Local Preview of Academy Awards to Air on WETA TV 26 and WETA HD

WASHINGTON, D.C. — WETA TV 26 and WETA HD will broadcast the WETA Academy Awards Preview throughout the month of February leading up to the 83rd Academy Awards on February 27. Hosted by WETA Around Town panelists Joe Barber and Tim Gordon, the special showcases this year’s Academy Award nominees. In the half-hour program, film critics Barber and Gordon share their picks spotlighting this year’s Oscar nominations. Additionally, the program features Washington, D.C. native Russell Williams, a two-time Academy Award winner for his sound work on Glory and Dances with Wolves, who will give his award predictions for best sound editing and mixing. The special airs February 18 at 10 p.m. and throughout the month including an encore presentation at 7:30 p.m. on February 27, the evening of the Academy Awards.

Among others, the program also features the following notable movie critics:

• Arch Campbell - WJLA-TV and TBD/NewsChannel 8 at TBD.com – The Arch Campbell Show

• Jane Horwitz - Family Filmgoer column at The Washington Post, WETA Around Town panelist

• Ian Buckwalter – dcist.com and NPR

• Nell Minow - MovieMom.com

• Brandon Fibbs - BrandonFibbs.com, RottenTomatoes.com, The Colorado Springs Gazette, and regular guest on DC area radio programs

• Travis Hopson - PunchDrunkCritics.com

• Kevin McCarthy - CBS Radio and weekly movie reviewer for FOX 5

• Jen Chaney - Celebritology 2.0 blogger and reporter for The Washington Post

• Rebecca Cusey - entertainment reporter and critic, weekly columnist for Comcast.net and contributor to SixSeeds.tv

WETA Academy Awards Preview is a local production of WETA Washington, D.C. WETA Television celebrates the people and history of this region through programs such as WETA Around Town, The WETA Guide and WETA Extras. WETA’s headquarters are located in Arlington, Virginia. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO. More information on WETA and its programs and services is available at weta.org.

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