Stanley Hubbard to receive prestigious media award

Stanley Hubbard in his office, in front of a copy of the Declaration of Independence/ Star Tribune photo by Glenn Stubbe

Stanley S. Hubbard could fill a small museum with the honors he's received over the years. But the latest has to be extra special.

The president and chairman of Hubbard Broadcasting, which operates KSTP and several other media outlets, will receive the First Amendment Leadership Award in March from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation. Past winners include Don Hewitt, Katharine Graham, Ted Turner and Roger Ailes.

Others to be honored in New York this spring for their work in defending First Amendment rights include NPR's Nina Totenberg, CBS's Bill Whitaker and "Game Change" authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.

Hubbard is already an inductee in the Broadcast & Cable Hall of Fame and has been honored with a Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Broadcasters.

"I'm not afraid to stand up and be counted for what I believe in," Hubbard said in a 2015 Star Tribune interview about his history as a conservative-leaning donor to political campaigns. "I wish more people would stand up. They're afraid."