WHO-HD Earns 6 Prestigious Emmy Awards For Journalism Excellence

15 Sep WHO-HD Earns 6 Prestigious Emmy Awards For Journalism Excellence

Channel 13 News wins most Emmys in Iowa
Station’s news team earns coveted Best Newscast, Breaking News, Sportscast Awards
2014 WHO-HD journalism awards now total 66…the most of any station in Iowa

WHO-HD was the big Iowa winner at Saturday night’s Emmy awards gala in Minneapolis bringing home 6 statues…the most of any station in the state…including accolades for Best Newscast, Breaking News, Best Anchor, Public Affairs and for the third year straight…Best Sportscast. The awards were presented Saturday evening by The Upper Midwest Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis.

The Channel 13 News Team won the coveted Best Newscast Emmy for Channel 13 News at 10. Anchor/Reporter Sonya Heitshusen and the WHO-HD team won a Breaking News Emmy for their coverage of the Merrill Middle School manhunt. Anchor/Reporter Erin Kiernan and Sonya Heitshusen’s revealing stories about the training rigors of becoming a firefighter earned an Emmy.  Anchor/Reporter Dan Winters was awarded an Emmy for anchoring…beating out not only Iowa anchors but also the Twin Cities.  Winters also won for a heart-warming story of an older Iowan’s wish to visit the Templeton Rye distillery.  Finally, Keith Murphy, Andy Fales, John Sears and Michael Admire won their third consecutive Emmy for Best Sportscast.

“I am humbled to work with this special group of journalists,” says WHO-HD News Director Rod Peterson.  “Their hard work and dedication to excellence continues to be recognized by not only our incredible viewers but also by their peers.”

So far in 2014, Channel 13 News has earned more accolades for journalism excellence than any other station in Iowa and 3 times more than KCCI.  This year’s awards included 19 Eric Sevareid awards, 3 regional Edward R. Murrow awards, 15 IBNA awards, 22 Emmy nominations and now 6 Emmy awards bringing WHO-HD’s total awards to 66.

2014 Awards for Journalism Excellence

See the entire list of WHO-HD’s 2014 Awards for Journalism Excellence and links to the actual stories here.

For more information contact:
Tim Gardner, Director of Creative Services
515-242-3611

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About WHO-HD Channel 13
WHO-HD Channel 13, owned by Tribune Media Company, is celebrating 60 years of broadcast service to central Iowa.  Channel 13 News prides itself on bringing viewers rich, local content in total high definition.  From investigations to ground-breaking, creative coverage of the big daily story, more and more Iowans are choosing Channel 13 News.

WHO-HD continues to earn the most prestigious journalism awards in the broadcast industry.  So far in 2014, the station has earned at total of 65 awards for Journalism Excellence including  6 regional Emmy awards, 22 regional Emmy nominations from the Upper Midwest Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 3 prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association  (RTDNA) including the categories of Investigation and News Series.  Plus, 19 Eric Sevareid Awards from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association (MBJA) including accolades for Spot News, Investigative, and Best Newscast.

The technological leader, WHO-HD Channel 13 is now employing a powerful-new S-Band Doppler Radar that utilizes the most advanced technology available in Iowa.  In 2010, WHO-HD became the first commercial television station in Iowa to begin broadcasting all local programming in total high definition in 2010.  In addition, WHO-HD was the first station in Iowa to: utilize videotape, broadcast live from news events and protect with live Doppler radar.

About Tribune Media Company
Tribune Media Company is home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching 50 million households, national entertainment network WGN America, available in 72 million households, Tribune Studios, and Tribune Digital Ventures, including the websites Zap2it and TVByTheNumbers, and Gracenote, one of the world’s leading sources of TV and music metadata powering electronic program guides in televisions, automobiles and mobile devices. Tribune Media also includes Chicago’s WGN-AM, the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV. Additionally, the company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds other strategic investments in media.

About Radio-Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
Edward R. Murrow Award recipients reflect the principles embodied by Edward R. Murrow, longtime CBS News correspondent. Widely recognized as the father of electronic journalism, Murrow was known for his courageous reporting and insatiable desire to find the truth – qualities embodied by the RTDNA awards, which have been presented annually since 1971.

RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization exclusively serving the electronic news profession, consisting of more than 3,000 news directors, news associates, educators and students. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, the association is dedicated to setting standards for newsgathering and reporting. Although news techniques and technologies are constantly changing, RTDNA’s commitment to encouraging excellence in the electronic journalism industry remains the same.

RTDNA represents electronic journalists in radio, television and all digital media, as well as journalism educators and students. Our members are news directors, producers, reporters, anchors, general managers, professors, students, industry suppliers, operations managers and digital content managers. RTDNA members benefit from publications, training, advocacy and many opportunities to network with colleagues. Joining RTDNA says you’re concerned about First Amendment issues, Freedom of Information issues, ethics in reporting, improving coverage, implementing technology and all news industry issues. Our members help shape the future of our profession and we protect their interests by advocating on their behalf and lobbying in their interest.

About IBNA
The Iowa Broadcast News Association (IBNA )is a nonprofit corporation of radio-TV news directors, reporters, producers, public relations professionals and others from Iowa and its adjacent states, working together to improve electronic media news for our stations and the public.

About MBJA
The Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association (MBJA) serves Midwest electronic journalists with training, networking and career growth.  The MBJA’s service area covers six states including North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Chartered in 1949 as the Northwest Broadcast News Association (NBNA), the association changed their name in 2014 to better reflect the group’s identity.

About National Television Academy
The Upper Midwest Chapter of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a membership organization dedicated to excellence in television by honoring exceptional work, past and present; providing professional development and outreach; and nurturing the next generation of television professionals.

We are the only professional association representing television professionals from all disciplines of the industry, serving as the common meeting ground for individuals dedicated to advancing the art and science of television.

The Upper Midwest Chapter covers Iowa (except for Quad Cities), Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, western Wisconsin and northeast Nebraska.

The Silver Circle is the Academy’s most prestigious acknowledgement of a career in broadcasting.  It is a national honor that recognizes not only the inductee’s contributions to the television industry, but also to his community.