THE COLBERT REPORT Honored With Second Peabody Award

THE COLBERT REPORT has been honored with another George Foster Peabody Award in the 71st Annual Peabody Awards competition, it was announced today. THE COLBERT REPORT was previously honored with a Peabody Award in 2008.

"What an honor! I am truly speechless. Luckily, thanks to Citizens United, my money can speak for me," said Stephen Colbert.

In announcing the winning programs, the Peabody committee said of the series, "Comedy Central's 'The Colbert Report' won its second Peabody for its deadpan anchor's 'Super PAC' segments lampooning the rise of megabucks politics."

In an effort to bring attention to campaign finance laws, Colbert applied for his own political action committee. At a hearing in June 2011, Colbert was granted permission by the Federal Election Commission to form his own Super PAC, "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow." After receiving approval, fans signed up sent along financial support to help the Colbert Super PAC continue to bring attention to campaign finance abuse. In a New York Times article on the Colbert Super PAC, Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director of the Center for Responsive Politics states, "He is taking on a serious subject that many Americans find deadly dull and is educating the broader public on why it matters and what is at stake."

The Peabody Awards were announced today by the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which has administered the Peabody Award program since its inception in 1940. The awards will be presented at a luncheon ceremony to be held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Monday, May 21, 2012, to be hosted by Sir Patrick Stewart.

In addition to "The Colbert Report," other COMEDY CENTRAL series that have received Peabody Awards include "South Park" in 2006 and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" which was honored in 2000 and 2004 for the series' "Indecision" election-year coverage. The network's first Peabody recipients were "Mystery Science Theater 3000" in 1994 and "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist" in 1999.