Norman Lear (left), the pioneering television and film producer, political and social activist, and philanthropist is being honored by the University of Southern California with the establishment of the Norman Lear Chair in Entertainment, Media and Society, Geoffrey Cowan, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism announced today.

The inaugural holder of the Norman Lear Chair is Martin Kaplan (right), founding director of the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School. Kaplan, an Annenberg Research Professor, has been associate dean of the school since 1997.

In addition to $11 million from Mr. Lear – which includes a new $6 million pledge – the Lear center has garnered more than $9 million in gifts and research grants from foundation, government and other sources.

"The research Marty has supervised has made enormous contributions to our understanding of a wide variety of topics, from how television covers campaigns, to the ways entertainment media can improve public health around the world," Dean Cowan said. "I join my colleagues at USC and beyond in congratulating him on his appointment to this chair."

The Norman Lear Center, which studies the impact of entertainment on society, was launched in 2000. Its research, publications, events and advocacy extend to areas as diverse as the public interest obligations of broadcasters; the impact of technology and intellectual property law on creativity in music, film and fashion; the globalization of entertainment, and its discontents; and the use of entertainment to promote civic engagement by young people.

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