| R-1. | BEST NEWSCAST -- OVER 15 MINUTES A & B Divisions Must be material broadcast during a continuous one-hour-or-less time period. Network or syndicated cut-ins must be included if part of original broadcast. Format presentation should be representative of "typical" broadcast day. Entry must include a tape of the entire newscast (sports, weather, etc.) and 3 copies of written newscast rundown. Entries must be submitted from the "Designated News Day". |
| R-2. | BEST NEWSCAST -- UNDER 15 MINUTES A & B Divisions Must be material broadcast during a continuous 15 minute-or-less time period. Network or syndicated cut-ins must be included if part of original broadcast. Format presentation should be representative of "typical" broadcast day. Entry must include a tape of the entire newscast (sports, weather, etc.) and 3 copies of written newscast rundown. Entries must be submitted from the "Designated News Day". NOTE: STATIONS MAY ENTER ONLY ONE BEST NEWSCAST CATEGORY. |
| R-3. | BEST NEWSCAST WRITING A & B Divisions Individual or group effort on an ENTIRE newscast. No commentaries, analyses or editorials. Entries must be submitted from the "Designated News Day". |
| R-4. | BEST SPORTS SEGMENT A & B Divisions A comprehensive sports news report which may include a sports feature or sports commentary, aired on the "Designated News Day". |
| R-5. | BEST TRAFFIC REPORT A & B Divisions A comprehensive traffic report aired on the "Designated News Day". |
| R-6. | BEST INDIVIDUAL WRITING A & B Divisions Individual writing effort on a news or feature story. |
| R-7. | BEST SPORTS REPORTING A & B Divisions Individual reporter's enterprise on a single, one-time sports news story or feature. |
| R-8. | BEST ORIGINAL NEWS COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS, STATION
EDITORIAL OR SERIES OF EDITORIALS One Division |
| R-9. | BEST "SPOT" NEWS STORY A & B Divisions Reporter's (reporters') enterprise on a single news story. Entries must rely on "on-the-scene" coverage of an unscheduled and unanticipated news story. Entry must have aired within a regularly scheduled news program. |
| R-10. | BEST "LIVE" COVERAGE OF A NEWS STORY A & B Divisions Individual or team effort on a breaking news story that interrupts a regularly-scheduled newscast or normal station programming. Can include previously taped material. But judge must focus on the spontaneous "live-on-scene" coverage while the event was still ongoing. Not to exceed a continuous 60-minute portion. Can be a composite tape not to exceed 60 minutes. Composite submission must have a written summary indicating time span of overall coverage, frequency of reports and length of segments deleted from composite. |
| R-11. | BEST DOCUMENTARY One Division Includes writing, production and presentation on a single topic. No year-end summaries or multi-part series. (Entry in this category may not be also entered in BEST NEWS SPECIAL, or BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING categories.) Must be produced by the News department. Not to exceed a continuous 60-minute portion. |
| R-12. | BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM A & B Divisions A single program from a regularly-scheduled issue-oriented series produced by the News Department. Not to exceed a continuous 60-minute portion. Can be a composite tape from a single program not to exceed 60 minutes. Composite submission must have a written summary indicating time span of overall program, and brief written description of segments deleted from composite and their lengths. |
| R-13. | BEST NEWS REPORTING A & B Divisions Individual reporter's enterprise on a single, one time news story produced by the News department. |
| R-14. | BEST NEWS REPORTING BY A RADIO NETWORK ONE DIVISION Individual reporter's enterprise on a single, one-time news story produced by the News department. Radio network must have a bureau within RTNA boundaries and story must be produced in and specific to contest area. |
| R-15. | BEST HARD NEWS SERIES REPORTING One Division Individual or group effort on a series of reports on a single topic, news or feature. |
| R-16. | BEST FEATURE NEWS SERIES REPORTING One Division Individual or group effort on a series of reports on a single topic, news or feature. |
| R-17. | BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING A & B Divisions An expose on a single subject, digging up or revealing new information. Can be reported in one segment or a series of segments (Entry in this category may not also be entered in BEST DOCUMENTARY or BEST NEWS SPECIAL categories.) Must be produced by the News department. Entry must include a chronology of how the investigation was developed, reported and the follow-up. (Notes on the entry should include as much as possible: What prompted the story? How many hours expended to research the story? The result of the investigation? The impact and current status?) One-page limit. |
| R-18. | BEST SERIOUS FEATURE REPORTING One Division Individual reporter's effort on a single subject produced by the News department. A serious feature may be an in-depth look at a breaking news story or a sidebar to an ongoing story. |
| R-19. | BEST LIGHT FEATURE REPORTING One Division Individual reporter's effort on a single subject produced by the News department. A light feature may be humorous or a unique treatment of the passing scene; a light look at a serious subject or a serious look at a light subject. |
| R-20. | BEST NEWS SPECIAL A & B Divisions Individual or group effort on a special broadcast or series of broadcasts on a single topic, produced by the News department. (Entry in this category may not be entered in BEST DOCUMENTARY or BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING categories.) Entry should be a composite of the special broadcast(s), of no more than 60 minutes. Composite submission must have a written summary indicating time span of overall coverage, frequency of reports and length of segments deleted. |
| R-21. | BEST ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING A & B Divisions Individual or team effort on a single entertainment story or series of entertainment stories. |
| R-22. | BEST BUSINESS AND CONSUMER REPORTING A & B Divisions Individual or team effort on a single business, consumer, financial, or economic story or series of stories. |
| R-23. | BEST USE OF SOUND A & B Divisions Capturing drama and emotion in (ambient or natural sound) coverage of news event in the field AND/OR technical and artistic excellence in production, mixing and editing. |
Last Updated: 08/11/2008