Athens, Ga. — The George Foster Peabody Awards’ 68th annual search for excellence in electronic media has begun. More than 100,000 call for entries alerts have been mailed worldwide, supplemented by ads in media-industry publications. Original broadcast, cablecast and webcast programs presented in the calendar year 2008 are eligible. The entry deadline is January 15. Entrants may apply online at www.peabody.uga.edu.

The Peabody Awards, established in 1940 and administered by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, are the oldest honor in television and radio. Today the Peabody recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by TV and radio stations, networks, producing organizations, individuals and the World Wide Web.

Recipients of the 67th Annual Peabody Awards, which were emceed by 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl at New York’s Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, ranged from Planet Earth, Discovery Channel’s visually stunning natural-history tour, to NBC’s self-satirizing comedy 30 Rock; from “God’s Warriors,” a three-part CNN Presents examining religious fundamentalism around the world, to “Whole Lotta Shakin’,” a history of rockabilly music distributed by Public Radio International, to “Ya Es Hora,” Univision’s multifaceted campaign to encourage Hispanic Americans to seek citizenship.

International winners included “A Journey Across Afghanistan: Opium and Roses,” an investigative travelogue produce by Balkan News Corp. (bTV), and “White Horse Village,” a BBC/BBC America profile of a inland Chinese community undergoing massive, accelerated change. Local station winners included Dallas’ WFAA-TV for a diverse quartet of investigative reports, WNYC Radio in New York for The Brian Lehrer Show, and KNXV-TV in Phoenix for “Security Risks at Sky Harbor,” an expose of lax security at the city’s main airport.

The Peabody Award, considered the most selective and prestigious honor for electronic media programming, is unique in that there are no categories for entry or nominations. Entries are judged by a 15-member board that includes television critics, industry practitioners, scholars and experts in culture and fine arts.

For further information regarding the Peabody Awards or to request an entry form, call 706/542-3787, e-mail the Peabody office at peabody@uga.edu, or see the Peabody Web site at www.peabody.uga.edu.

Established in 1915, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers seven undergraduate majors including advertising, broadcast news, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and telecommunication arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to WNEG-TV, the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu.