August 26, 2008
alt.news 26:46 again gets multiple Emmy nods
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The potential for a banner haul is present once again for alt.news 26:46, Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine.
The program received 14 Emmy nominations in 11 categories Thursday for the 2008 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter Emmy Awards in St. Louis.
The awards ceremony is Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis.
Nearly 750 entries in 85 categories competed for nominations, with an entry deadline at the end of April. The chapter is comprised of television markets primarily in Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri, and surrounding designated market areas, or DMA’s, according to event organizers. CBS News anchor Russ Mitchell, a St. Louis native who previously worked at stations in St. Louis and Kansas City, is hosting the 32nd annual awards gala.
“This fantastic achievement is clear evidence that alt.news just keeps raising the bar! We are all very proud of their accomplishments,” said College of Mass Communications and Media Arts Dean Gary P. Kolb.
“Alt.news 26:46 has consistently produced creative episodes that continue to be honored with professional and student awards. They do this with energy, fantastic team spirit, and minimal resources compared to their competition from professional networks,” Kolb said. “For 10 years they have upheld a standard of excellence that all of SIUC can be proud of. We congratulate them again this year.”
Alt.news 26:46 garnered five Emmys last fall.
“Our students work countless hours on their projects outside of classes, and it is through their hard work and creativity that they reap these nominations, and ultimately win! Of course, the Department is extremely honored by their dedication to their craft,” said Phylis W. Johnson, associate professor and interim department chair of the Department of Radio-Television.
Jan. Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television, is also the show’s faculty adviser. She is pleased with the show’s continuing success.
“This is a remarkable achievement for our radio-television undergraduates to go toe-to-toe with professionals I believe we are the only college show that has been awarded professional Emmys – let alone 14, so far, and with now another 14 nominations.”
Alt.news 26:46 2008 NATAS Mid America Regional Chapter Emmy nominees are:
- Jay B. Carey, a senior in radio-television from De Soto, and Kelly E. Reed, a sophomore with a double major in cinema & photography and journalism from Grayslake, for their segment, “World’s Fastest Drummer,” in the arts/entertainment-program feature category.
- Timothy P. Wilkerson, a senior with a double major in radio-television and cinema & photography from Crystal Lake, for his “Don LaFontaine: The Voice,” in the arts/entertainment-program feature category.
- James L. Milner a May 2008 bachelor’s degree graduate in radio-television from Springfield, and Jonathan R. Gravatt, a junior in radio-television from Carbondale, for their segment, “Body Worlds,” in the science/environment category.
- Sean Q. Brown, a senior in radio-television from Deerfield, for his segment, “Angola Prison Rodeo,” in the human interest-program story/feature category.
- Scott W. Blair, a junior in MCMA undecided from Glenview, in the on-camera talent/performer-host category.
- Adam L. Slutsky, a junior in cinema & photography from Deerfield, and Carey, for “alt.news 26:46,” in the writer/program category.
- Andrew D. Kastler, a May 2008 bachelor’s degree graduate in radio-television from Waterloo, Iowa, and Todd M. Cima, a May 2008 bachelor’s degree graduate in radio-television from Cantrall, for “Blue Man Group: Live from the SIU Arena,” in the director/post-production category.
- Brown and Wilkerson for Alt.news 26:46, in the magazine program category.
- Brown, for his segment, “Angola Prison Rodeo,” in the director/post-production category.
- Cima and Kastler for “Blue Man Group: Live from the SIUC Arena,” in the editor -- program/program feature category.
- Brown, Wilkerson, Carey, Milner and Kastler for “alt.news 26:46,” in the graphic arts-graphics-program/news category.
- Cima for “Talk Backs from Horizon Wireless,” in the writer/spot length (Promo, PSA, Commercial) category.
- Blair, for “alt.news 26:46 news promo” in the writer/spot length category.
- Blair and Wilkerson for “magichugs.com” in the advanced media – arts/entertainment category.
The number of nominations by student are Brown and Wilkerson, four apiece; Blair, Carey, Cima, Kastler, three apiece; Milner, two nominations, and Gravatt, Reed and Slutsky, one each.