CSTV Presents Women In Sports Trailblazers

CSTV will
honor CBS Sports Hall of Fame broadcaster Lesley Visser and Washington Mystics
President Sheila Johnson with the network’s “Women In Sports
Trailblazers” Award. The award was created by CSTV as it
commemorates the 35th anniversary of Title IX and honors leaders who have
advanced opportunities for women in sports.

CSTV will
honor Visser and Johnson on Friday, Nov. 16 (7:30 AM, ET) during a reception in
the Conference Theatre at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in

Washington,
D.C.
This event is being held in conjunction with the annual Women in Cable
Telecommunications (WICT) Gala.

Earlier
this year, CSTV recognized
University
of
Connecticut women’s basketball
coach Geno Auriemma and

North
Carolina
State
women’s basketball coach Kay Yow as trailblazers, for their contributions and
impact on women’s sports.

Visser is the
first and only woman to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as the
recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio and Television Award. Her career in
television and as a reporter for the Boston Globe have been marked by many
firsts, paving the way for countless women who have followed in her footsteps.
She is the only sportscaster in history who has worked on the network broadcast
of the Men’s NCAA Division I Final Four, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals,
Triple Crown, Olympics, U.S. Open Tennis and World Figure Skating Championship.
Visser became the first woman sportscaster to carry the Olympic Torch when she
was honored in 2004 by the International Olympic Committee as a “pioneer
and standard-bearer.”

Johnson is
President and Managing Partner for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Johnson
is the first African-American woman to be an owner or have a stake in three
professional franchises; the Mystics, Washington Capitals and Washington
Wizards. Johnson is a founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET).
She currently is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, and a global
ambassador for the humanitarian organization CARE. Johnson has been
honored for her philanthropic efforts and currently serves on the boards of
Americans for the Arts, the Curry School of Education Foundation at the
University of Virginia, University of Illinois Foundation, VH1 Save the Music
and Parsons The New School For Design.