Mac McGarry
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Maurice J. "Mac" McGarry (born June 15, 1926) is the current host of the television quiz show It's Academic, which airs in Washington, D.C. on the local NBC affiliate WRC-TV. He has been the host of the show since it started airing in 1961.
Mac McGarry joined NBC in 1950 for what was then WNBW located in the Wardman Park Hotel. [1] There he worked as the announcer for the NBC radio show "American Forum of the Air." During this time, he was also making his first forays into television covering Truman's presidential inauguration events for NBC TV and appearing regularly on NBC's "The Big Preview. [2] Since then, he has hosted numerous talk shows, including In Our Town, the first weekly television program to be broadcast in color.[3]
Some of McGarry's first assignments included announcing news of the start of the Korean War and introducing President Truman from the White House. In the early 1950s, McGarry was involved in the first color television experiments. [4]
During the 1970s and 1980s, McGarry was the announcer for NBC News Updates that originated from Washington, and over the years also did live booth announcing work for WRC-TV.
[edit] Awards
McGarry is a charter member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' (NATAS) Silver Circle. Other honors include:
- Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement
- Several Mass Media Awards from the American Association of University Women
- The Board of Governors Award from the DC chapter of NATAS
- The America's Role Model 2004 Award from the Olender Foundation
- Marymount University conferred the degree Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, on Mac McGarry in recognition of his commitment to academic excellence, encouragement of young scholars, and outstanding dedication to his profession and community.[5]
McGarry was plagued by a crank caller known as "the Screamer" during his talk radio days on WRC.
