AFI Life Achievement Award exclusive given to TV Land

TV Land has won the exclusive broadcast rights to the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Life Achievement Award, it was announced by Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land and Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. The four-year agreement begins with the 37th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film, which will be presented to Michael Douglas at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 11th, 2009. EPA/PETER FOLEY

The four-year agreement begins with the 37th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film, which will be presented to Michael Douglas at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 11th, 2009. EPA/PETER FOLEY The four-year agreement begins with the 37th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film, which will be presented to Michael Douglas at a gala tribute in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 11th, 2009. The AFI award recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.The program will air July 19, 2009 on TV Land PRIME, TV Land’s primetime programming block featuring classic television and film. "We are honored to be TV Land PRIME's flagship event for a celebration of classic American films," said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. "With this agreement, the proud tradition of the AFI Life Achievement Award will carry into its 40th year on television, and we look forward to partnering with TV Land PRIME, which shares our mission to honor the art form with the nation and the world."“We are thrilled to serve as the new home of the AFI Life Achievement Award,” stated Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. “It is an honor to be part of this tribute, and we are excited to bring it to our audience, which has followed Mr. Douglas’s remarkable career with great interest.”Douglas will soon be seen in Peter Hyams's courtroom thriller "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt" and Mark Waters' comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" with Matthew McConaughy and Jennifer Garner.Former AFI recipients include Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Harrison Ford, dating back to 1973 when John Ford received the first AFI honor.