Smulyan Gets Plug from Cuomo

Emmis Communications Corp. chairman Jeff Smulyan got some moral support from former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo for his effort to convince broadcasters to pool some of their digital spectrum for an over-the-air multichannel service that would compete with cable.

"If anybody's going to discover the future of broadcasting, it's Jeff Smulyan," said Cuomo, host of Broadcasting & Cable's Hall of Fame Awards this year.

Other inductees included WNET/Thirteen CEO William Baker, ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer, Comcast Cable President Stephen Burke, Radio One Chairperson Catherine Hughes, Univision star and Sabado Gigante host Mario Kreutzberger--a.k.a. Don Francisco, WBEB-FM President Jerry Lee, Discovery Communications CEO Judith McHale, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution President  Dick Robertson as well as the ESPN show SportsCenter.