Donald Henry McGannon (1920–84) was an American broadcasting executive known for his leadership in television and advocacy for social responsibility in media. As chairman of Westinghouse Broadcasting, he shaped industry standards and ethical practices.
Born in New York City, McGannon graduated from Fordham University and Fordham Law School. After serving in the U.S. Army, he briefly practiced law before transitioning to broadcasting. In 1952, he became general manager of DuMont Television Network, and by 1955, he was named president of Westinghouse Broadcasting, a role he held for over 25 years.
A strong proponent of media ethics, McGannon championed higher television programming standards, led Westinghouse in eliminating cigarette advertising, and supported the prime-time access rule to encourage local programming. Beyond broadcasting, he served as president of the National Urban League (1973–78) and was a founding director of Sacred Heart University.
The Donald McGannon Communication Research Center, established at Fordham University in 1986, promotes research on media ethics and policy, awarding the Donald McGannon Award for contributions to communications scholarship.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Donald McGannon
Leadership is an action, not a position.
—Donald McGannon
Topics: Leadership
The world has more winnable people than ever before but it is possible to come out of a ripe field empty-handed.
—Donald McGannon
Topics: Evangelism
There’s a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It’s called marriage.
—Donald McGannon
Topics: Marriage
Leadership is action, not position.
—Donald McGannon
Topics: Leadership, Leaders
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