INTX 2016: LeVar Burton To Appear at NAMIC Awards Breakfast

Actor LeVar Burton (Roots) will be a special guest at Wednesday’s NAMIC Annual Awards breakfast at INTX in Boston to take part in a special acknowledgement of achievement in programming diversity.

 As part of its 2016 Annual Awards Breakfast, NAMIC will recognize History's upcoming event series Roots, a remake of the groundbreaking mini-series based on Alex Haley's classic novel, "Roots: The Saga of An American Family." It premieres on History on Memorial Day.


The event will honor the winners of this year's Next Generation Leaders Awards, emerging executives of color representing A+E Networks, Discovery Communications, One Solution/Interactive One and Time Warner Cable. 

Maria Elena Salinas, anchor, Noticiero Univision will also receive the 2016 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award, according to the organization. 

Brad Siegel, president, TV One is the honorary chair for this year's event, according to NAMIC.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.