WTHR staffers at the 2011 Murrow Awards

Twenty local television stations were presented with Edward R. Murrow Awards at an RTDNA dinner honoring the winners in New York City last night. TVSpy was there as WTHR in Indianapolis was presented the award for Overall Excellence in a large market. WGRZ in Buffalo was honored for Overall Excellence in a small market.

Although the winners represented every platform of the news industry — national news, radio, online — enthusiasm for the local stations was palpable, with staffers from winning stations cheering on their colleagues audibly as they took the stage to accept their awards.

In his opening speech, RTDNA chairman Kevin Benz implored the 95 Murrow award winners — more than the RTDNA has ever presented before — to “celebrate truth through journalism.”

“The practice of producing great journalism is as important today as it has ever been,” he told the packed ballroom at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Read more

Emphasizing its reach across the digital media landscape, RTDNA appointed the editor-in-chief of a local news website and a public media news director to key positions on its board this week.

At the close of its Excellence in Journalism 2011 Conference, the organization introduced Kevin Benz of CultureMapAustin as its new chairman and members elected Vincent Duffy, news director of Michigan Radio, as chair-elect of RTDNA.

Duffy is the first first public media news director elected to the position and Benz is the first “pure-play” digital officer in the history of RTDNA. Read more