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    Bryant Gumbel’s “Real Sports,” HBO’s longest-running show, will end after 29 seasons

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments797 Views
    Sportscaster Bryant Gumbel speaks on stage at HBO 2015 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 8, 2015. Gumbel's “Real Sports” newsmagazine on HBO will end its run after 29 years on the air, the network said on Wednesday. The show has been like a “60 Minutes” of sports, taking a look at social and economic issues beyond the games, and has won 37 Sports Emmy Awards. Gumbel, 74, won a lifetime achievement award at the Sports Emmys earlier this year. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Bryant Gumbel's "Real Sports" newsmagazine on HBO will end its run after 29 seasons on the air, the network said on Wednesday.

    The show has been like a "60 Minutes" of sports, taking a look at social and economic issues beyond the games, and has won 37 Sports Emmy Awards. Gumbel, 74, won a lifetime achievement award at the Sports Emmys earlier this year.

    During one season for which "Real Sports" won a Peabody Award, some of its stories included looks into football head injuries and athletes who came out as gay, as well as investigations into the hazing death of a college drum major and a deadly plane crash involving a pro hockey team in Russia.

    "We've had the opportunity to to tell complex stories about race, gender, class, opportunity and so much more," Gumbel said. "Being able to do so at HBO for almost three decades has been very gratifying. I'm proud of the imprint we've made, so I'm ready to turn the page. Although goodbyes are never easy, I've decided that now's the time to move on."

    Although HBO has seen cutbacks since the merger that created parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, the network said those financial considerations had nothing to do with the end of "Real Sports," HBO's longest-running series.

    It was not immediately clear when the final episode would air.

    "The series will continue to resonate in the realm of sports journalism, and we are so proud to have been part of such a remarkable odyssey," said Casey Bloys, HBO's chair and CEO.

    Tags:Bryant GumbelHBOReal Sports



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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