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President of CBS News and Sports Sean McManus announced today that CBS News is establishing the Harold Dow Professorship at the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication at Florida A&M University (FAMU), which is the first historically black university to have an accredited journalism program. The professorship is designed to enhance presentation skills for students interested in on-air positions in broadcast television and will begin in the 2011-2012 academic year.

CBS News is also implementing an array of initiatives to further promote diversity and excellence in journalism. Among the workplace programs CBS is putting into effect in 2011 are a new paid internship program, a professional development program and a discretionary award to be used by the president of CBS News to recognize truly outstanding contributions by News Division employees who promote excellence and diversity at CBS News.

"Through these initiatives in our workplace and with the aspiring young journalists at the distinguished Florida A&M University journalism program, CBS News is expanding its longstanding commitment to diversity, to industry excellence and to nurturing future generations of journalists," said McManus. "We also are extremely pleased that we are able to memorialize our colleague and dear friend, broadcasting legend Harold Dow, in this significant way."

"We are profoundly appreciative to have the CBS Harold Dow Professorship, which will immediately enhance the education of students committed to a career in broadcast journalism," said James Hawkins, dean of the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. "This professorship speaks volumes about CBS's regard for journalism education and appreciation for Harold Dow, a gifted journalist whose work was nothing short of outstanding. It is our goal to produce journalists who will commit to the trusted standards of CBS and Harold Dow."

Dow had been a correspondent for 48 HOURS since 1990, after serving as a contributor to the broadcast since its premiere on Jan. 19, 1988. He was a contributor to the critically acclaimed 1986 documentary "48 Hours on Crack Street," which led to the creation of the single-topic weekly news magazine. Over the course of his distinguished career at the Network, Dow served as a correspondent for the CBS News magazine, STREET STORIES, and reported for the CBS EVENING NEWS, SUNDAY MORNING and the CBS News legal series, VERDICT. He also served as co-anchor on CBS News' NIGHTWATCH, prior to which he was a correspondent and reporter at CBS News' Los Angeles bureau.

"Harold was a celebrated journalist, a CBS colleague and a friend and mentor to me and to so many throughout his career," said CBS News senior producer Kim Godwin, a Florida A&M School of Journalism and Graphic Communication alumna and former faculty member. "I am proud of CBS's ongoing focus on excellence and diversity in our newsroom and in the industry as a whole, and so very gratified that the students at FAMU will benefit from this wonderful professorship established in celebration of Harold's extraordinary contributions and career."