KMBC-TV captured three awards—including the prestigious award for “Overall Excellence”—in Region 5 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) as the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced its 2012 Edward R. Murrow Awards today.
All the regional winners will now compete for national honors to be announced later this year.
The Murrow Awards were created in 1971 to honor the former broadcaster’s pursuit of excellence in journalism. According to the RTDNA, Murrow Award recipients “demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.”
KMBC, KC’s ABC affiliate, took the most awards in the region, including one for “Overall Excellence,” “Video Newscast” of the devastating tornado that struck Joplin, MO on May 22, 2011 and for its Website KMBC.com.
NBC affiliate KSHB garnered two awards, including one for “Video Feature Reporting” by investigative reporter Ryan Kath about two boys who rescued a swimmer and “Video Investigative Reporter” for a story by investigative reporter Russ Ptacek about the Clay County Auditor who lied about his credentials and charges against him. (Ptacek has since moved to WUSA in Washington, D.C.)
KCTV, the CBS affiliate, won an award for “Video Continuing Coverage” of the ongoing school board turmoil in Kansas City which led to the system’s loss of accreditation and the bombshell resignation of Dr. John Covington and other administrators.
On the radio side, public radio’s KCUR-FM (89.3) captured three awards including one for “Audio Feature Reporting” on a story by Elana Gordon titled “Helping The Homeless One Ride At A Time;” another for “Audio Reporting: Hard News” by Jessica Naudziunas on cattle rustling; and an “Audio News Documentary” honor for Sylvia Maria Gross about curfews after incidents at Kansas City’s Plaza.

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.” —Edward R. Murrow