PBS SOCAL SCORES DOUBLE WIN AT 63RD ANNUAL GOLDEN MIKE AWARDS®
PBS SoCaL receives “Best Documentary” and “Best News Public Affairs Program” Honors in Division B from RTNA
COSTA MESA, Calif. (January 22, 2013) --- PBS SoCaL has been honored with two 2012 Golden Mike Awards® in Division B for "Best Documentary" with “Be Brave: Samantha’s Story” and “Best News Public Affairs Program” for “SoCaL Insider.” The awards were announced by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California (RTNA) at the 63rd Annual Golden Mike Awards® Presentation Dinner at the Universal Hilton in Universal City, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 19.
“Be Brave: Samantha’s Story” is a heart wrenching documentary chronicling the abduction and murder of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion and subsequent arrest and conviction of her murderer, Alejandro Avila. Ten years after the tragedy, Samantha’s mother, Erin Runnion, emotionally returns for the first time to the scene where the body of her daughter was found. Winning Golden Mike honors for the documentary are PBS SoCaL’s Maria Hall-Brown, Eric Kirsten and Mike Taylor.
“SoCaL Insider with Rick Reiff” is a collaboration of host and executive producer Rick Reiff and reporter/producer David Nazar, who were both honored with 2012 Golden Mike honors. It is the second year in a row the duo has claimed top honors in the “Best News Public Affairs Program” category. Reiff, executive editor of the Orange County Business Journal, has now captured three Golden Mike awards in his career in addition to a Pulitzer Prize. Nazar, a veteran Los Angeles and Orange County television journalist and former Emmy® Award nominee, has now won six Golden Mikes.
“SoCaL Insider” features revealing interviews with newsmakers and trendsetters, spirited panel discussions and in-depth field reports. It also has broadened its focus to encompass all six-counties of the 19-million-strong Southland, reflecting PBS SoCaL’s new status as the PBS flagship station for the entire Los Angeles media market. “SoCaL Insider” is made possible with support from: Five Point Communities, City National Bank, the Automobile Club of Southern California, Snell & Wilmer LLP, University of California, Irvine, Gemini Industries and MemorialCare Health System.
About PBS SoCaL
PBS SoCaL, formerly KOCE-TV, is Southern California’s PBS station dedicated to interactively educating, entertaining and enlightening the greater Los Angeles area. With its three unique broadcast channels, including PBS SoCaL HD, PBS OC and WORLD TV, PBS SoCaL provides award-winning programs like Frontline, PBS NewsHour, NOVA, Nature, and Masterpiece, as well as local productions Real Orange, SoCaL Insider with Rick Reiff, LAaRT, and Bookmark with Maria Hall-Brown. Through community outreach initiatives including PBS SoCaL Education, PBS SoCaL provides local schools access to new media materials that engage students in 21st -century learning. Explore the future of PBS in Southern California at the revamped website: http://www.pbssocal.org
About PBS SoCaL
PBS SoCaL, formerly KOCE-TV, is Southern California’s PBS station dedicated to interactively educating, entertaining, and enlightening the greater Los Angeles area. With its three unique broadcast channels. PBS SoCaL HD, PBS OC, and WORLD TV, PBS SoCaL provides award-winning programs like Frontline, NewsHour, NOVA, Nature, and Masterpiece, as well as local productions Real Orange, SoCaL Insider With Rick Reiff, and Bookmark With Maria Hall-Brown. Through community outreach initiatives including PBS SoCaL Education, PBS SoCaL provides local schools access to new media materials that engage students in 21st century learning. Explore the future of PBS in Southern California at www.pbssocal.org.
