WASHINGTON, D.C.--Wendy Williams, host of “The Wendy Williams Show,” will receive the NAB Show New York Impact Award on Thursday, October 18, during the 2018 NAB Show New York. Williams will also participate in a featured main stage keynote session with Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of the talk show’s producer and distributor, Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury.
The NAB Show New York Impact Award honors innovative leaders in media and entertainment for their impact and influence on the overall industry, as well as in the city of New York. Williams will be honored for her 10 years of success as host of “The Wendy Williams Show,” which attracts millions of viewers every day and is produced live in New York City. The award also honors Williams for her philanthropic work, notably with The Hunter Foundation and the newly-announced Be Here Initiative. The initiative is a national awareness and call-to-action drug addiction and substance abuse campaign.
“Wendy achieved early success as one of the most popular personalities on radio and continues to influence the media and entertainment industry as host of her Emmy-nominated weekday talk show,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. “She is truly a New York success story, and we look forward to honoring her with this prestigious and well-deserved award.”
Following the award presentation, Williams and Debmar-Mercury’s Marcus and Bernstein will discuss their decade-long partnership in a session titled, “How You Doin’? – Debmar-Mercury and Wendy Williams Celebrate Ten Years of Success Together.” The session will focus on Williams’ continued appeal to a large mainstream daytime audience; her ability to hold viewers’ interest live for an hour a day on her own; and the show’s ability to attract top production talent and celebrity guests.
“The Wendy Williams Show” includes a mix of interviews with celebrity guests from television, film, music and sports. It has been nominated for multiple daytime Emmy awards and is broadcast in 53 countries. Prior to her time on television, Williams spent 23 years on radio where her career culminated with induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2009. Williams has also performed on Broadway and in films and is a best-selling author and fashion designer.
Marcus and Bernstein formed Debmar-Mercury in 2003. Following its 2006 acquisition by Lionsgate, Marcus and Bernstein introduced the new summer test model in 2008 for “The Wendy Williams Show” on the Fox Television Stations. The strategy generated strong ratings, giving Debmar-Mercury the momentum to sell the show to stations across the country for a fall 2009 national syndication debut.
Prior to Debmar-Mercury, Marcus served as president of The Walt Disney Company’s syndication wing, Buena Vista Television, among other high-level posts at Disney and throughout the industry. Bernstein served as president of Worldwide Television for Lionsgate and president of Domestic Television for Cox Enterprise’s production and distribution studio division, among others.
