The RTDNA has announced the winners of the 2012 Regional Edward R. Murrow awards.

Radio, television and online winners, divided into small and large markets, were selected from more than 3,500 entries. The RTDNA says this year is “one of the most competitive Edward R. Murrow Awards seasons in RTDNA history.”

Large market overall excellence winners were KING in Seattle, KTVU in Oakland, KMGH in Denver, KARE in Minneapolis, KMBC in Kansas City, KHOU in Houston, WTHR in Indianapolis, WLKY in Louisville, WIAT in Birmingham, WCVB in Boston, KDKA in Pittsburgh, WSB in Atlanta and CIVT in Vancouver. Read more

Nine people, including chief meteorologist Jim Byrne (pictured) and weekend sports anchor Kevin Roose, have been laid off at Santa Maria CBS-affiliate KCOY, TVSpy has learned.

A KCOY station source says the layoffs, which all came from the news division, were part of a “re-structuring.” The layoffs — which included photographers, directors and producers as well as Byrne and Roose — were announced yesterday.

Byrne has worked at KCOY since 1999 and has been chief meteorologist since 2002. Roose, who began as a video editor at the station, joined in 2005.

Cowles California Media Company, the owner of KCOY, recently consolidated KCOY with KION-KCBA in Salinas to “lower capital and operating costs and improve our on-air product.” Read more

“It was shocking to see the crime scene.  I’m so used to seeing this type of scenes but when you know it’s your family, it’s just different,” Erandi Garcia, a popular anchor with the Monterey-Salinas Univision station, told KION reporter Rachel Ramirez in a recent interview.

Garcia’s 61-year-old father, Artemio, was shot and killed on Sunday as he was walking to his car, about to go to work.  So far police do not have any suspects or leads in the apparently random shooting.  Video of the interview inside… Read more