Harvey Ovshinsky

Who is Harvey Ovshinsky?

Harvey Ovshinsky is a writer, story consultant, media producer, and teacher. The Detroit News described him as "one of this country's finest storytellers." The Metro Times called Ovshinsky's career chronicling life in Detroit during the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s as “a colorful and fantastic voyage, at times brave and visionary", spanning the universe of print, broadcast television and radio, and digital storytelling.

Ovshinsky was raised in Detroit, Michigan and attended Mumford High School. In 1965, at age 17, he founded and edited Fifth Estate, one of the earliest and longest running underground newspapers. Fifth Estate has been continuously published to this day with help of staffers like Peter Werbe who have worked the paper since soon after its establishment. Ovshinsky served as editor until 1968 when he was drafted and became a conscientious objector to the war in Vietnam. In 1970, was hired as news director of WABX, Detroit's alternative FM radio station.

Ovshinsky was president of HKO Media, an award-winning consulting and production firm. He received a 1992 Peabody Award and a 1993 a national Emmy for the documentary Close to Home: The Tammy Boccomino Story, a film about the experiences of mother and son with HIV. In 2004 he received a "Career Achievement" award for his films from the Detroit Docs International Film Festival. In 1994 Ovshinsky received an Alfred I. duPont - Columbia University Award Silver Baton and a Cine Golden Eagle Film and Video Competition award for "The Last Hit" a documentary film concerning youth violence. Ovshinsky is the recipient of 15 Regional Emmys from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.