Graham Media Group Stations Earn Prestigious 2024 Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence in Journalism

Graham Media Group's stations KSAT-San Antonio, WDIV-Detroit, WKMG-Orlando, and WSLS-Roanoke have been honored in their regions with the prestigious 2024 Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). 

Since 1971, the RTDNA has celebrated excellence in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards, reflecting the high standards of journalism exemplified by Edward R. Murrow. These awards honor his legacy of integrity and dedication to the truth. 

KSAT-TV in San Antonio, Texas, received recognition for its comprehensive digital coverage of the tragic events in Uvalde. The RTDNA revealed the Region 6 honorees, highlighting outstanding achievements in electronic journalism from Oklahoma and Texas. This honor propels KSAT-TV into the national competition, with winners to be announced in August.  

"Our Uvalde coverage, titled 'One Year In: Uvalde,' was driven by a commitment to honor the 19 students and 2 teachers whose lives were taken too soon,” stated Ashlee Parker, Vice President, and General Manager at KSAT-TV. “Our work is dedicated to their memory, and we remain steadfast in our mission to support and uplift the victims, their families, and the entire Uvalde community.” 

WDIV-TV in Detroit, Michigan, was honored in the News Documentary category for its coverage titled “Does Line 5 Threaten Great Lakes?” This documentary explores the potential risks posed by Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac. Concerns focus on the possibility of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes, with severe environmental and economic impacts. The 70-year-old pipeline has sparked controversy, legal battles, and public outcry, highlighting the ongoing debate over its safety and the measures needed to protect the Great Lakes.

“Congratulations to Karen Drew, Marianne Krist, Justin DePrekel, Ben Bell, and Hans Ihlenfeldt for their outstanding work on a critical topic in our state,” stated Jennifer Wallace, News Director at WDIV. “Winning the Murrow Award is an extraordinary honor, as it represents the pinnacle of journalistic achievement. This award underscores the importance of journalism as a service, and we strive to be the genuine local voice that passionately informs and celebrates our communities. A huge congratulations to this team for their dedication, hard work, and innovative ideas that made this impactful body of work truly stand out.”

WKMG-TV in Orlando earned two Murrow Awards in Region 13. The first, for Excellence in Innovation, recognizes the transformation of its streaming service, News 6+, particularly the morning-time period with three new livestream shows. "Trooper Steve on Patrol," hosted by traffic safety expert Steven Montiero, addresses problem areas submitted by viewers and answers questions about road safety. Montiero also participates in community events. "Breakfast with Bridgett," hosted by morning anchor Bridgett Ellison, provides a lively take on daily headlines, sitting down with local leaders and guests to discuss significant community topics. "Weather Wise," with meteorologist Jonathan Kegges, offers in-depth discussions on weather phenomena and real-time, hyper-local weather information.  

"We strive every day to transform and innovate in the way we produce and present news to our community," said Jeff Hoffman, Vice President, and General Manager of WKMG-TV. WKMG also received the Best Podcast award for “Your Florida Daily,” hosted by Katrina Scales. 

WSLS-TV in Roanoke, VA, won four awards in Region 12. These include Feature Reporting for an episode of John Carlin’s Outdoors titled “Kinzie Dickman Takes Adaptive Skiing to a New Level,” which highlights a woman regaining her ability to ski after a car accident. The station also received the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award for the 2023 Black History Month special, Hidden History, narrated by former and current WSLS 10 anchors. In the Hard News category, WSLS-TV was recognized for a piece on Blaine Sirry, a Roanoke woman who survived a violent attack and shared her story as a warning to others. 

Additionally, WSLS won the Excellence in Innovation award for the Solutionaries segments by 10 News Anchor Jenna Zibton and Photojournalist Jeff Perzan, featuring stories on a body farm at George Mason University, initiatives to keep children safe online, and improvements to infrastructure on Interstate 81. 

The Edward R. Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism excellence.  

For links and a complete list of winners, click or tap here.   

Veteran News Executive Sean McLaughlin Joins Graham Media Group

Graham Media Group, the local media division of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), announced today that Sean McLaughlin has been named Vice President of News for the company's local media hubs. McLaughlin brings over two decades of experience leading innovative news strategies across multiple platforms. 

Most recently, McLaughlin served as Senior Vice President of Local News at The E.W. Scripps Company where he oversaw news operations in 41 markets. He worked closely with stations to develop customized content utilizing research and data to better engage audiences on broadcast, streaming, digital and social media. Under his leadership, Scripps made major commitments to diversity and localized community journalism. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Sean and his wealth of expertise in local news," said Catherine Badalamente, President and CEO of Graham Media Group. "His forward-thinking approach and track record of success will be invaluable as we continue evolving to meet the changing needs of our audiences, employees, and communities." 

Prior to Scripps, McLaughlin spent over 6 years as Executive News Director and Creative Services Director at KMOV-TV in St. Louis. He also served as News Director for stations in Tulsa earlier in his career. 

In his new role at Graham Media Group, McLaughlin will be responsible for developing and implementing an innovative, forward-looking news strategy that engages audiences across all platforms. He will guide the transformation of news gathering, storytelling and distribution models to stay ahead of disruption.  

"I'm excited to join the exceptional team at Graham Media Group at such a transformative time in our industry," said McLaughlin. "I look forward to working alongside the talented journalists and facilitating innovative reporting and storytelling to best serve our local communities." 

McLaughlin will start on Monday, April 22, 2024. 

Graham Media Group Stations Awarded Five 2023 Regional Murrow Awards

The Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious, sought-after awards in broadcast and digital news. The Murrow Awards recognizes local and national news stories that demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community. Graham Media Group stations WDIV-Detroit, WKMG-Orlando, WJXT-Jacksonville, and WSLS-Roanoke were all honored with a national 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award.     

WDIV-Detroit is the recipient of two coveted Murrow Awards for Breaking News and Excellence in Writing. WDIV was awarded for their Breaking News coverage of Detroit firefighters trapped while battling a fire. And anchor Devin Scillian won Excellence in Writing for his story about a local woman who nearly lost her home. “The Murrow Award is a remarkable honor and one of the highest in broadcast journalism,” said Vice-President and General Manager Bob Ellis. “To see our commitment to serving Southeast Michigan rewarded with this honor is a testament to the hard work our news department does each and every day.”

Breaking News

For coverage of the Detroit firefighters trapped while battling a house fire on Detroit’s East Side. Local 4 anchors and reporters were on the air throughout the afternoon and into the evening newscasts and there was aerial coverage, as well as cameras on the ground at the scene as the rescue unfolded.

Excellence in Writing

Local 4 anchor Devin Scillian won for his story on June Walker, the woman who nearly lost her home because of a fake landlord – but the generosity of one man helped her reclaim the house she worked so hard to own. This is the second time the station has won this award.

WKMG-Orlando won a Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation, highlighting the News 6+ Takeover programming block to change how the audience views local news. In November 2022, WKMG revamped its afternoon lineup by taking over its regular scheduled 5:30 pm newscast with new programming. This new programming included News 6 locally produced podcasts and longer format journalistic shows hosted by their news anchors and reporters. “We are using our broadcast to be a billboard for our digital assets,” said Jeff Hoffman, WKMG’s General Manager. “We are a multiplatform content provider, and we want our community to know they have options for local news, information, and new content on any of our News 6 platforms.” 

WSLS-Roanoke anchor and reporter Jenna Zibton, and Photojournalist Jeff Perzan won the Murrow Award for their Solutionaries series and continuing commitment to solutions journalism. The award submission includes several stories from WSLS in 2022, including how Danville, VA drastically cut crime and murder after having the most homicides per capita in Virginia. In addition to this, WSLS also discussed how local communities are fighting inflation. WSLS talked to a cattle farmer in Bedford County about how he is cutting costs so you do not pay more for meat and how urban gardening is taking off. WSLS also highlighted how a local nonprofit delivers milk to keep their neighbors fed during trying times. The “Moo Crew” raises the money and then picks up and delivers milk in Franklin County. WSLS highlights the creative people in Virginia communities working to make the world a better place, one solution at a time. 

WJXT-Jacksonville was awarded a Murrow Award for News4JAX anchor Mary Baer’s feature story “Child Unsafe,” exposing the life-threatening dangers of children ingesting commonly used lithium batteries. Jodi Mohrmann, Chris O’Rourke, and former colleagues Joe Drumm and Dylan Smith made up the team that produced this award-winning story. “It is unrelenting dedication that earned News4JAX this wonderful recognition. The WJXT team works hard every day to help keep local families safe. I am so proud their hard work is being honored,” said Vice President and General Manager, Terri Cope Walton. 

The Edward R. Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism excellence. 

For links and a complete list of winners, click or tap here.  

Aaron King named Vice President, General Manager of Social News Desk

Graham Media Group announced that Aaron King has been named Vice President and General Manager of Social News Desk, the leading social media management solution for news.

The announcement comes as Kim Wilson, founder and president of SND, shared her plans to depart the company at the end of April, along with co-founder Elisa DeFoe.

“I cannot overstate how proud I am of what we have accomplished as a team at Social News Desk,” said Wilson. “But the time is right for me to start a new chapter focused on my family, my health, and personal projects I’m passionate about. And while I will remain SND’s biggest fan, I could not be more confident in the leadership of Aaron King to take Social News Desk to new heights. It has been the privilege of my professional life to build the business, brand and culture that have defined SND for the past 12 years. What was once little more than a conversation between Elisa and myself has now become an essential tool for an industry that we love.”

King, known as an innovative, hands-on software executive with a history of cultivating winning development teams and successful startups, joined Social News Desk in 2015 as its Chief Technology Officer. As CTO, he spent the past 8 years overseeing SND’s best in class technology platform while working closely with Wilson to set roadmap goals and company vision.

“It is a real honor to be entrusted with the future of SND,” said King. “We have a world-class product and team positioned for success thanks to the hard work of our founders. Over the past 8 years I’ve been privileged to work with outstanding colleagues and fantastic customers who love and appreciate the value of our products and services. For their sake, I look forward to stoking the innovative spirit that got us here and to leading us into a prosperous future.”

Prior to joining Social News Desk, King co-founded Varsity Outreach, a private community platform for college admissions and alumni engagement. Before that he led software engineering teams for companies including Amazon, New World Systems and TicketsNow.com. 

A Detroit native, King previously served on the board of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW). He has also supported various organizations including Detroit Regional Chamber, ACCESS Detroit, Southwest Detroit Business Association (SBDA) and the Michigan Minority Business Development Council (MMBDC).

King currently resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he and his wife Jennifer have four children.

Local Media Digital Innovation Awards Honor WDIV and WKMG

WDIV-TV/ClickOnDetroit and WKMG-TV/News 6 Orlando were each awarded with Local Media Digital Innovation Awards from the Local Media Association. This highly competitive contest recognizes the best in local media across the nation, focusing on 16 categories such as best local website, branded content strategy, and more. The Local Media Digital Innovation Awards honor local media outlets in both large and small media companies, for their outstanding and innovative work in digital media.

WDIV-TV was awarded first place for “Best Audience Listening Strategy” for audience engagement on the station website, ClickOnDetroit. This award recognizes the collective efforts of the newsroom to create a strategy around listening to and engaging with audiences, including the WDIV Insiders membership program.

The winner of the “Best Digital News Project,” with over 750,000 monthly unique visitors, went to WKMG-TV and their website ClickOrlando.com, for Solutionaries, the GMG franchise focused on solutions journalism reporting. Judges commented, “The idea to create a nonlinear viewing/news consumption series is a great idea and keeps people engaged with the content and allows them to engage with what matters most to them.”

Also recognized for their digital work at the Local Media Digital Innovation Awards include KPRC-TV Houston and WSLS-TV Roanoke as runner ups for Best Local Website; WSLS-TV Roanoke, WJXT/WCWJ News4Jax, and KSAT-TV San Antonio as runner ups for Best Product Initiative; and WKMG-TV/News 6 Orlando as runner for Best Contest/Promotion.

Graham Media Group Honored With Four 2022 EPPY Awards

Graham Media Group stations are proud to have been honored with four 2022 EPPY Awards. The EPPY Awards, presented by Editor and Publisher in partnership with the Local Media Consortium, honor the best in digital news publishing across more than thirty diverse categories. This year, WKMG-TV in Orlando and KSAT-TV in San Antonio have each won an EPPY Award, and WSLS-TV in Roanoke was awarded two EPPYs.

WKMG’s website, ClickOrlando.com, was awarded “Best Local TV News Website” with 1 million or more unique visitors. The award recognized new features including the introduction of Solutionaries, a digital newscast that focuses on solutions-based journalism; the multi-platform Make Ends Meet effort that recovered millions of dollars for people struggling with unemployment issues; feature stories that mattered to the community during Black History Month; and enhanced traffic coverage with Florida Highway Patrol trooper, Trooper Steve, answering viewer questions.

KSAT received an EPPY win for “Best News or Event Feature Video” with 1 million or more unique visitors for their feature “Remember Their Names,” a special project from KSAT memorializing the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary shooting.

WSLS earned two EPPY Awards; “Best Local TV News Website” with fewer than 1 million unique visitors and “Best Investigative/Enterprise Video” with fewer than 1 million unique visitors. This category highlights a single story or a series of stories focusing on added information that may or may not be apparent to the public, whose revelations may bear consequences to their lives.

Phil Lane named Vice President, General Manager of Graham Media Group’s KPRC-TV

Phil Lane

Graham Media Group, the local media division of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), announced that Phil Lane has been named Vice President and General Manager of KPRC, the NBC affiliate broadcast television station in Houston, Texas.

Lane replaces Jerry Martin, who recently announced his retirement after 11 years at the helm of KPRC.

Lane will move to Houston from San Antonio where, since July 2011, he has held the role of Vice President and General Manager at KSAT, an ABC affiliate station owned by Graham Media Group.

“It is impossible to describe Phil Lane and his incredible leadership in just one sentence – to put it simply, he is a unicorn,” said Catherine Badalamente, President and Chief Executive Officer, Graham Media Group.  “While he has had a long and successful career running market-leading television stations, he is also a trailblazer and innovator whose skills are hard to match inside (and outside) of our industry.”

“I'm excited to join a wonderful local television station,” said Lane. “KPRC is enjoying ratings momentum thanks to a talented team of local broadcasters who deliver important, engaging, and enterprising content to their audiences. I'm eager to build on that success while exploring new, innovative ideas for Houston. Now is our opportunity to transform our business so we can connect with and serve our community in exciting new ways. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!”

Under Lane’s leadership, KSAT maintained market-leading ratings in news and the number one local media website in San Antonio. He launched numerous groundbreaking local programming initiatives including “SA Live,” a daily live lifestyle program, and “Texas Eats,” a local food series now distributed across the state. Lane expanded KSAT’s digital initiatives with the streaming news series “KSAT Explains,” the launch of KSAT Plus content stream, mobile and OTT app, KSAT’s Big Game Coverage high school sports streaming network and the creation of Graham Media’s first membership program, KSAT Insiders.  Another successful franchise launched by Lane this past Saturday is the first-ever KSAT Pigskin Classic high school football triple-header held at the Alamodome which was televised and streamed across all KSAT platforms.

Prior to joining KSAT, Lane had served as VP and GM of WSPA and WYCW in the Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, NC, market from 2004 to 2011; WJBF in Augusta, GA, from 2000 to 2004; and WRBL in Columbus, GA, from 1997 to 2000.  Lane is a graduate of Furman University with a BA in History.

Catherine Badalamente appointed to NAB Board of Directors

Catherine Badalamente, president and CEO of Graham Media Group, has been appointed to the National Association of Broadcasters Television Board of Directors, effective immediately.

The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age.

In addition to her role as president and CEO of Graham Media Group and her new appointment to the NAB Board of Directors, Badalamente is chair of the Board of Directors of the Local Media Association, serves as treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Local Media Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Women in Media. She was the recipient of the Digital Leadership Award from the NAB in 2017.

Phil Tahtakran, SVP, Head of Federal Government Affairs for NBCUniversal, was also appointed to the NAB Television Board of Directors, and Kevin Godwin, SVP for Townsquare Media, was appointed to the NAB Radio Board of Directors. The appointments were made by NAB TV Board Chair Perry Sook and NAB Radio Board Chair Bill Wilson, respectively, in accordance with NAB bylaws.

Read the announcements here. Learn more about the NAB at www.nab.org.

WKMG wins regional Edward R. Murrow award for Overall Excellence

WKMG-TV News 6 has been honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association with the Regional Award for Overall Excellence in a large market.

“I am thrilled our WKMG News 6 team has been honored for their tireless work for our Central Florida community,” said Allison McGinley, News 6 news director.

The Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious awards in news. The awards recognize “outstanding achievement” in broadcast and digital journalism.

“Murrow Award-winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession,” according to RTDNA, which has been offering the Murrow Awards to journalists since 1971.

“This award not only celebrates our daily news coverage, investigative work and digital innovation, it honors our commitment to being of service to our community. There is no greater priority for WKMG than ensuring we inform, educate and serve our community,” McGinley said.

News 6 now moves on to the national Murrow Award competition. The winners of those awards will be determined in the fall.

WJXT, News4JAX.com awarded prestigious 2022 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence

WJXT has been awarded two 2022 Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Excellence.

The Edward R. Murrow Award is among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news, and is presented to those who demonstrate excellence in their profession. It recognizes the best electronic journalism produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world.

In the area of Large Market, WJXT-TV, News4JAX, won a 2022 Regional Murrow award for Breaking News Coverage. On the morning of May 27, 2021, morning rush-hour drivers faced an emergency shutdown of the normally busy Buckman Bridge.

Florida Department of Transportation workers were forced to make emergency repairs after a portion of the bridge was damaged. This quickly became a safety concern and caused a traffic nightmare.

From The Morning Show through News4JAX at Noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., the news team at WJXT provided important safety information and repair status updates for commuters.

In the category of Digital, News4JAX.com also won the Regional Murrow award. The website has a wealth of information for people living in and interested in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

From the pandemic to social justice, the environment and the legislature, News4JAX.com provides rich detail about the impacts of such issues. It is a commitment to the best coverage of news, weather, community engagement and public service.

News4JAX.com is designed to keep people safe, aware and informed.

WDIV wins prestigious 2022 Regional Murrow Award

WDIV-Local 4 is honored to receive the coveted 2022 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast (Local 4 News at 11 p.m.) for coverage of the Oxford High School shooting.

Regional winners were announced Wednesday by the Radio Television Digital News Association.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named Best Newscast in the Regional Murrow Awards,” News Director Kim Voet said. “This is a true team win on one of the most difficult and tragic days our community has faced. I’m incredibly proud of our Local 4 newsroom and the quality and compassion we displayed in our coverage.”

“This day, we were confronted with a tragedy that every newsroom hopes they never have to cover,” Vice President and General Manager Bob Ellis said. “And when it happened, our team did what they do best. We were informative, measured, we asked important questions, and we were compassionate. We also made decisions not to show video or cover private moments, for which I’m extremely proud, as well. While I’m grateful this work has been recognized, it’s more important to again recognize the people of Oxford. They have demonstrated what the term 'community' truly means.”

The RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow's pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name.

This honor comes after receiving another distinguished tribute in March -- the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year Award – which WDIV-Local 4 won for the eighth year in a row.

WKMG, WJXT take home major awards from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists

Two of our Graham Media Group stations, WKMG in Orlando and WJXT in Jacksonville, took home Overall Excellence honors this past weekend, as the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists announced the 2021 award winners.

WKMG won in the large-market category, and WJXT took home the same award as a medium-sized market.

This marks the second year in a row WKMG has been named station of the year. WKMG won more than any other local station in the Orlando market.

"I am incredibly proud of our team at WKMG," News Director Allison McGinley said. "They know what it takes to cover, celebrate and make an impact on our community, and they give it their all every day!"

The awards ceremony was held May 7, 2022, at Wyndham Orlando Resort.

More than 40 radio and television stations submitted more than 550 entries in the contest, which featured content produced in the year 2021.

WKMG won awards in the following categories:

• News 6 executive producer John Ambrogne and producers Ryan Burkett and Cathleigh Winningham won “Best Television Morning Newscast” for their coverage of “Launch of Crew-2 Mission: April 23, 2021 | 5:30 a.m.”
• WKMG-TV’s news team won best “Continuing Coverage” for their entry titled “Capitol Riot Arrests.”
• News 6 anchor Matt Austin and photographer Paul Giorgio won best “Series/Franchise | Light” for their “Getting Results Award” coverage.
• Investigative reporter Mike DeForest and photographer Darran Caudle won best “Political, Government, Election Reporting | Single” for their entry titled “Voter Fraud.”

WKMG was a finalist in the following categories:

Some of the News 6 team on awards night.

• Assistant news director Jason Olson, executive producer Victoria Lyons and producer Ken Pilcher were finalists in the “Best Television Evening Newscast” category for their “Othal Wallace Manhunt: June 24, 2021 | 7 p.m.” entry.
• WKMG-TV’s news team were finalists in the “Breaking News | Station” category for their “Othal Wallace Manhunt” coverage.
• News 6 investigative reporter Erik Sandoval and photographers Paul Giorgio and Jim Cavanaugh were finalists for the “Environmental Reporting | Series” category for “Forecasting Change.”
• Investigative reporter Merris Badcock and photographer Paul Giorgio were finalists in the “General Assignment” category for their “Traffic Angel” entry.
• News 6 investigative reporter Erik Sandoval and photographer Jim Cavanaugh were finalists in the “General Assignment | Long” category for their “Policing 2.0″ coverage.
• Investigative reporter Mike Holfeld and photographer Robert Breuer were finalists in the “Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting” category for their work on “Make Ends Meet.”
• Investigative reporter Merris Badcock and photographer Anthony Murdock were finalists for the best “Series/Franchise | Hard” with their “One Giant, Big Failure” coverage.
• News 6 producers Tiffany Browne, Robert Brown and Ken Pilcher were finalists for the best “Feature Reporting | Cultural & Historical” category with their “Black History Month” coverage.
• News 6 photographer Paul Giorgio was a finalist for the best “Use of Sound” for his “Running 4 Heroes” entry.
• Investigative reporter Mike DeForest and photographer Darran Caudle were finalists for the best “Investigative Reporting | Single” category for their “Realtor Scheme” entry.
• News 6 anchor Kirstin O’Connor, photographer Paul Giorgio and traffic safety expert and anchor Steve Montiero were finalists for the best “Health Reporting | Series” for their “Trooper Steve: A Survival Story” entry.

WJXT won awards in the following categories:

• Community Service Station of the Year: “Positively Jax”
• Best Television Evening Newscast: “Condo Collapse” at 5 p.m.
• Breaking News, Station: “Buckman Bridge Damaged”
• Continuing Coverage: “Hunt For A Cop Killer”
• Climate/Environmental Reporting: “Forecasting Change: Sea Level and Infrastructure” - Scott Johnson and Joe Drumm
• Education Reporting: “Picture Day Gone Wrong” by Joe McLean and Curtis Bottoms
• Feature Reporting, Hard News: “A Second Shot” by Marilyn Parker and Ciara Earrey
• Weather Reporting: “Text Message Warns of Tornado” by Renee Beninate and Jud Hulon
• Traffic/Transportation Reporting: “Killer Crossroads” by Vic Micolucci, Chris O’Rourke and Eric Wallace
• Political, Election, Government Reporting, Series: “This Week in Jacksonville: Attack on the Capitol” by Kent Justice, Jodi Mohrmann and Eric Wallace
• Reporter: Vic Micolucci “Tragedy, Tactics, Training”

WJXT was a finalist in the following categories:

• Best Television Evening Newscast: “Ahmaud Arbery Verdict” at 6 p.m.
• Digital Programming: “Gators Breakdown” with David Waters and Will Miles
• Climate/Environmental Reporting: “Toxic Coal Ash Spill” by Tarik Minor and Eric Wallace
• General Assignment: Long – “Manhunters” by Vic Miccoluci, Chris O’Rourke and Jodi Mohrmann
• Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting: “Air Ambulance” by Anne Maxwell and Ciara Earrey
• Weather Reporting: “Tornado Touchdown” by John Gaughan and Stacey Readout
• Traffic/Transportation Reporting: “Teen Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver” by Renee Beninate and LeeAnn Walker
• Investigative Reporting, Series: “I-Team, Rodent Residential” by Jennifer Waugh, Chris O’Rourke and Jodi Mohrmann
• Political, Election, Government Reporting, Series: “This Week in Jacksonville: Remembering Tommy Hazouri” by Kent Justice, Jodi Mohrmann and Eric Wallace
• Multimedia Journalist: Marilyn Parker

For links and to find a full list of winners, click or tap here.

KPRC wins first-place National Headliner Award for best newscast

KPRC 2 has been honored with a first-place National Headliner Award in the category "Best Newscast," recognizing the news team's 6 p.m. show on the day of the Astroworld Tragedy in Houston.

The judge’s comments are below:

“This Astroworld newscast brought out the exceptional chaos with an emphasis on concertgoers in this tragedy. This was quite an expansive edition of an investigation that went beyond the normal. (There was) excellent use of visuals, including strong social media graphics. The strong collection of first-hand accounts of what happened made the story stick.”

You can watch the award-winning newscast here.

As for the National Headliner Awards, this is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic merit.

The list of winners across print, online, broadcast and radio is quite impressive. View the full list here.

KPRC was the only Houston news organization to be recognized.

WKMG News Director inducted into UCF's Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame

WKMG News Director Allison McGinley has been inducted into the Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame at the University of Central Florida.

McGinley graduated from UCF in 1996 and has been with WKMG/News 6 in Orlando since the mid ‘90s.

From her start as an intern in 1994 to her promotion to news director in 2015, McGinley has always had her focus on serving Central Florida.

She’s also been instrumental in supporting and letting her employees grow and learn, while getting actionable results that have a positive impact on our community.

“Fame is nothing Allison has sought. Her road to this moment has been paved with a 28-year record of tireless public service, and undaunting commitment to journalistic excellence and an unmatched dedication to team building that has created what I know for a fact is the happiest newsroom in Orlando,” said Rick Brunson, fellow NSCM alumni Hall of Fame member.

On Friday, faculty, staff and alumni of the school presented McGinley with the esteemed Hall of Fame honors.

“The journalistic burden remains heavy for our young journalists as they must understand the shifting requirements of today’s fast and multi-faceted industry are the same they’ve always been to get it done,” said McGinley as she received her honors. “But above speed and being first, make sure you get it right. Tonight, I can unequivocally confirm that despite these tests, we can and should find renewed a sense of purpose and passion because what we do matters. Period.”

Watch the video and read more on WKMG's website, ClickOrlando.com.

Former President and CEO of Graham Media Group, Emily Barr, inducted into Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame

Former GMG President and CEO Emily Barr is inducted into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame.

Emily Barr, Graham Media Group’s former president and CEO who retired earlier this year, has been inducted into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame.

Barr led Graham Media Group for more than 10 years.

She was among 12 members – including six women – celebrated Thursday night in New York City.

“This year’s class, announced in 2020 with the celebration delayed due to concerns over COVID-19, is a special one indeed,” wrote Bill McGorry, the chairman of the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame, who oversees the nomination process and manages the annual awards event. “Its 12 members include six women, ranging from on-air journalists Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, co-anchors of NBC’s 'Today,' to Emily Barr, the recently retired president and CEO of Graham Media Group. They are joined by Pearlena Igbowke, chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group; and Susanne Daniels, former global head of original content at YouTube and a media consultant and lecturer. Also included is Nomi Bergman, president of Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership and a director of Comcast Corp.”

The Graham Media Group team, including former president and CEO Emily Barr (fifth from left).

Here is the full list of honorees:

The 2022 ‘B+C’ Hall of Fame Class

• Emily Barr
• Nomi Bergman
• Steve Miron
• Brandon Burgess
• Susanne Daniels
• Savannah Guthrie
• Hoda Kotb
• Pearlena Igbokwe
• Leo MacCourtney
• Dan Mason
• Steven R. Swartz
• Curtis Symonds

Previous honorees from years past include Oprah.

"The career hallmark of (Barr), who just stepped back to serve as a consultant before she retires, is that she has kept her stations connected to their communities while encouraging journalism to thrive," this write-up calls out.

“She is truly motivated by the mission of broadcasting,” National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in the piece. “That’s always been larger than her role at her specific company. She knows the importance of having a medium that unites and serves as a real local nexus to which people can turn to find the resources they need.”

He also noted Barr’s warmth and authenticity.

“The first thing that strikes you if you spend time with Emily is that she’s a very good listener,” LeGeyt said. “Her role at NAB [as chair of the Television Board] was to find common ground on advocacy solutions. She’s someone who can do that because she’s willing to put herself in others’ shoes.”

Emily Barr on stage at the New York City event.

Catherine Badalamente, Graham's former VP and chief innovation officer, just succeeded Barr as GMG's new president and CEO. Barr and Badalamente worked closely throughout the transition.

“She’s everything that you see and more,” Badalamente said of Barr. “I always tell the story about how I worked closely with Alan Frank [Graham’s CEO before Barr] and he told me that I was going to love working with her. I read every article I could find on her and I went to the comments, because that’s where you get the real story, and every story about her was how she was real and genuine and hard-working. All of that turned out to be true.”

Read more: Welcome to the 30th Anniversary of the ‘B+C’ Hall of Fame | B+C Hall of Fame 2022: Emily Barr

'KSAT Explains' honored as Best Local TV News Magazine by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation

Myra Arthur and Valerie Gomez

San Antonio's first in-depth local streaming program has been honored with a national award recognizing the work of KSAT's talented team of journalists.

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation named "KSAT Explains: What you need to know about protective orders in Bexar County" a Gracie Award winner for best Local TV News Magazine.

Watch the award-winning episode here.

In the episode, the KSAT Explains team -- anchor/producer Myra Arthur and editor/visualizer Valerie Gomez, creator Lexi Salazar and executive producer Brina Monterroza -- explored the issue of domestic violence in Bexar County.

It happens over and over again in San Antonio: Women, and men, are abused or killed at the hands of someone who claimed to love them. Domestic violence is a pattern created to intimidate and control a victim while simultaneously rooting itself in a new generation as children grow up witnessing that abuse or becoming victims themselves. In 2020, 17 people died at the hands of an intimate partner. There are tools in place that are supposed to help save lives, get survivors away from their abusers, and help them build better lives.

"That's why we chose to do this episode on protective orders," said Myra Arthur, anchor/producer for KSAT Explains. "We know our county has incredibly high rates of domestic violence, but a lot of people see the stats and respond with, 'Well, she should just leave.' The survivors we talked to explain why it's never that simple. Their stories are chilling and full of incredibly close calls. To see their bravery and strength now -- that's what we wanted victims in our community to know is possible. And how."

The station launched KSAT Explains in mid-2020 as an experiment to offer more in-depth exploration of important issues in our community than traditional newscasts allow.

Almost every episode highlights inequities in our community – whether they are social, economic or cultural – and often, these episodes explore potential solutions that the community is using to address those inequities.

“It is not a surprise to me that our amazing team from KSAT would be honored with an AWM Gracie Award,” President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Media Group, Catherine Badalamente, said. “This group of standout women embody everything that the Gracies represent -- creating exemplary and influential work that will inspire generations of women to come.”

“I am so proud of our KSAT Team and their unrelenting, innovative spirit,” said Phil Lane, vice president and general manager of KSAT12.

This spring, KSAT Explains enters a new phase. The show will transition from streaming-only platforms to a new time on-air at 6:30 p.m. on KSAT 12.

It marks an opportunity for more viewers to see this reporting style that gives deeper context and perspective to what’s making headlines or introducing local stories for the first time. From topics such as illegal street racing to a symphony on strike and more, catch KSAT Explains at its new time in its new home in the coming weeks.

About KSAT Explains

KSAT Explains is an episodic deep dive into the critical issues, events and opportunities impacting our local community of San Antonio. It launched in mid-2020, and is designed for viewers who want more context and insight into the complexity of our city. The KSAT Explains team produces original programming designed for our livestreaming app, so it's a digital product that lives on KSAT+, KSAT.com, includes a companion email newsletter, and has a social media and podcasting presence across multiple platforms.

About The Gracies

The Gracies are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF). The award program was created to recognize individuals in media who reflect the changing roles, issues and concerns of women. The Gracies recognize individual achievement and exemplary programming created by, for, and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. AWMF is a charitable nonprofit that creates educational programs and scholarship initiatives to benefit the public and women in media.

WDIV named ‘Station of the Year’ by Michigan Association of Broadcasters for 8th year in a row

WDIV-TV Local 4, a Graham Media Group station, is honored to be named the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’ Station of the Year for the eighth year in a row.

The station won for broadcasting excellence in 16 categories from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters - 10 best and 9 merit awards for Market 1.

“Every employee at WDIV shares a piece of this tremendous honor,” Vice President and General Manager Bob Ellis said. “Every person here works together to serve our community, and that’s what makes this so gratifying.”

BEST AWARDS

Breaking News Story: Flooding Catastrophe

Feature/Use of Medium: I Have No Regrets

Investigative Story: Morgue Mistakes

Mini-Documentary or Series: Detroit’s Babygirl

News Reporter: Nick Monacelli

News Special: Secrets of Small Town

Photojournalist: Alex Atwell

Special Interest Programming: Summer Spectacular

Sports: Local 4 Sports Opening Day

Weathercast: Tracking Snow Threat

MERIT AWARDS

Breaking News: Tornadoes Touch Down

Community Involvement: WDIV Community Involvement

Continuing Coverage: Oxford Tragedy Continuing Coverage

Feature/Use of Medium: Finding a Fossil

Marketing Materials & Promos: We Are Stronger

News Anchor: Devin Scillian

Newscast: Local 4 News at 11

Photojournalist: Mike Tiseo

Use of New Media (Single Project): WDIV Vaccine Hunter

The Broadcast Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievement in broadcasting by Michigan radio and television stations each year. The awards were announced online by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

Graham Media Group stations reimagine local news beyond broadcast with new morning newscast livestreams

Starting Monday, April 4, 2022, Graham Media Group stations KPRC-TV (Houston) and WDIV-TV (Detroit) will launch an additional hour of their morning local newscast streaming, exclusively on digital platforms and OTT apps.

KPRC-TV’s morning newscast will stream from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on KPRC2+, and will feature the morning news team of Owen Conflenti, Lisa Hernandez, meteorologist Anthony Yanez and Anavid Reyes following rush hour traffic. Amy Davis and Anavid Reyes will expand their consumer and transit stories to include angles not covered on broadcast, and the hour will feature live guests to give depth and perspective on the big stories of the day.

WDIV-TV’s morning newscast will stream from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Local4+, and will feature the morning news team of Rhonda Walker, Evrod Cassimy, meteorologist Brandon Roux, traffic reporter Kim DeGiulio and reporter Nick Monacelli, and will feature live guests, the day’s top stories, weather and traffic reports from across Metro Detroit. WDIV added a 10 p.m. weeknight newscast streaming exclusively on Local4+ earlier this year.

“We’ve reimagined our streaming news products to meet the needs of our viewers. They’ve clearly told us they want more local news from the brands they trust most, and we’re providing that with our original news programs on Local4+,” said Bob Ellis, WDIV Vice President and General Manger. “Unlocking the combined power of our local television news, our market-leading news website, and our trusted anchors and reporters means more quality content more often. The streaming numbers on our app continue to grow rapidly, and we’re committed to serving these new audiences now and in the weeks and months ahead, with much more quality content coming."

KPRC2+ and Local4+ television apps are available for free download in the Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV app stores. The livestreams also can be viewed on the stations’ mobile apps and online at Click2Houston.com and ClickOnDetroit.com, respectively.

Additionally, Graham Media Group stations continue to innovate in streaming local news beyond broadcast. Earlier this year, KSAT-TV (San Antonio) launched a daily 11 a.m. digital stream exclusive newscast, “KSAT News Now”, and “KSAT Explains”, a weekly deep-dive news feature program available on KSAT Plus; and WSLS-TV (Roanoke) launched “The Sprint”, a daily digital-only news brief.

WKMG-TV (Orlando) has pioneered a “Choose Your View” director’s chair digital stream for coverage of space launches from Kennedy Space Center and with 25 live cameras covering the Orlando Fourth of July Fireworks in 2021. WJXT-TV (Jacksonville) debuted the “Choose Your View” stream in covering the implosion of a downtown skyscraper in March.

Other Graham Media Group digital-first productions currently streaming on each stations’ OTT apps include “Solutionaries," a monthly solutions journalism-focused program highlighting local people working to find solutions to challenging issues from affordable housing and inflation, to climate concerns and police reform; and “Something Good," an ongoing series of positive news and the good works of people living in the community.

Stephanie Slagle named Graham Media Group Chief Innovation Officer; Michael Newman named Director of Transformation

Stephanie Slagle, Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer

Graham Media Group has announced that it has named Stephanie Slagle as Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer.

Slagle joined Graham Media Group in 2019 as Director, Brand Agency and Sales Strategy, and held a pivotal role during the successful launch of OMNE, Graham Media Group’s multiplatform ad agency for data-driven results.

As Chief Innovation Officer, Slagle will be based in Detroit and will oversee the Graham Digital team.

“Stephanie excels at navigating the digital universe and helping sales, news and technology teams build and deliver imaginative solutions,” said Catherine Badalamente, GMG President and CEO. “Her passion for learning and teaching has helped her build enthusiastic, client and viewer-focused teams and we’re thrilled to have her take a leadership role in innovation.”

Previously, Slagle spent nine years at Dispatch Media Group, acquired by TEGNA in 2019, building and managing the digital departments for WBNS-TV, WBNS Radio and the Columbus Dispatch. In 2017, Slagle led the launch of Pixelent Digital, WBNS’s full-service digital agency.

Slagle and her husband will relocate to Metro Detroit in the coming weeks.

Additionally, Graham Media Group announced the promotion of Michael Newman to Director of Transformation.

Michael Newman, Director of Transformation

Since 2007, Newman has been the lead developer for Graham Media Group, and has been the chief visionary architect of successful projects and product launches ranging from video, streaming, mobile, ad-tech, UI/UX, apps and more.

“Michael’s keen eye for automation and process efficiencies puts Graham Media in the unique position to lead the industry in audience and sales transformation,” Badalamente said.

Newman is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in journalism and resides in Grosse Pointe Park with his wife and two children.