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RTNDA Announces National Edward R. Murrow Awards Honoring 51 News Organizations for Journalism Excellence

CONTACT: Stacey Staniak, 202-467-5214, staceys@rtnda.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2009

WASHINGTON – The Radio-Television News Directors Association has announced the 2009 National Edward R. Murrow Award winners. The awards honor excellence in electronic journalism.

NBC News earned five Murrow awards, including the award for Overall Excellence. CBS Evening News received the award for network newscast. 60 Minutes was honored in three categories: Hard News Feature, Feature Reporting and Investigative Reporting.

In network radio, CBS News Radio won five awards, including its third consecutive award for Overall Excellence. The award for newscast went to ABC News Radio.

In all, 51 news organizations are being honored with 79 awards.
 
To earn an Overall Excellence award, a station or network must consistently demonstrate depth and scope in its coverage. Overall Excellence award winners this year are:

•    NBC News (network television)
•    CBS Radio News (network radio)
•    KIRO-TV, Seattle (television, large market)
•    KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (television, small market)
•    WTOP-FM, Washington, DC (radio, large market)
•    WJBC-AM, Bloomington, IL (radio, small market)

Awards for investigative reporting went to five news organizations whose work resulted in local and national policy changes. Three St. Louis area stations earned Murrow Awards.  Nickelodeon won its first ever Murrow Award for Network News Documentary.

News coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their impact at home was the subject of several entries and garnered Murrows in a variety of categories. The Murrow for sports reporting went to ESPN for its story of how a soldier’s love of soccer created a lasting legacy. NBC News coverage of U.S. forces at the front in Afghanistan was honored for continuing coverage. 

Visit RTNDA.org for the complete list of winners.

The awards will be presented at the RTNDA Awards Dinner on October 12, 2009, in New York.

RTNDA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the electronic news profession.

RTNDA is the world’s largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries.