#MediaMonday – Local Media Done Good
Because the media all too often has to report bad news, I get excited when there is something truly happy to report. And, in this case, the media IS the good news!
As a member of the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter (NATAS), I am pleased to share that we will honor Univision Arizona’s education campaign as well as Jim Dove, chief engineer of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University, respectively, with our Governors’ Award during the 2014 Rocky Mountain Emmy® Awards Gala, set for October 18th at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess. As the highest award NATAS gives to a person, organization or station each year, the Governors’ Award recognizes excellence in broadcasting that goes above and beyond those normally found in individual Rocky Mountain Emmy® Award craft or program categories.
“Univision Arizona has made an incredibly valuable and impactful commitment to the future of our state through a dynamic campaign that reaches beyond the classroom,” says Theresa Maher, president of NATAS, noting the station has worked to bring on partners including Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, superintendents, councilmembers as well as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Cindy McCain on a more national level to ensure success.
The campaign, titled “Es El Momento” (The Moment is Now), is a comprehensive, multi-platform, multi-million dollar initiative taking place at all Univision stations nationwide that is aimed at improving academic achievement among K-12 Hispanic students with a specific focus on increasing rates of high school graduation, college readiness, college completion. Outreach targets not only Hispanic students but also parents, caretakers and the broader community. The initiative includes national Public Service Announcements on Univision media platforms, national and local news coverage, and special programming on television and radio, along with partnerships at the local level for grassroots and community efforts. Es El Momento also includes a comprehensive online and mobile website at www.eselmomento.com, featuring a weekly Q&A with popular motivational radio personality Dr. Isabel and users. Interactive offerings including a school locator widget and weekly mobile text alerts also provide relevant educational tips.
“Honoree Jim Dove represents an unparalleled and lasting mark that will continue to benefit the future generations of aspiring broadcasters here locally,” says Maher. “Though he retires from his post as senior engineer at ASU’s Cronkite School this month, his legacy as the heart and soul of the school and his influence on the industry as a whole will live on.”
According to nominator and Phoenix Suns Television Executive Producer Bob Adlhoch, once a Dove student, Cronkite’s move from Tempe to the current state-of-the-art facility in downtown Phoenix would not have happened without Dove.
“While Cronkite Dean Chris Callahan was the brains behind the move, Jim was the soul,” says Adlhoch. “His knowledge of both technical and production needs gave him unusual insight when laying out plans for the campus.”
In addition to his role at Cronkite, Dove also worked on the NFL Monday Night Football crew for two decades.
“His relationships with corporate vendors like Sony and Apple allowed for great synergy and less expensive equipment for ASU,” says Adlhoch. “It’s truly amazing to think that the downtown campus was built during a time of economic crisis in the mid-2000s. Jim’s vision to see what this Cronkite School could be is a huge reason it is considered by many as the finest broadcast journalism school in the country.”
