Coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks dominated the Radio-Television News Directors
Association's Edward R. Murrow Awards this year, with awards given for coverage
in local and network TV, as well as radio.
In an unprecedented move, the RTNDA gave awards to all New York TV station
entries for their spot-news coverage of the attacks on the World Trade Center --
owned-and-operated stations WABC-TV, WNBC-TV and WCBS-TV and Tribune Broadcasting's WPIX(TV).
WWOR-TV New York, which won a regional Murrow for a Sept. 11-related
newscast, did not submit in the spot-news category, the RTNDA said, nor did its Fox
duopoly partner, WNYW-TV.
On the network side, NBC was the clear winner. An NBC newscast dealing with
Sept. 11 won both for overall excellence and best network newscast, while NBC's
Dateline won three more Murrows for spot news, news series and
videography, all related to Sept. 11 coverage.
CBS' 60 Minutes II won for investigative reporting for "Merchants of
Mass Destruction," about the availability of weapons of mass destruction.
Cable News Network won for continuing coverage and for its much-honored documentary,
Behind the Veil.
CBS Radio News, ABC Radio News, WMAL(AM) Washington and AP each won
awards.
Other overall excellence awards went to KCNC-TV Denver and KKTV(TV) Colorado
Springs, Colo.
KOMO-TV Seattle and WNDU-TV South Bend, Ind., got awards for best local
newscast.
A total of 75 awards were given to 54 news organizations from more than
2,000 entries representing more than 500 news organizations.
