CBS and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
have reached a new agreement to keep the annual Kennedy Center Honors broadcast on CBS through 2018.
The special, in which honorees are recognized for lifetime
contributions to American culture through the performing arts, has aired on CBS
since its inception in 1978.
"The Kennedy
Center Honors continues to be one of the most prestigious broadcasts on all
of television, and we are honored to be its host," said Leslie Moonves, president
and CEO of CBS Corporation. "It is a unique event that reinforces our
country's collective appreciation for the performing arts with tremendous
class, style and, yes, entertainment. We are proud to join forces with the
Kennedy Center and our friends in Washington to continue presenting this annual
event."
The Kennedy Center
Honors has won the Emmy Award for outstanding variety, musical or comedy
special for the last three years, and has won eight total Emmys over the years.
