prior to working at WAGA, she served as a sports anchor and reporter for WSMV-TV in Nashville, TN (1986-88),
where she won the "Nashville Scene" Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1987. She also worked at WLOX-TV in Biloxi, MS (1984-86) and WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, MS (1983-84) as sports anchor and reporter.
Ms. Roberts began her broadcasting career while in college at WHMD/WFPR Radio in Hammond, LA (1980-83), where she was the sports director. She also served as a special assignment sports reporter for KSLU-FM in 1982. In 1983 she graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor of arts degree in communications. She was also a standout performer on the women's basketball team, ending her career as the school's third all-time leading scorer (1,446 points) and rebounder (1,034). She is one of the only three Lady Lions to score 1,000 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. During her senior season, she averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game.
The inaugural Robin Roberts Sports Journalism Scholarship, created by the Women's Institute on Sport and Education, was presented at the 1996 NCAA Women's Final Four. In February 1996, Ms. Roberts received the annual Distinguished Achievement Award in Broadcasting from the University of Georgia's DiGamma Kappa, the nation's oldest professional broadcasting society. She was also named to Basketball Times' "Five Most Intriguing People in College Basketball" list in January 1997, and received the 1998 Media Award from the New England Women's Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing opportunities for women and girls through sports.
In 2001 Ms. Roberts was named a "Louisiana Legend" by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. She was also named to the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Advisory Board in January of 1998, a select group which includes Henry Kissinger, William Simon, Christine Whitman and Lamar Hunt. Previously she received the 1993 Excellence in Sports Journalism Award for Broadcast Media, given by the Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society and the School of Journalism. She was also awarded a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Television Award of Merit in 1990 as the best woman sports commentator on television. In January 1991, Ms. Roberts was appointed to the Women's Sports Foundation Advisory Board. She was awarded the 1992 Women at Work Broadcast Journalism Award for her contributions to the image of working women on television and for expanding career options for women in broadcast journalism. In 1994, she was inducted in the Women's Institute on Sport and Education Foundation's Hall of Fame.
Ms. Roberts, active as a speaker for charity and civic functions, is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.