WKMG wins regional Edward R. Murrow award for Overall Excellence

WKMG-TV News 6 has been honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association with the Regional Award for Overall Excellence in a large market.

“I am thrilled our WKMG News 6 team has been honored for their tireless work for our Central Florida community,” said Allison McGinley, News 6 news director.

The Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious awards in news. The awards recognize “outstanding achievement” in broadcast and digital journalism.

“Murrow Award-winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession,” according to RTDNA, which has been offering the Murrow Awards to journalists since 1971.

“This award not only celebrates our daily news coverage, investigative work and digital innovation, it honors our commitment to being of service to our community. There is no greater priority for WKMG than ensuring we inform, educate and serve our community,” McGinley said.

News 6 now moves on to the national Murrow Award competition. The winners of those awards will be determined in the fall.

WKMG News Director inducted into UCF's Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame

WKMG News Director Allison McGinley has been inducted into the Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame at the University of Central Florida.

McGinley graduated from UCF in 1996 and has been with WKMG/News 6 in Orlando since the mid ‘90s.

From her start as an intern in 1994 to her promotion to news director in 2015, McGinley has always had her focus on serving Central Florida.

She’s also been instrumental in supporting and letting her employees grow and learn, while getting actionable results that have a positive impact on our community.

“Fame is nothing Allison has sought. Her road to this moment has been paved with a 28-year record of tireless public service, and undaunting commitment to journalistic excellence and an unmatched dedication to team building that has created what I know for a fact is the happiest newsroom in Orlando,” said Rick Brunson, fellow NSCM alumni Hall of Fame member.

On Friday, faculty, staff and alumni of the school presented McGinley with the esteemed Hall of Fame honors.

“The journalistic burden remains heavy for our young journalists as they must understand the shifting requirements of today’s fast and multi-faceted industry are the same they’ve always been to get it done,” said McGinley as she received her honors. “But above speed and being first, make sure you get it right. Tonight, I can unequivocally confirm that despite these tests, we can and should find renewed a sense of purpose and passion because what we do matters. Period.”

Watch the video and read more on WKMG's website, ClickOrlando.com.

Graham Media Group launches new solutions-based digital newscast, 'Solutionaries' to premiere June 18

Graham Media Group is excited to announce an innovative new digital newscast that will focus on solutions-based journalism and highlight people who are making a difference.

The pilot episode of "Solutionaries," which was created with the news team at WKMG, will launch Friday, June 18, and feature the stories of those who are evolving law enforcement practices in Central Florida to reduce the risk of violent encounters -- particularly when it comes to members of the community who suffer from mental illness and men and women of color.

Check out "Solutionaries" on YouTube.

You’ll hear from a local sheriff who is trying to “turn the system on its head” and a police officer who created a unique partnership aimed at providing resources to those in need. You’ll also hear from a young man whose life was forever changed when he says he was wrongfully arrested.

“Watching the Solutionaries team build this show from scratch has been fantastic. The stories they’re telling are sure to resonate with our audience and cause them to examine these issues from a new perspective,” News 6 News Director Allison McGinley said. “On top of that, we’re serving up these pieces in a cutting-edge digital format that will allow them to be shared and watched over and over again.”

We’ve also devised a number of ways to get our audience involved in our storytelling. For this first episode, we brought together a panel and invited them to give their feedback about the ideas presented. Their responses were both thought-provoking and candid.

Going forward, we’ll be asking members of our audience to submit their ideas for topics they’d like to see covered.

"What we’ve found thus far is that this approach has freed our journalists from the confines of traditional storytelling. We are speaking directly to the viewer and inviting them to observe, from the inside, how an issue is defined and reported. Producers, photographers and editors now can participate with the reporter in shaping more complete storytelling and advanced presentation," News 6 General Manager Jeff Hoffman said.

Learn more by going to SolutionariesNetwork.com.

The first episode is hosted by News 6 investigative reporter Louis Bolden, who has nearly 20 years of experience at News 6.

“Never in my career have my bosses come to me and said, ‘We want you to be part of a team that reimagines a newscast. You have no rules, do whatever you want, except we don't want it to look like a traditional newscast.’ And we were thrilled to be a part of it,” Bolden said.

WKMG's 'Make Ends Meet' initiative is changing lives in the community -- and it's just getting started

In March 2020, in the midst of a global health crisis, WKMG News 6 launched Make Ends Meet, a franchise spearheaded by investigative reporter Mike Holfeld, to help residents of Central Florida answer financial questions and budget their money throughout a pandemic.

But what it turned into was so much more.

As soon as Holfeld starting profiling struggling families, and their cries for help aired during the newscasts, the phones and emails began pouring in from viewers hoping to donate and lend a hand.

Once stimulus checks began rolling into people’s accounts, the donations surged even more from those hoping to donate the extra cash, to people who need it more.

So far, News 6 and Make Ends Meet have received $50,178 in donations.

Then, Holfeld began holding the Florida Department of Unemployment accountable for their system and response to those in need.

To date, Holfeld and his Make Ends Meet team have helped nearly 100 people, providing them the more than $540,000 they were due, which comes out to an average of about $6,000 per person.

News 6 is nine months into this project, which it plans to continue through 2021.

The goal now? Hit $1 million in recoveries.

When asked if she thinks the team can reach that benchmark, news director Allison McGinley said, “With the generosity of our community, I believe so. Since the introduction of the second round of stimulus checks, we have already started to see additional donations from viewers. So far, families have gifted in excess of $2,000, with several viewers offering funds in advance! I feel confident we will meet or exceed the $50,000 gifted by our News 6 community during the first nine months of this project.”

This proves it: Nothing is better than "Getting Results" for those in need, which is News 6's mantra.

Read some Make Ends Meet stories:

News 6, Addition Financial debut Make Ends Meet fund

News 6 debuts Make Ends Meet initiative to provide budget guidance for viewers

Florida's Fourth Estate: How Make Ends Meet got started

Furloughed bartender has been waiting on $6,500 in unpaid unemployment since May

WKMG News 6 introduces new Space Curious podcast

It seems only right that our WKMG-TV team on the Space Coast would come up with a new podcast about all things space.

How did the International Space Station get assembled in orbit? What happens to all the space junk? What is a white hole? Space Curious, the new podcast by WKMG News 6 and Graham Media, will answer those questions and more.

Hosted by WKMG space reporter Emilee Speck and edited by Graham Media Director of Podcasts, Zak Rosen, each episode answers space-related questions submitted from the audience.

Speck, a Space Coast native, has been covering stories of spaceflight for more than seven years, from planetary science to the recent return and astronaut launches from Florida’s Coast.

With the help from experts, including scientists, engineers, fellow space journalists and astronauts, Space Curious brings fascinating topics to your favorite podcast platform.

Anyone can submit a question to the show for an opportunity to be part of the episode and have your curiosities answered by the experts.

Space Curious was created to inspire everyone, from those with a mild interest in space exploration to the space fanatics.

New episodes will be released every other Wednesday on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow and subscribe to listen along each week.

Check out the trailer below:

WKMG-TV presented with national award for community service

WKMG-TV in Orlando has been awarded the Service to Community Award for Television in the Large Market category during the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards program, which aired Saturday night on stations nationwide.

Hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation, the Service to America Awards recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

“Over the past year, America’s local radio and television stations have demonstrated unparalleled devotion to helping families and communities in need,” NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke said. “We are pleased to honor these exceptional stations and to celebrate this year’s winners with viewers and listeners during the first-ever broadcast of the Service to America Awards.”

WKMG-TV’s award-winning community service effort, “Driving Change: Florida's Texting and Driving Law,” served as the force behind the win.

After WKMG news anchor Matt Austin was hit and seriously injured by a texting driver, the station initiated a relentless multi-faceted, multi-year campaign led by Austin to strengthen Florida’s texting and driving law.

WKMG gathered stories from viewers, created partnerships with law enforcement and legislators and confronted those lawmakers who were creating roadblocks to a piece of legislation designed to save lives on Florida's roadways.

After three years of work, on July 1, 2019, those efforts resulted in a new law, making texting and driving a primary offense. In the end, many legislators, including those who were originally against a more robust law, credit WKMG with being a major factor behind its passage: Passage of Florida Statute Section 316.305 and 316.306.

About Celebration of Service to America Awards

The 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards, hosted by the NAB Leadership Foundation, highlight and honor exceptional community service exhibited by local radio and television stations across the U.S.

The 2020 event premiered Aug. 22 as a one-hour televised program featuring high-profile guests and award presentations in eight categories.

About NAB Leadership Foundation

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the future of broadcasting through leadership, diversity and community service.

News 6/360: WKMG presents a new, exciting way to view the news

WKMG News 6, the Graham Media Group-owned CBS affiliate in Orlando Florida, continues to transform the landscape of news viewing with the introduction of “News 6/360.”

Presented by the station’s website, ClickOrlando.com, News 6/360 is the first-of-its-kind newscast shot and produced entirely in 360 degrees. This new, interactive, immersive experience is designed to be viewer friendly, easy to use and will keep viewers coming back for each new newscast.

Using a single state-of-the-art 360-degree camera placed in the center of the News 6 studio, there is no control room to switch between multiple cameras and no floor director to queue talent. News 6/360 is a real, intimate experience in true storytelling, which allows the viewer to be present and interact with the content and the anchors by moving the camera with the touch of a finger or click of a mouse.

Hosted by News 6 anchor Ginger Gadsden and News 6 digital reporter Brianna Volz, viewers may notice them holding notes. That’s because there is no teleprompter for them to read. Ginger and Brianna interact with each other and the viewers off the cuff, giving the newscast a high-energy, less formal and more conversational tone.

“Harnessing the power of new technology isn’t an option, it’s a must in today’s world. Central Floridians expect to get the news that is important to them and their neighborhood whenever they want and however they choose to engage,” News 6 News Director Allison McGinley said.

“News 6 prides itself on being an innovator in creating and providing new ways for Central Floridians to view local news and locally produced entertainment content,” said News 6 Vice President and General Manager Jeff Hoffman. “It is important that we serve our community with important news and information any time and in every way we can. As people choose a variety of ways to receive their information, we want to make sure they know we are in those spaces with accurate, fact-checked and compelling information.”

“From the beginning of the newscast to the end, viewers can move the camera to see what they want to see, when they want to see it,” Gadsden said. “Because of that, we put a lot of time and effort into deciding what kinds of stories would compel viewers to want to interact with the newscast, new ways of telling those stories, how to showcase the video and even the graphics in an effective way. I am excited for our viewers to check this new extension of News 6 and I am proud to be part of such a new way of providing news to our neighbors.”

News 6/360 will release a new episode every week. Viewers can watch News 6/360 on their Android phones by going to ClickOrlando.com or their News 6 App. iPhone users can use the YouTube App and search ClickOrlando.com. You can also use VR goggles to watch the newscast.

News 6 and ClickOrlando.com have proven to be one of the most pioneering television and digital outlets for our Central Florida community. In 2017, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com launched “ClickO on the Go,” a 90-second newscast that uses today's top social platforms — specifically Instagram and Snapchat — to target a younger audience. The weekday series brings the news and weather our viewers need to the places they already are. It does so in a simple, yet engaging manner by being extremely conversational and packing the information into two-minute vertical video segments that drive users to ClickOrlando.com.

In an unprecedented digital and broadcast event, WKMG News 6 produced more than 100 hours of livestream content for ClickOrlando.com during the station’s annual coverage of the Lake Eola “Fireworks at the Fountain” on July 4, 2019. This online streaming project harnessed live video from more than 25 different camera angles and sources, allowing online viewers to be in the “Director’s Chair” and select from a variety of angles, including the first-ever streams directly from mobile phones of reporters and producers in the field.

The News 6 newsroom dedicated dozens of people to the event with new technology, producing a 10-hour, digital-first broadcast for the ClickOrlando.com website and News 6 OTT App (available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and more).

News 6 / 360 is LIVE! See it here.

WKMG instrumental in getting texting and driving bill signed into Florida law

WKMG-TV is pleased to announce that after nearly three years leading the charge to change the texting and driving law in Florida, a new bill has been signed into law.

This new law will make texting and driving a primary offense, which allows law enforcement to stop motorists who are texting while driving and write them citations.

Florida was one of only four states left in the country in which texting and driving was not a primary offense.

“It was a long and hard fight,” News 6 anchor Matt Austin said. “But now after nearly three years, 100 stories, more than a dozen trips to Tallahassee, and thousands of miles driving around Florida to track down decision makers, I am relieved Florida politicians finally did the right thing. They made safety a priority."

Austin has been the one of the driving forces in changing the law -- and one of the most outspoken proponents of this new legislation.

Together with News 6, his quest to create change began one night in September 2016.

In his car on the way home after the 11 p.m. newscast, Austin was stopped at a red light. Suddenly, there was a blinding blow to the back of his head. He was knocked unconscious. Hit full-force by a driver who never even tapped his brakes, Austin had been rear-ended by a driver who admitted he was texting and driving.

The impact was so forceful it sent his little girl’s car seat directly into the back of his head. When he regained consciousness, bloody and in a state of confusion, Austin struggled to dial 911. His immediate thoughts were, "My three little girls are usually always sitting in the back seat!"

The driver who hit Austin was not ticketed for the crash. The police at the scene said there was nothing they could do under the existing law. While at home recuperating from a severe concussion and 10 stiches to his head, viewers began asking why Austin wasn't at the news desk. He shared his story via social media and the flood gates opened.

Austin heard from people who had experienced similar situations, and those who had even tragically lost loved ones. He knew he had to be their voice.

Austin’s journey to drive change began the very next day, a journey News 6 has called “Driving Change.” The initiative's goal has been to make texting and driving a primary offense in the state of Florida.

“We started by bringing awareness to the holes in the current texting and driving law,” WKMG news director Allison McGinley said. “Then we knew we had to share the stories of those who had been directly affected by texting and driving. That included our own Matt Austin, who testified before the Florida Legislature's Judiciary Committee in Tallahassee.”

“This crisis we have in our state right now of texting and driving wound up in my back seat,” Austin said before the Judiciary Committee.

“Matt Austin told his story and that of many Floridians endangered by those who text and drive," Vice President and General Manager Jeff Hoffman said. “His commitment to see this through over a nearly three-year battle represents the very best of all who get results for WKMG News 6.”

News 6 almost saw a victory in 2017, but the bills to toughen the texting and driving law died in both the state House and Senate committees. There was a glimmer of hope again in 2018 when the House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would finally make texting and driving a primary offense, but it was stalled in the Senate.

This year, both the House and the Senate worked to pass a bill to bring Florida in line with the 44 other states. That bill was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17, 2019.

“As a local television station, this is the role you hope you can play for the community you serve," Hoffman said. "You see a problem, and together with your neighbors, you work to solve it. When you can ultimately change laws that can save lives, well, that is what good journalism is all about. That is what being of service to your community is all about."

The entire timeline of Matt’s Austin’s fight to bring this bill into law can be found by clicking or tapping here.

WKMG lands major 'Celebration of Service to America' win

Graham Media Group's WKMG-TV has been selected as the "Service to Community" award-winner in the large-market television category, for its work serving as a legislative lifeline for first-responders.

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF), formerly the NAB Education Foundation, just this week revealed the winners of the 2019 Celebration of Service to America Awards, which recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters.

WKMG-TV presented a series of investigative reports featuring first-responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, providing a platform for these men and women to expose the state’s failure to recognize PTSD as a real medical injury.

Under Florida law at the time, workers’ compensation insurance was not available for those diagnosed with PTSD unless they could prove they were also physically injured during the emergency call.

The station’s reporting began with the story of one of the officers assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

This segment led to a flood of responses from first-responders struggling with PTSD who had been afraid to come forward.

On March 27, 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed the Workers’ Compensation Benefits for First Responders Act into law.

Scott said WKMG-TV’s reporting was instrumental in the passage and signing of the new law.

WKMG, among the other winners, will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America dinner, held June 11 at The Anthem, a riverside venue in Southwest Washington.

“America’s local radio and television stations have a deeply rooted commitment to public service,” said NABLF President Marcellus Alexander. “This year’s STA winners epitomize broadcasters’ devotion to positively impacting their communities and creating a lasting difference. We look forward to recognizing their exceptional work.”

From August 2016 through March 2018, WKMG-TV investigated and presented its series of reports. Florida first-responders and their families reached out to WKMG-TV to help them bring awareness to people quietly suffering with PTSD.

News 6's reporting marked an opportunity to build community awareness of the unseen injuries that left a trail of broken souls and suicides. It all began with Orlando Police Department first-responder Gerry Realin, one of the seven assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Nightclub. His story led to a floodgate of first-responders struggling with PTSD, but afraid to come forward. That was the constant theme of the reporting, and the evidence was clear: These victims needed someone to recognize PTSD as a real illness deserving of medical compensation.

“Stories about the people affected made the difference," Scott said. "That’s how legislation gets passed.”

WKMG-TV executive producer helps homeless teen land full college scholarship

At the start of Savohn Thomas' senior year of high school, the Orange County, Florida teen found himself homeless and moving from one place to another. At times, he even spent nights at a bus stop.

"Honestly, I didn't want to feel like anybody's burden," Thomas said. "It was a lot of times I wanted to give up. It was a lot of times I wanted to drop out."

But he didn't. Thomas used his passion for poetry, acting and being on stage as an outlet. And he's talented: his craft earned him some pretty big honors.

WKMG-TV learned about Thomas and his story, and wanted to help. Specifically, executive producer Tara Evans wanted to help. But it's safe to say, she had no idea just how much she could lend a hand.

For a station that works hard every day to "get results," Evans certainly delivered.

"Savohn is pretty extraordinary," Evans said. "I attended AMDA -- the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. And I knew that a girl that I graduated with still worked there. So I got in touch with her and I was like, 'Hey, you know, I've got this kid. He's going there, he's been accepted. So is it possible that maybe you could consider him for a work-study program? I think that would be really great. ... A few weeks later, his scholarship had been upped to what's called a director scholarship."

And the scholarship had increased from $40,000 to nearly $150,000.

Thomas came on News 6's morning show to do a live interview with the anchors and talk about his future, based on the life-changing news he had just received.

"So, we were super excited, and I didn't really realize at the time, like, exactly why they decided to do that," Evans said of the massive scholarship increase. "And I was like, 'Oh, by the way, why'd you decide to give him the extra money?' And they were like, 'Oh, because of you. Because you sent us the story.'"

At first, Evans said, she didn't want any of the spotlight or attention for what had transpired.

"I was just doing something nice as a human," she said with a laugh. She had no idea the school would step up and cover four years of Thomas' schooling.

Added Thomas, "This is everything to me -- literally everything. And I'm not going to let this slip away."

"Not every day is always fun," Evans said of the job. "(But) this day -- those days, are what make what we do here worth it."

Now, Thomas will go from walking nearly 20 miles to high school, to New York City.

The musical "In the Heights" brought out his talent. It was on June 2 when Thomas' theater class performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts -- a night Thomas said he'll never forget.

"It was a total surprise," he said. "I did not know anything that was going on that night that I got it."

Thomas is referring to becoming the first Applause Awards student recipient of the Pursuit of the Arts OCPS scholarship. Although Evans helped with the scholarship, Thomas got into AMDA on his own.

"Even though I am scared, even though I am afraid -- because I've never been out of where I grew up, this means more to me because it gives me those dreams that I had as a kid," he said.