WKMG-TV Awarded 'Large Market Overall Station of the Year' by Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists

WKMG-TV News 6 at 2024 FABJ Awards

WKMG-TV News 6 the Graham Media Group owned CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida has been named the Large Market Overall Station of the Year by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists (FABJ). The FABJ held its annual Florida News Awards ceremony on Saturday, April 20, at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, FL. This prestigious recognition marks the third time since 2018 that WKMG has earned this honor, reinforcing its commitment to quality journalism and community service.

"Our team of multi-platform journalists understands the importance of community, the power of information, and the requirement that our audience be able to access that information anytime and anywhere," said WKMG News Director Allison McGinley. "Our mission is clear: to be of service and to Get Results for Central Florida."

The FABJ award ceremony celebrated excellence in broadcast journalism across the state, and WKMG stood out for its outstanding coverage and impactful storytelling. The station and its reporters took home awards in the following categories:

• Breaking News

• Digital Reporting

• Investigations

• Political Reporting

• Team Coverage

In addition to these wins, the WKMG team was recognized as a finalist in seven additional categories, including Environmental, Transportation, and Educational Reporting, among others. This breadth of recognition highlights the station's commitment to diverse and comprehensive news coverage.

"We are incredibly proud of our team's achievements," said McGinley. "These awards reflect the hard work, dedication, and passion that our journalists bring to their work every day. We are honored to serve Central Florida and will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do."

For more information about WKMG-TV, and its award-winning coverage, please visit www.clickorlando.com or follow them on social media for the latest updates.

The FABJ is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization operated by a volunteer board of broadcast journalism professionals based throughout Florida. The organization's annual awards ceremony continues to be a significant event, recognizing the dedication and talent of journalists who strive to inform and engage their communities.

WKMG-TV News Director Allison McGinley Honored with RTDNA Distinguished Service Award

Allison McGinley, news director at WKMG-TV News 6, the Graham Media Group CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida, has been honored with a prestigious Barney Oldfield Distinguished Service Award by the Radio Television Digital News Association. 

The Barney Oldfield Distinguished Service Award was created in honor of RTDNA founder Barney Oldfeld, formerly known as RTDNF at the time it was founded. The Distinguished Service Award is awarded annually to an individual who, through their own efforts, has contributed to the growth and success of RTDNA.

“I’m thankful to RTDNA for this incredible honor,” said McGinley. “I continue to be deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve working journalists and aspiring journalists and to work in earnest to preserve the integrity and the freedom of the press.”

Since starting as an intern at the station in 1994 to becoming news director in 2015, McGinley has always focused on serving the community, from changing Florida’s state law on texting and driving to helping Floridians in need get back money with "Make Ends Meet" during the pandemic. Through Allison's leadership, News 6 has produced award-winning local news - including Regional Murrow Awards - while sharing stories that celebrate and highlight our diverse communities, local businesses, and those who innovate and generate solutions. 

“Allison’s recognition on a national level is a reflection of the talent, effort and leadership she brings to her team at WKMG each day.” said Jeff Hoffman, VP & General Manager of WKMG.  “Over the past 27 years at WKMG, Alison has managed not only to “make good” but to “do good.””

WKMG-TV wins big at Florida Association of Broadcast Journalist Awards

WKMG-TV is the winner of seventeen Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists (FAB) Awards, and WKMG-TV anchor Erik Von Ancken is the winner of an individual achievement award. More than 55 radio and television stations submitted more than 650 entries in this contest, featuring content produced in 2022.

WKMG-TV won nine awards in the following categories of the Television I/Large Market competition: Television Newscast - Evening, Television Newscast - Morning/Midday, Breaking News - Individual, Politics/Government -Single, Politics/Government -Series/Program, Feature - Hard, Consumer/Economic, Transportation Reporting, and Health Reporting - Single. WKMG-TV anchor Erik Von Ancken won an individual achievement award for Anchor.

WKMG-TV also won eight awards in the Television II/Medium Market competition in the following categories: Television Newscast - Evening, Television Newscast - Morning/Midday, Investigative: Series, Politics/Government: Series Program, Politics/Government: Station, Series/Franchise: Hard, Feature: Hard, and Education Reporting. WKMG-TV also was a finalist in eleven other categories.

The Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists is a not-for-profit organization supported by broadcast journalism professionals employed by commercial and public television and radio stations and those employed by and enrolled in college-level broadcast journalism operations. The mission of the Board of the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists is to advocate the advancement of broadcast journalism through various means.

WKMG News 6 Changes the Way to View Local News

WKMG News 6, the local CBS affiliate in Orlando, Florida is once again innovating the delivery of news and information to its audience by spotlighting- on broadcast television- the content and convenience of their OTT streaming channel News 6+.

On Monday, November 14th, WKMG will take over their 5:30pm newscast with new programming called the “News 6+ Takeover.” For years, News 6 has been producing award-winning local news while sharing stories that celebrate and highlight our diverse communities, local businesses and those who innovate and generate solutions. Now, WKMG will bring those personalities and themes from their owned-and- operated digital platforms, like ClickOrlando.com and News 6+, to the general broadcast audience at 5:30 p.m. every weekday on WKMG.

What will this Takeover look like on air? WKMG General Manager Jeff Hoffman explains, “The News 6+ Takeover will deliver relevant news and information throughout all our platforms. Our audience should expect a more personal and interactive experience with Central Florida’s best news team in a way that is not constrained by a ‘one size fits all’ format of traditional newscasts.”

Starting Monday, instead of a newscast, the audience will be exposed to News 6’s variety of podcasts and longer format journalism.

“In essence, it’s the opposite of our traditional broadcast to digital push. We will be using our vast collection of local, timely, original, digital content to populate our broadcast air”, said WKMG News Director Allison McGinley.

Why are we doing this now? Easy. People’s habits around consuming content and information has changed dramatically. News 6 will meet that desire for inspiring content with local, community-based, and solutions-oriented programming.

“In a market like Orlando with multiple local stations doing dozens of hours of news each day, this is an opportunity for WKMG News 6 to once again be the leader of innovation and crack the mold of what local news is expected to be. At WKMG News 6, we have an incredible team of passionate journalists with varied interests. Their reporting, their stories will help us to better connect with our audience. We are excited to expand it from our owned-and-operated digital platforms like ClickOrlando.com and News 6+ and bring it to our general broadcast audience at 5:30pm,” McGinley added.

The News 6+ Takeover will air weekdays at 5:30pm on News 6 and all content and shows will be available after they air on the News 6+ streaming app that is available for free on any Roku, FireTV, AppleTV, or AndroidTV device. You can also find the same content live streamed or as video on demand on ClickOrlando.com.

Here’s a rundown of what you can expect to see on air after the launch of the News 6+ Takeover:

Monday: Florida’s Fourth Estate Podcast with News 6 anchors Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden. This podcast takes these colleagues and true friends off the traditional news set and into the more casual podcast realm where they sit down to give us their unfiltered take on some of the craziest headlines in Florida.

Tuesday: Solutionaries. It’s probably a word you’ve never heard before, but we didn’t make it up. A Solutionary is someone who recognizes a problem or injustice in society and comes up with creative and innovative ways to tackle those inequities. To give those people a spotlight, News 6 created this digital- only show focusing on issues our community is dealing with while highlighting the potential solutions available locally and around the nation.

Wednesday: Florida Foodie. News 6 anchor Lisa Bell and meteorologist Candace Campos talk with chefs, farmers, small businesses owners, CEOs, and activists with the goal of getting people to think more about the food on their plates.

Thursday: Talk to Tom. We took a popular segment WKMG News 6 features during major weather events and turned it into a weekly show. Viewers can submit any of their weather-related questions online or call into the show. In addition, Tom will share his views on recent weather events, viral videos, and more. He will even talk to experts about weather topics.

Friday: A second weekly dose of Florida’s Fourth Estate featuring hot topics and viewer e-mails will allow the audience to enter the weekend with a light-hearted look at life.

Immediately following the weekday 5:30pm News 6+ Takeover, WKMG will air its regularly scheduled newscast ‘News 6 at 6pm’.

The News 6+ Takeover is expected to continue as alternative special programming for viewers throughout the holidays.

WKMG News 6 Orlando Celebrates Society of Professional Journalist 2022 Award Wins in Multimedia

WKMG News 6, the Graham Media Group owned television in Orlando, Florida, is proud to announce that they have been honored as winners of the 2022 by the Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine State Awards with two exceptional 2022 Multimedia wins.

The Society of Professional Journalists is a national organization honoring “excellence in journalism" and "prize original reporting, where appropriate, visual storytelling."  This highly competitive competition recognizes and awards the best in journalism in the Sunshine State.

The two wins presented to WKMG and announced on August 27th, consisted of a 1st place Multimedia Feature win for their innovative multimedia program Solutionaries and its Policing 2.0. Episode.   The second prize was awarded in the Data Visualization category for their work on School Shooting numbers.

Solutionaries, is an innovative new digital newscast that focuses on solutions-based journalism and highlights people who are making a difference. All six of Graham Media Group’s stations participate in making each Solutionaries episode a success.

“WKMG News 6 continues to evolve and innovate our multimedia platform content, and we are pleased to know our community has found our efforts informative and engaging,” said Jeff Hoffman, WKMG Vice President and General Manager.

“We strive every day to provide in-depth coverage of stories that matter to our community.  While that encompasses broadcast, it goes beyond the TV,” commented News Director Allison McGinley.  “We are committed to bringing important information to our audiences however and whenever it is convenient to their lifestyle.  Winning awards like these says a lot about our commitment and the pride WKMG takes in telling these stories.”   

We commend the winners for their impressive work, and we would like to off our congratulations to all the 2022 SPJ Award recipients

WKMG's 'Make Ends Meet' initiative is changing lives in the community -- and it's just getting started

In March 2020, in the midst of a global health crisis, WKMG News 6 launched Make Ends Meet, a franchise spearheaded by investigative reporter Mike Holfeld, to help residents of Central Florida answer financial questions and budget their money throughout a pandemic.

But what it turned into was so much more.

As soon as Holfeld starting profiling struggling families, and their cries for help aired during the newscasts, the phones and emails began pouring in from viewers hoping to donate and lend a hand.

Once stimulus checks began rolling into people’s accounts, the donations surged even more from those hoping to donate the extra cash, to people who need it more.

So far, News 6 and Make Ends Meet have received $50,178 in donations.

Then, Holfeld began holding the Florida Department of Unemployment accountable for their system and response to those in need.

To date, Holfeld and his Make Ends Meet team have helped nearly 100 people, providing them the more than $540,000 they were due, which comes out to an average of about $6,000 per person.

News 6 is nine months into this project, which it plans to continue through 2021.

The goal now? Hit $1 million in recoveries.

When asked if she thinks the team can reach that benchmark, news director Allison McGinley said, “With the generosity of our community, I believe so. Since the introduction of the second round of stimulus checks, we have already started to see additional donations from viewers. So far, families have gifted in excess of $2,000, with several viewers offering funds in advance! I feel confident we will meet or exceed the $50,000 gifted by our News 6 community during the first nine months of this project.”

This proves it: Nothing is better than "Getting Results" for those in need, which is News 6's mantra.

Read some Make Ends Meet stories:

News 6, Addition Financial debut Make Ends Meet fund

News 6 debuts Make Ends Meet initiative to provide budget guidance for viewers

Florida's Fourth Estate: How Make Ends Meet got started

Furloughed bartender has been waiting on $6,500 in unpaid unemployment since May

WKMG News 6 introduces new Space Curious podcast

It seems only right that our WKMG-TV team on the Space Coast would come up with a new podcast about all things space.

How did the International Space Station get assembled in orbit? What happens to all the space junk? What is a white hole? Space Curious, the new podcast by WKMG News 6 and Graham Media, will answer those questions and more.

Hosted by WKMG space reporter Emilee Speck and edited by Graham Media Director of Podcasts, Zak Rosen, each episode answers space-related questions submitted from the audience.

Speck, a Space Coast native, has been covering stories of spaceflight for more than seven years, from planetary science to the recent return and astronaut launches from Florida’s Coast.

With the help from experts, including scientists, engineers, fellow space journalists and astronauts, Space Curious brings fascinating topics to your favorite podcast platform.

Anyone can submit a question to the show for an opportunity to be part of the episode and have your curiosities answered by the experts.

Space Curious was created to inspire everyone, from those with a mild interest in space exploration to the space fanatics.

New episodes will be released every other Wednesday on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow and subscribe to listen along each week.

Check out the trailer below:

WKMG-TV presented with national award for community service

WKMG-TV in Orlando has been awarded the Service to Community Award for Television in the Large Market category during the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards program, which aired Saturday night on stations nationwide.

Hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation, the Service to America Awards recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

“Over the past year, America’s local radio and television stations have demonstrated unparalleled devotion to helping families and communities in need,” NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke said. “We are pleased to honor these exceptional stations and to celebrate this year’s winners with viewers and listeners during the first-ever broadcast of the Service to America Awards.”

WKMG-TV’s award-winning community service effort, “Driving Change: Florida's Texting and Driving Law,” served as the force behind the win.

After WKMG news anchor Matt Austin was hit and seriously injured by a texting driver, the station initiated a relentless multi-faceted, multi-year campaign led by Austin to strengthen Florida’s texting and driving law.

WKMG gathered stories from viewers, created partnerships with law enforcement and legislators and confronted those lawmakers who were creating roadblocks to a piece of legislation designed to save lives on Florida's roadways.

After three years of work, on July 1, 2019, those efforts resulted in a new law, making texting and driving a primary offense. In the end, many legislators, including those who were originally against a more robust law, credit WKMG with being a major factor behind its passage: Passage of Florida Statute Section 316.305 and 316.306.

About Celebration of Service to America Awards

The 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards, hosted by the NAB Leadership Foundation, highlight and honor exceptional community service exhibited by local radio and television stations across the U.S.

The 2020 event premiered Aug. 22 as a one-hour televised program featuring high-profile guests and award presentations in eight categories.

About NAB Leadership Foundation

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the future of broadcasting through leadership, diversity and community service.

News 6/360: WKMG presents a new, exciting way to view the news

WKMG News 6, the Graham Media Group-owned CBS affiliate in Orlando Florida, continues to transform the landscape of news viewing with the introduction of “News 6/360.”

Presented by the station’s website, ClickOrlando.com, News 6/360 is the first-of-its-kind newscast shot and produced entirely in 360 degrees. This new, interactive, immersive experience is designed to be viewer friendly, easy to use and will keep viewers coming back for each new newscast.

Using a single state-of-the-art 360-degree camera placed in the center of the News 6 studio, there is no control room to switch between multiple cameras and no floor director to queue talent. News 6/360 is a real, intimate experience in true storytelling, which allows the viewer to be present and interact with the content and the anchors by moving the camera with the touch of a finger or click of a mouse.

Hosted by News 6 anchor Ginger Gadsden and News 6 digital reporter Brianna Volz, viewers may notice them holding notes. That’s because there is no teleprompter for them to read. Ginger and Brianna interact with each other and the viewers off the cuff, giving the newscast a high-energy, less formal and more conversational tone.

“Harnessing the power of new technology isn’t an option, it’s a must in today’s world. Central Floridians expect to get the news that is important to them and their neighborhood whenever they want and however they choose to engage,” News 6 News Director Allison McGinley said.

“News 6 prides itself on being an innovator in creating and providing new ways for Central Floridians to view local news and locally produced entertainment content,” said News 6 Vice President and General Manager Jeff Hoffman. “It is important that we serve our community with important news and information any time and in every way we can. As people choose a variety of ways to receive their information, we want to make sure they know we are in those spaces with accurate, fact-checked and compelling information.”

“From the beginning of the newscast to the end, viewers can move the camera to see what they want to see, when they want to see it,” Gadsden said. “Because of that, we put a lot of time and effort into deciding what kinds of stories would compel viewers to want to interact with the newscast, new ways of telling those stories, how to showcase the video and even the graphics in an effective way. I am excited for our viewers to check this new extension of News 6 and I am proud to be part of such a new way of providing news to our neighbors.”

News 6/360 will release a new episode every week. Viewers can watch News 6/360 on their Android phones by going to ClickOrlando.com or their News 6 App. iPhone users can use the YouTube App and search ClickOrlando.com. You can also use VR goggles to watch the newscast.

News 6 and ClickOrlando.com have proven to be one of the most pioneering television and digital outlets for our Central Florida community. In 2017, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com launched “ClickO on the Go,” a 90-second newscast that uses today's top social platforms — specifically Instagram and Snapchat — to target a younger audience. The weekday series brings the news and weather our viewers need to the places they already are. It does so in a simple, yet engaging manner by being extremely conversational and packing the information into two-minute vertical video segments that drive users to ClickOrlando.com.

In an unprecedented digital and broadcast event, WKMG News 6 produced more than 100 hours of livestream content for ClickOrlando.com during the station’s annual coverage of the Lake Eola “Fireworks at the Fountain” on July 4, 2019. This online streaming project harnessed live video from more than 25 different camera angles and sources, allowing online viewers to be in the “Director’s Chair” and select from a variety of angles, including the first-ever streams directly from mobile phones of reporters and producers in the field.

The News 6 newsroom dedicated dozens of people to the event with new technology, producing a 10-hour, digital-first broadcast for the ClickOrlando.com website and News 6 OTT App (available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and more).

News 6 / 360 is LIVE! See it here.

WKMG instrumental in getting texting and driving bill signed into Florida law

WKMG-TV is pleased to announce that after nearly three years leading the charge to change the texting and driving law in Florida, a new bill has been signed into law.

This new law will make texting and driving a primary offense, which allows law enforcement to stop motorists who are texting while driving and write them citations.

Florida was one of only four states left in the country in which texting and driving was not a primary offense.

“It was a long and hard fight,” News 6 anchor Matt Austin said. “But now after nearly three years, 100 stories, more than a dozen trips to Tallahassee, and thousands of miles driving around Florida to track down decision makers, I am relieved Florida politicians finally did the right thing. They made safety a priority."

Austin has been the one of the driving forces in changing the law -- and one of the most outspoken proponents of this new legislation.

Together with News 6, his quest to create change began one night in September 2016.

In his car on the way home after the 11 p.m. newscast, Austin was stopped at a red light. Suddenly, there was a blinding blow to the back of his head. He was knocked unconscious. Hit full-force by a driver who never even tapped his brakes, Austin had been rear-ended by a driver who admitted he was texting and driving.

The impact was so forceful it sent his little girl’s car seat directly into the back of his head. When he regained consciousness, bloody and in a state of confusion, Austin struggled to dial 911. His immediate thoughts were, "My three little girls are usually always sitting in the back seat!"

The driver who hit Austin was not ticketed for the crash. The police at the scene said there was nothing they could do under the existing law. While at home recuperating from a severe concussion and 10 stiches to his head, viewers began asking why Austin wasn't at the news desk. He shared his story via social media and the flood gates opened.

Austin heard from people who had experienced similar situations, and those who had even tragically lost loved ones. He knew he had to be their voice.

Austin’s journey to drive change began the very next day, a journey News 6 has called “Driving Change.” The initiative's goal has been to make texting and driving a primary offense in the state of Florida.

“We started by bringing awareness to the holes in the current texting and driving law,” WKMG news director Allison McGinley said. “Then we knew we had to share the stories of those who had been directly affected by texting and driving. That included our own Matt Austin, who testified before the Florida Legislature's Judiciary Committee in Tallahassee.”

“This crisis we have in our state right now of texting and driving wound up in my back seat,” Austin said before the Judiciary Committee.

“Matt Austin told his story and that of many Floridians endangered by those who text and drive," Vice President and General Manager Jeff Hoffman said. “His commitment to see this through over a nearly three-year battle represents the very best of all who get results for WKMG News 6.”

News 6 almost saw a victory in 2017, but the bills to toughen the texting and driving law died in both the state House and Senate committees. There was a glimmer of hope again in 2018 when the House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would finally make texting and driving a primary offense, but it was stalled in the Senate.

This year, both the House and the Senate worked to pass a bill to bring Florida in line with the 44 other states. That bill was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17, 2019.

“As a local television station, this is the role you hope you can play for the community you serve," Hoffman said. "You see a problem, and together with your neighbors, you work to solve it. When you can ultimately change laws that can save lives, well, that is what good journalism is all about. That is what being of service to your community is all about."

The entire timeline of Matt’s Austin’s fight to bring this bill into law can be found by clicking or tapping here.

WKMG lands major 'Celebration of Service to America' win

Graham Media Group's WKMG-TV has been selected as the "Service to Community" award-winner in the large-market television category, for its work serving as a legislative lifeline for first-responders.

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF), formerly the NAB Education Foundation, just this week revealed the winners of the 2019 Celebration of Service to America Awards, which recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

WKMG-TV presented a series of investigative reports featuring first-responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, providing a platform for these men and women to expose the state’s failure to recognize PTSD as a real medical injury.

Under Florida law at the time, workers’ compensation insurance was not available for those diagnosed with PTSD unless they could prove they were also physically injured during the emergency call.

The station’s reporting began with the story of one of the officers assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

This segment led to a flood of responses from first-responders struggling with PTSD who had been afraid to come forward.

On March 27, 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed the Workers’ Compensation Benefits for First Responders Act into law.

Scott said WKMG-TV’s reporting was instrumental in the passage and signing of the new law.

WKMG, among the other winners, will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America dinner, held June 11 at The Anthem, a riverside venue in Southwest Washington.

“America’s local radio and television stations have a deeply rooted commitment to public service,” said NABLF President Marcellus Alexander. “This year’s STA winners epitomize broadcasters’ devotion to positively impacting their communities and creating a lasting difference. We look forward to recognizing their exceptional work.”

From August 2016 through March 2018, WKMG-TV investigated and presented its series of reports. Florida first-responders and their families reached out to WKMG-TV to help them bring awareness to people quietly suffering with PTSD.

News 6's reporting marked an opportunity to build community awareness of the unseen injuries that left a trail of broken souls and suicides. It all began with Orlando Police Department first-responder Gerry Realin, one of the seven assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Nightclub. His story led to a floodgate of first-responders struggling with PTSD, but afraid to come forward. That was the constant theme of the reporting, and the evidence was clear: These victims needed someone to recognize PTSD as a real illness deserving of medical compensation.

“Stories about the people affected made the difference," Scott said. "That’s how legislation gets passed.”

WKMG-TV executive producer helps homeless teen land full college scholarship

At the start of Savohn Thomas' senior year of high school, the Orange County, Florida teen found himself homeless and moving from one place to another. At times, he even spent nights at a bus stop.

"Honestly, I didn't want to feel like anybody's burden," Thomas said. "It was a lot of times I wanted to give up. It was a lot of times I wanted to drop out."

But he didn't. Thomas used his passion for poetry, acting and being on stage as an outlet. And he's talented: his craft earned him some pretty big honors.

WKMG-TV learned about Thomas and his story, and wanted to help. Specifically, executive producer Tara Evans wanted to help. But it's safe to say, she had no idea just how much she could lend a hand.

For a station that works hard every day to "get results," Evans certainly delivered.

"Savohn is pretty extraordinary," Evans said. "I attended AMDA -- the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. And I knew that a girl that I graduated with still worked there. So I got in touch with her and I was like, 'Hey, you know, I've got this kid. He's going there, he's been accepted. So is it possible that maybe you could consider him for a work-study program? I think that would be really great. ... A few weeks later, his scholarship had been upped to what's called a director scholarship."

And the scholarship had increased from $40,000 to nearly $150,000.

Thomas came on News 6's morning show to do a live interview with the anchors and talk about his future, based on the life-changing news he had just received.

"So, we were super excited, and I didn't really realize at the time, like, exactly why they decided to do that," Evans said of the massive scholarship increase. "And I was like, 'Oh, by the way, why'd you decide to give him the extra money?' And they were like, 'Oh, because of you. Because you sent us the story.'"

At first, Evans said, she didn't want any of the spotlight or attention for what had transpired.

"I was just doing something nice as a human," she said with a laugh. She had no idea the school would step up and cover four years of Thomas' schooling.

Added Thomas, "This is everything to me -- literally everything. And I'm not going to let this slip away."

"Not every day is always fun," Evans said of the job. "(But) this day -- those days, are what make what we do here worth it."

Now, Thomas will go from walking nearly 20 miles to high school, to New York City.

The musical "In the Heights" brought out his talent. It was on June 2 when Thomas' theater class performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts -- a night Thomas said he'll never forget.

"It was a total surprise," he said. "I did not know anything that was going on that night that I got it."

Thomas is referring to becoming the first Applause Awards student recipient of the Pursuit of the Arts OCPS scholarship. Although Evans helped with the scholarship, Thomas got into AMDA on his own.

"Even though I am scared, even though I am afraid -- because I've never been out of where I grew up, this means more to me because it gives me those dreams that I had as a kid," he said.

WKMG-TV news director elected to board of Radio Television Digital News Association

Congratulations are in order for Graham Media Group WKMG News 6 News Director Allison McGinley after running a successful campaign to hold a coveted seat on the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Board of Directors.

The election results were officially announced at the closing business session of the RTDNA's Excellence in Journalism conference in Baltimore, MD Saturday, September 29, 2018. As a regional board member, the Orlando, Florida based News Director will now be representing the RTDNA's Region 13 which serves Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization of radio, television, and online news directors, producers, executives, reporters, students and educators. Among its functions are the maintenance of journalistic ethics and the preservation of the free speech rights of broadcast journalists. Founded in 1946, the RTDNA is a legacy organization designed to set standards for the field of broadcast journalism, and to defend the First Amendment in instances where broadcast media may be threatened.

"Simply put I love this business. I believe in what we do and why we do it," Allison commented when asked why she decided to run for Regional Board Member. "Our industry is undergoing a transformational shift and we must keep pace or risk being left behind. But keeping pace should never mean forsaking our foundation."

As stated by the RTDNA, "The Board of Directors shapes RTDNA's and the industry's future by setting priorities, guiding training initiatives and responding to threats to press freedom."

"Journalists need to be able to stick together. We need to mentor new journalists and we need to be able to empower each other in whatever positions we are in," Allison stated. "It is important to guide each other, check each other and continue to make sure we are making the right ethical decisions as we continue to tackle tough topics now more than ever before. Journalism is under attack and as there is a level of safety in numbers we need to stick together. If we don't stick together and fight for our first amendment rights, then we are failing our communities. This position on the RTDNA will allow me to mentor new journalists, empower current journalists and help to defend our communities."

Allison is a native of Central Florida and has served WKMG News 6 and the members of the community for over 20 years. As such, her campaign was run on giving a voice to the members of the broadcast media and the people of the communities they represent.