Nexstar Media Inc. Television Stations Receive Two National Edward R. Murrow Awards for Outstanding Journalism and Exceptionally Produced Local Content

Rhea-AI Summary

Nexstar Media Inc. received two national Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism. KDVR-TV in Denver was honored for 'Excellence in Continuing Coverage' for its investigation into ketamine use by paramedics, prompting legislative changes in Colorado. KSNW-TV in Kansas earned the 'Excellence in Hard News' award for its story on Julie Dombo, a shooting survivor who became an amputee advocate. Nexstar’s local news operations also secured 47 regional awards this year, reflecting their commitment to quality community journalism.

Positive

• KDVR-TV won national award for 'Excellence in Continuing Coverage' for its impactful investigation.
• KSNW-TV received national recognition for its reporting on a notable shooting survivor advocating for amputees.
• Nexstar's local news operations earned 47 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, highlighting quality journalism.

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• None.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) today announced the national winners of the Edward R. Murrow Awards, with the local news operations of Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NXST: Nasdaq), receiving two awards for excellence in the categories of “Continuing Coverage,” won by KDVR-TV in Denver, and “Hard News,” won by KSNW-TV in Wichita, Kansas.

Since the company’s founding in 1996, Nexstar has established a companywide commitment to delivering exceptional locally-produced programming and service to the communities in which it operates. In this year’s competition for the national Edward R. Murrow Awards, Nexstar’s news operations were recognized with the following honors:

• Excellence in Continuing Coverage/Large Market Division – KDVR-TV earned this award for overall excellence in Continuing Coverage for its ongoing investigation into the use of the drug ketamine by Colorado paramedics to sedate agitated individuals.
  
  KDVR-TV’s reporting on this issue began in 2019, after paramedics used the drug to sedate Elijah McClain following a rough encounter with police. Although a coroner could not determine his cause of death, the station’s reporting shined light on important issues related to how and when the drug is used and government oversight of the drug in Colorado. Since 2019, KDVR has filed more than 60 stories regarding the use of ketamine, and brought to light several other incidents in which the use of the drug to sedate someone raised serious questions.
  
  In 2021, the Colorado’s Governor signed a new law limiting how the drug is used across the state, and the state health department paused its program allowing paramedics to use ketamine outside of a hospital setting, so that new policies and oversight procedures could be put into place.

• Excellence in Hard News/Small Market Division – KSNW-TV was honored for its role in telling the story of Julie Dombo, a retired teacher and race walker, who was shot during the robbery of a cell phone store in Derby, Kansas.
  
  Ms. Dombo had gone to the cell phone store to ask questions about the photos in her phone; within minutes a man was robbing the store, shooting her twice in the process. The complications from her injuries caused her to lose both her hands and legs. She learned to use her prosthetic legs and was gifted bionic arms that helped her to live a more normal life. Two years after the shooting, Ms. Dombo was diagnosed with breast cancer, received treatment, and is now cancer free. She now has become an advocate for amputees and has worked to help major insurance providers provide amputees quality prosthetics. Since airing the story, Ms. Dombo helped another arm amputee in the area successfully receive a “bionic arm.”

In addition to the national honors, Nexstar’s news operations at 31 television stations earned 47 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards earlier this year, including two awards for Overall Excellence.

“We are very proud of the work done by KDVR-TV and KSNW-TV, and happy to see their efforts recognized with national Edward R. Murrow Awards for Continuing Coverage and Hard News,” said Andy Alford, President of the Broadcasting Division of Nexstar Media Inc. “We are equally proud of all of the work that Nexstar’s local news teams produce every day—as the largest local media company in the U.S., Nexstar delivers nearly 275,000 hours of trusted news programming and content that touches the daily lives of our viewers across all screens and devices. We applaud our award-winning stations and thank the RTDNA for this tremendous honor.”

Commenting on the awards, Susan Tully, SVP of Local Content Development at Nexstar Media Inc., said, “It’s an honor to once again be recognized by RTDNA and we congratulate KDVR-TV and KSNW-TV on receiving these well-deserved honors. Nexstar’s 5,500 local broadcast journalists serve their communities with compelling, locally-originated news programming and content on any screen, at any time. These awards put a spotlight on Nexstar’s commitment to innovation in storytelling, trusted broadcast journalism, exceptional public service and community involvement—a commitment our talented and dedicated journalists help us fulfill every day.”

The RTDNA has been recognizing outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971.

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Nexstar Media Inc., consists of three divisions: Broadcasting, Digital, and Networks. The Broadcasting Division operates, programs, or provides sales and other services to 199 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 116 markets or approximately 39% of all U.S. television households (reflecting the FCC’s UHF discount). The division’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. The Digital Division operates 120 local websites and 284 mobile apps offering hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when, and how they access content and creating new revenue opportunities for the company. The Networks Division operates NewsNation, formerly WGN America, a national news and entertainment cable network reaching 75 million television homes, multicast network Antenna TV, and WGN Radio in Chicago. Nexstar also owns a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network, a top tier cable asset. For more information, please visit www.nexstar.tv.

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FAQ

What recent awards did Nexstar Media Inc. (NXST) win?

Nexstar Media Inc. recently won two national Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism, with KDVR-TV winning for Continuing Coverage and KSNW-TV for Hard News.

What story did KDVR-TV report to win an Edward R. Murrow Award?

KDVR-TV won the award for its ongoing investigation into the use of ketamine by paramedics in Colorado, which started in 2019.

Who is Julie Dombo and why did KSNW-TV win an award?

Julie Dombo is a retired teacher and shooting survivor whose story was reported by KSNW-TV, highlighting her advocacy for amputees after her traumatic experience.

How many regional awards did Nexstar's local news operations earn this year?

Nexstar's local news operations earned 47 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this year, including two for Overall Excellence.