In 1968, Jim McKay became the first sportscaster ever to win an Emmy Award. Since then, he has won nine more, including the 1981-92 Emmy as Outstanding Sports Personality-Host.

Jim McKay and "ABC's Wide World of Sports" have been together for over 25 years- in fact, Jim McKay was the program's host on the very first day in April, 1961. He has traveled some 4.5 million miles to cover events for the program, and has commented on more than 100 different sports in 40 different countries and from Maine to Hawaii in the United States.

Jim McManus(McKay's real name) gave up his job as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspapers to join that organization's new TV station WMAR-TV in 1947. He was the first voice ever heard on television in Baltimore, and he remained with the station until joining CBS in New York in 1950 as host of a variety show. Through the 50's, sports commentary became more and more his primary assignment for CBS.

However, McKay is probably best known for his excellent and sensitive coverage of 10 Olympics, all for ABC except for the 1960 Rome Games which he covered for CBS. For his news reporting of the tragic events surrounding the Black September terrorists' attack on the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in Munich in 1972, he has won numerous awards, including an Emmy, and the prestigious George Polk Award for Journalism.

McKay is now Anchorman for ABC golf telecasts, as well as events like the Indianapolis "500", Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and others. He will also be in the anchor booth this February covering the Winter Olympic Games from Calgary, Canada.

5 Questions for Jim McKay
Jim McKay, Honored - June 28, 2003