TONIGHT’S PROGRAM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2020 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 3 LETTER FROM THE AWARDS CHAIR 4 LONE STAR CHAPTER JUDGING POLICY 5 LONE STAR EMMY® CHAPTER BOARD OF GOVERNORS 6 LONE STAR EMMY® CHAPTER BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMITTEES 7 LONE STAR EMMY® NOMINATIONS NEWS GATHERING 9 SPOT ANNOUNCEMENTS 16 PROGRAMMING (NON-NEWS) 20 NEWS SPECIALTY 24 PROGRAMMING (NON-NEWS) 33 NEWS GATHERING 36 OVERALL EXCELLENCE 41 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 43 LETTER FROM THE 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® A W A R D S 3 PRESIDENT Good evening and welcome to the 2020 Lone Star EMMY® Awards. I also thank the Lone Star Board of Governors, those who have donated their time to keep the Chapter operating during this As President of the Lone Star Chapter, it is my pleasure to welcome challenging time. I’d like to thank Linnea Lewis and our production you to our annual evening of celebration and recognition. Obviously, team for pivoting from a live production to what you see 2020 has been a year like no other, and like so many others, we are tonight. Remember, all of this was done while keeping to the presenting a virtual show tonight. standards and guidelines established by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and in spite of a pandemic. I am When COVID first broke out, we were hopeful to still meet in proud to say, this group has worked tirelessly to make tonight the San Antonio, but it wasn’t meant to be. Tonight, as we take a best experience possible for you. different approach in this very different year, we continue to honor the very best in regional production. It is also our pleasure to In closing, and although we have to be apart, let’s take this night present tonight’s show from all across this great state of Texas. and celebrate together. On behalf of the Lone Star Board of Governors, our staff and fellow Chapter members, we congratulate 2020 has found us at a unique moment in history. A world-wide all of tonight’s nominees and awardees. Be safe, stay well, and keep pandemic, the resulting economic fallout, and a society rocked by telling amazing stories. social awareness not seen in a generation, have all made this a very daunting year. Recognizing this, the Lone Star Chapter acknowledges May you and yours have a healthy and happy holiday season! the essential, difficult and sometimes even dangerous work of so many people from across the Texas broadcasting community. It is this kind of outstanding work and commitment from so many individuals, organizations and companies that we honor here tonight. I must also recognize it takes a lot of people to put together a show, whether it’s in-person or virtual. I want to thank the many Roger Vertrees individuals “behind the camera” who make a night like this President possible. First, is our Executive Director Terry Markis, our Chapter Lone Star EMMY® Chapter Administrator Shelly Rumley, and our Awards Chair Evelyn Escamilla, whose patient and tireless efforts have kept the Chapter functioning in spite of unexpected and unforeseen challenges. LETTER FROM THE 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® A W A R D S 4 AWARDS CHAIR Welcome to the Lone Star Regional EMMY® Awards! We are so excited to be celebrating with you tonight. Like you, we wish we could all be together in person, in San Antonio. This unprecedented year has shown us that we can adapt and as a team, can make the best of anything! This year, we asked for on-air talent from across the State to present our categories and they are bringing us some of the best iconic landmarks from their cities. We are grateful for each Station who helped us pull this together. The stories submitted this year are some of the best and we want to congratulate each Nominee on their hard work. It is YOU, the members, who make our Chapter what it is… one of the largest Regional Chapters in the country. With our first ever Virtual Sports EMMY® Awards Show in August, we proved that nothing can stop us and with the help of our great Board of Governors, we have created this exciting show tonight to celebrate ALL of you! I’d like to thank our Executive Director, Terry Markis, our Chapter Administrator, Shelly Rumley, Show Producer, Linnea Lewis and Chapter President, Roger Vertrees for all of their hard work. Thank you to our Board Members, who helped us pull this show together. We look forward to the day when we can gather again in person and celebrate your amazing work. Evelyn Castellano Escamilla Awards Chair Lone Star EMMY® Chapter JUDGING 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® A W A R D S 5 EMMY® JUDGING As a member, you agree to judge when The scores produced by these two AND HOW IT WORKS. called upon. Every Regional EMMY® Chapter competitions are never be combined. is a participation only organization and All EMMY® Entries are judged against a Every year, 19 Regional EMMY® Chapters without YOU, we would not be able to trade standard of excellence and do not compete around the country make what we call with other Chapters. It takes all of us to against each other. There may be one award, “trade deals”. We agree to “swap” entries work together to help the Lone Star EMMY® more than one award or no award given in to be judged. Though-out the year, The Chapter continue to be the best Regional each category. Votes are confidential and Lone Star Chapter trades with Suncoast, Chapter in the country. are verified by our Chapter’s accounting Heartland, Mid-America, Mid-Atlantic, The success of the EMMY® Awards process firm. Scores are not released to entrants. Chicago Midwest, New York, Rocky depends on the willingness of qualified Mountain Southwest, Southeast and Lower In short…We run two separate professionals to serve as judges. Great Lakes EMMY® Chapters. Some of the competitions and award both Executive Directors for these Chapters competitions on the same night. have been in this business for over 30+ DO SPANISH AND ENGLISH years. They are trusted trading partners COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER? THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS and we know they will give us the best By vote of the Board of Trustees in October judges from their Chapters. 2002, every Spanish-language entry that is Since our inception in 2002, The Lone Star In return, we take their entries to judge and submitted for EMMY® consideration must be EMMY® Chapter has continued to grow and we evaluate each member before signing judged by a qualified panel of Spanish- is now one of the largest of all Regional them up to judge a category. We want speaking, peer judges. It is necessary for EMMY Chapters in the country. Our trading YOUR work to be judged by the best and each Chapter to conduct TWO, distinct partners know they can count on us to we trust them to do the same. award competitions; one competition for provide the best peer judges in the business. English-language entries and another for Thank you to all who have judged over the Spanish-language entries. years. We appreciate your time and effort English-language entries from a given area and know that with your continued will be judged by a panel of English- dedication, The Lone Star EMMY® Chapter speaking judges while Spanish-language will remain one of the best in the country! entries from the same area will be judged by a panel of Spanish-speaking judges. ® 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® CHAPTER 2020 LONE STAR EMMY A W A R D S 6 BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS TRUSTEES: REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS: (JANUARY 1, 2020 - DECEMBER 31, 2021) FIRST TRUSTEE DALLAS / FORT WORTH PRESIDENT MARTHA KATTAN LARRY COLLINS ROGER VERTREES KXLN, Houston (first term) KXAS (second term) Allan Moore & Associates, Dallas (second term) SECOND TRUSTEE EL PASO FIRST VICE PRESIDENT LARRY COLLINS URIEL POSADA ALLEN MORRIS KXAS, Fort Worth (first term) KINT (second term) Belay Media, Houston (second term) THIRD TRUSTEE HOUSTON TREASURER PHYLLIS SLOCUM MARIAH GARDNER MARTHA KATTAN NTTV, Denton (second term) KPRC (second term) KXLN, Houston (second term) FOURTH TRUSTEE SECRETARY EVELYN CASTELLANO ESCAMILLA HEATHER AREVALO-FLORES Verve Media, Austin (second term) KRGV, Weslaco (second term) ALTERNATE TRUSTEE EDWARD PETE (first term) 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® CHAPTER 2020 LONE STAR EMMY® A W A R D S 7 BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMITTEES BOARD MEMBERS COMMITTEE CHAIRS SOCIAL MEDIA COMMITTEE TWO YEAR TERMS (JANUARY 1, 2019 – DECEMBER 31, 2020) (APPOINTED BY CHAPTER PRESIDENT) HEATHER AREVALO-FLORES KRGV JOEL EISENBAUM AWARDS SPANISH LANGUAGE COMMITTEE KPRC, Houston (first term) EVELYN CASTELLANO ESCAMILLA SUZANNE RUIZ MARIAH GARDNER Verve Media UNT KPRC, Houston (first term) AWARDS SHOW PRODUCTION ROGER VERTREES LESTER GRETSCH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE KXLN, Houston (first term) Allan Moore & Associates ERICA HERNANDEZ AWARDS SHOW COMMITTEE ROGER VERTREES KSAT, San Antonio (first term) MATTHEW BRAWLEY President Houston Public Media EDWARD PETE ALLEN MORRIS (first term) MARKETING/DIGITAL COMMITTEE First Vice President NEWY SCRUGGS JOHN PEREZ MARTHA KATTAN KXAS, Dallas (first term) KTMD Treasurer / Trustee PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVELYN CASTELLANO ESCAMILLA BOARD MEMBERS COMMITTEE Awards Committee Chair PHYLLIS SLOCUM TWO YEAR TERMS (JANUARY 1, 2020 – DECEMBER 31, 2021) JASON ANDERSON UNT Past President AMY ALVEREZ SILVER CIRCLE KVDA, San Antonio, (first term) MARIAH GARDNER EXECUTIVE OFFICES MATTHEW BRAWLEY KPRC Houston Public Media, Houston (second term) SCOTT MURRAY TERRY MARKIS SCOTT MURRAY Murray Media Executive Director Murray Media, Dallas (second term) SCHOLARSHIPS SHELLY RUMLEY JOHN PEREZ Chapter Administrator KTMD, Houston (second term) HEATHER AREVALO-FLORES KRGV URIEL POSADA KINT, El Paso (second term) SUZANNE RUIZ Dallas (second term) LONE STAR EMMY®