KFDM-TV receives Best Newscast honor, 15 regional broadcasting awards

BEAUMONT, Tex. - April 9, 2009 - Freedom’s KFDM Channel 6 News today received the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast by the Radio-Television News Directors Association, for its coverage of Hurricane Ike.

KFDM competed against more than 50 markets in the Texas and Oklahoma region to win the award. It will compete against 13 other regional award winners for the national Murrow Award, to be announced in June. The Radio-Television News Directors Association honored 54 news organizations out of an initial pool of 3,459 entries from several hundred news organizations in its 2008 competition.

In a separate announcement, KFDM received four first place awards and 15 overall in the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters’ Awards competition, for its excellence in broadcasting during 2008. Awards will be given to journalists in each region during Texas Associated Press Broadcasters’ annual convention, to be held April 25 at the Headliners Club in Austin. Below is a list of honors:

First Place:
-Best Spot Story/Individual (Ashley Gaston), for Hurricane Ike coverage.
-Best Documentary/TV Magazine or Special (Tom Wright), for Hurricane Ike coverage.
-Best Deadline Editing/General News (Tom Wright), for Power Restored.
-Best Photojournalism/Station (staff).

Second Place:
-Best Series (Jessica Holloway) for E-Waste
-Best Specialty/Beat Reporting (Jessica Holloway) for Jefferson County
-Best Photojournalism/Individual (Troy Harper)
-Best General Assignment (Ashley Gaston) for Scattered Memories

Honorable Mention:
-Best Newscast (Nicole Murray) for Nov. 15 newscast.
-Best Feature/Light (Jessica Holloway) for Central Student
-Best Feature/Light: (Ashley Gaston) for Killer Mockingbird
-Best Photojournalism/Individual (Tom Wright)
-Best Reporter (Jennifer Heathcock)
-Best General Assignment (Jennifer Heathcock & Troy Harper) for Babe in Toyland
-Best Continuing Coverage (Jennifer Heathcock, Jack Fitch & Troy Harper) for After Hurricane Ike: Bolivar Peninsula