The Silver Circle Honors dinner will be held on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, 163 East Walton Place, in downtown Chicago. Silver Circle honors outstanding individuals who have devoted a quarter of a century or more to the television industry and have made a significant contribution to Chicago broadcasting. The Chicago/Midwest chapter is pleased to induct eight outstanding individuals this year.

The 2008 Honorees are:

Renee Ferguson - award winning investigative reporter brings more than 30 years of reporting experience to WMAQ-TV.

Neal Sabin - significant contributor to the building and success of WPWR-TV. Creator/manager of WCIU as the "U" and developer of ME-TV.

Rich Samuels - award winning correspondent of WTTW "Chicago Tonight." Spent 17 years at WMAQ-TV as an investigative and general assignment reporter.

Cheryl A. Stutzke - multiple Emmy award nominee and winner has worked at WBBM, WFLD, WLS, WMAQ as stage manager, associate director, and/or director with most of the greats of network and syndicated TV. 30 year member of Natas and involved Board of Governor.

Trio Video - Chicago-based production company headed by Gary Meagher and Jack Walsh, providing state-of-the art remote coverage of sports and other live special events.

Joel Weisman - host and senior editor of WTTW-TV's Emmy award winning "Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review" which celebrated its 30th anniversary. Also remembered for political commentaries on WGN.

Posthumous Award

Bob Bell - WGN-TV Chicago's original "Bozo" character actor and staff announcer.

Hosts for the evening are Karen Jordan, Anchor/Reporter, WLS, and Bob Jordan, Anchor/Reporter, WGN. Bob is also a past Silver Circle Honoree.

Individual tickets for the dinner are $130 for TV Academy Members, $160 For Non-Members. $1850 for a Golden Circle Table of 10 which includes a special table signage and program acknowledgment.

Information on all aspects of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) including a list of past Silver Circle recipients can be found at http://www.chicagoemmyonline.org/past-silver-circle-honorees.php.

To receive a printed invitation to this year’s Silver Circle Honors Dinner, please email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or call 312-344-8600.

Or download the invitation here:

2008 Silver Circle Invitation

2008 Silver Circle Reply Card

The files are PDFs. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

To purchase tickets, please print out the reply card and mail it to:

NATAS - Chicago/Midwest Chapter

218 S. Wabash, Ste. 700

Chicago, IL 60604

or fax it to the TV Academy office at 312-344-8471.

Please honor one (or more) of the Silver Circle inducteees with a message or commemorative ad in the official program book for the evening. See the below documents for more information.

2008 Silver Circle Program Book ad and message information sheet

2008 Silver Circle Program Book Ad Specs

Full page ads are $700 and half-page ads are $400. Contact the TV Academy office for more information at 312-344-8600 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .  Update on April 15th:  Ads and messages are still being accepted for the program book!   Email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it for more information.