Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals at 1645 Brook Lynn Dr., Ste 2, Dayton, OH 45432-1933 US - Bob Abernethy, veteran newsman, is 2003 Personal Achievment Winner.

Bob Abernethy, veteran newsman, is 2003 Personal Achievment Winner.

For more than four decades, Bob Abernethy served as correspondent with NBC News, reporting from major cities such as Washington, Los Angeles, London and Moscow. His assignment in the Soviet Union in the early 1990s put him in the right spot at the right time as the Cold War came to an end with the fall of communism in Europe. During his time at NBC, he also covered Congress, national political campaigns, education, the space program and religion.

Upon his retirement from NBC, Bob decided to pursue an idea that he had been thinking about for some time, specifically, to produce a program that would provide thoughtful and informative coverage of all religions, all denominations and all expressions of spirituality in American life. He wanted the program to provide a balanced presentation of the profound moral issues facing the nation, fully aware that religion plays an important role in the public forum.

With the assistance of Dr. Bill Baker, president of WNET-TV in New York and recipient of the 1998 Personal Achievement Award, initial seed money was found to produce a program for the first year. Today, six years later, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, airs on more than 240 public stations nationwide with a weekly audience of 570,000 viewers. Bob serves as executive editor and host of the program.

Mr. Abernethy is an alumnus of Princeton University where he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In 1984, e took one year off from NBC to study theology and social ethics at Yale Divinity School. This year, he was honored with 2003 “Distinction in Ministry Award” from the Alumni Association of Yale Divinity School. In addition he has received honorary doctorates from San Diego University, Knox College in Illinois and Westminster College in Pennsylvania. As a broadcast journalist, his work has been recognized with several Emmy Awards and a “Citizen of the Year” award.

The Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals is proud to recognize and honor Mr Bob Abernethy as the 2003 recipient of the Gabriel Personal Achievement Award, presented in memory of Father Patrick Peyton, founder of Family Theater Productions.

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