Link: http://abcn.ws/1quchIU
ABC News Honored with Five National Murrow Awards, Including Overall Excellence in Television and Radio
Today the RTDNA announced the 2014 National Murrow Awards. ABC News was honored with 5 – including both of the most prestigious Murrow awards – Overall Excellence in Television and Overall Excellence in Radio. It’s been 10 years since one news division won both awards, making it an exceeding rare accomplishment. ABC News president James Goldston sent the following note to staff congratulating them on this honor, below.
I am thrilled to share that ABC News has won five Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Not only is this ABC News’ third year in a row with five Murrows, this year the wins include their two most prestigious honors, Overall Excellence in Television and Overall Excellence in Radio.
2013 was a year filled with breaking news from Boston to Syria to Washington, D.C. ABC News’ anchors conducted riveting interviews with newsmakers. Our investigations produced game-changing results. Our features had the highest production value – some were so powerful that viewers flooded the phone lines asking what they could do to help. Many of you reminded us what long-term commitment to a story really is.
There’s more – ABC News won the Continuing Coverage category for our reporting on the Oklahoma tornadoes last May. Nightline has been awarded the Murrow for Hard News for their Raid in the Philippines report. The staff of ABC Radio received the award for Breaking News for the Boston Manhunt.
This is certainly a day to be proud. I am grateful for your tireless dedication and proud to work with a team that inspires me each day. We still have many mountains to climb, much work to do, but together I know we will reach the top.
Overall Excellence – Television Overall Excellence – Radio
The Staff of ABC News The Staff of ABC News Radio
Continuing Coverage
Direct Hit: The Oklahoma Tornadoes
The Staff of ABC News
This massive tornado touched down in Oklahoma and roared all the way towards Moore, damaging everything in its path. It was an EF-5 twister, the most powerful and deadly tornado there is, leaving 24 people dead, nine of them children. ABC News positioned a team well in advance of the storm, and in the hours and weeks that followed, provided viewers with the whole picture of how the storm impacted this bedroom community.
Hard News – Raid in the Philippines
ABC News Nightline
Nightline went undercover in Subic Bay, once home to an American naval base in the Philippines, now a renowned haven for the sex tourism industry and underage trafficking. Alex Marquardt and Alex Waterfield put a face on this inhumane plague, spending time with an American bar owner, hidden cameras rolling, as he bragged about selling underage girls for sex with foreign tourists. The story built with a sense of urgency and anticipation, culminating with the late-night raid where the bar owner was handcuffed and arrested, charged with child abuse. With all the attention on Subic Bay after the raid and Nightline’s report, several of the sex bars were shut down and Nightline has been told that in the wake of their report there is now “a strong deterrent in place” against underage trafficking.
Breaking News – Radio
The Boston Manhunt
ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio was on the air within minutes of the explosions and for the next five days broadcast first-rate long form coverage, special reports, and comprehensive hour long specials packed with exclusive information, on-the-scene reporting, and emotional witness and victim accounts.
On April 19th ABC News Radio was on the air for 12 hours straight, reporting on the day-long manhunt that effectively shut down one of America’s largest cities. The final moments played out live for listeners as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was finally cornered in a Watertown backyard and taken into custody.
