The Radio-Television News Directors (RTNDA) has revealed the recipients of this year’s Edward R. Murrow Regional Awards. They are presented to broadcast news organizations that have demonstrated the "spirit of excellence" in reporting that Murrow personified.
The awards are spread across 14 regions that include the both the United States and other nations and are based on excellence in both radio and television reporting. Awards are made in several categories including: Overall Excellence, Breaking News Coverage and Investigative Reporting.
Among the 2009 honorees are KIRO-TV in Seattle (region 1 - large market division) and KATV in Little Rock, Ark. (region 9 - small market) in the Overall Excellence category.
Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV took the region 11 large market award for Breaking News Coverage, with KCCI television in Des Moines, Iowa taking the prize in the same category in region 5 small markets.
WTTG television in Washington, D.C. captured the region 12 large market division Investigative Reporting award, with WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wisc. receiving a like award for region 4 small market stations.
The RTNDA organization has been making the Murrow awards since 1971 in honor of CBS radio and television broadcast journalist who died in 1965. Murrow was also director of the United Stated Information Agency during the Kennedy administration. His 1951-1958 CBS "See It Now" television program was re-created in George Clooney’s 2005 motion picture, "Good Night and Good Luck."
