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Eric Deggans is the first full time TV critic at National Public Radio. Before that, he served as TV/Media Critic for the Tampa Bay Times, Florida's largest newspaper, for nearly 20 years. Some people call him the most critical guy in the place, because he served as TV critic, Pop Music Critic and Media Critic at various times. He has also guest hosted CNN's media analysis show Reliable Sources many times and serves on the board of journalists, educators, media experts and media industry luminaries who select the George Foster Peabody Awards.
Raised in Gary, Indiana, he earned a degree in journalism from Indiana University, working at newspapers in Pittsburgh, Pa. and Asbury Park, N.J. before landing in Florida. A drummer for more than 30 years, he performed in a band signed to Motown Records in the late 1980s and still plays the occasional show with local artists. He has won awards for his journalism from the Florida Society of News Editors, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society for Features Journalism and American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors; his work also has appeared in the Washington Post, CNN.com, The New York Times, Seattle Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Ebony magazine and Rolling Stone Online.
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