Top Honors Announced at 2023 Texas Broadcast News Awards

posted on 4.17.2023

- Headliners Foundation’s Charles E. Green Award Winners

It was Texas broadcast journalism’s biggest night as nearly 200 Radio and TV journalists gathered April 15 at the Austin Westin Domain to celebrate the industry’s best work in reporting on the issues and interests affecting the livelihoods of millions of Texans.

TAB’s 2023 Texas Broadcast News Awards covered 96 different categories with English- and Spanish-language entries competing head to head in judging by a team of bilingual journalists either retired or practicing out of state. Judges chose not to present awards in five categories.

The Headliners Foundation partnered with TAB for the second consecutive year in presenting $9,000 in cash prizes for the Charles E. Green Awards, part of the Foundation’s robust journalism awards program which also includes the Showcase Awards for Enterprise and Innovation.

Green, publisher of the Austin American-Statesman in the 1950’s, was a founding member of the Headliners Club which, along with the Foundation, has been recognizing exceptional journalism for almost four decades.

TAB Chairman Paul Gleiser, owner/operator of ATW Media in Tyler, emceed the event, while the Foundation was represented by Board member and TAB Vice Chair Amy Villarreal of KEYE-TV Austin.

Attendees networked during an opening reception and mid-evening break as the well-timed program moved briskly, ending at 9:15PM.

Event sponsors included Jackson Walker LLP, TAB’s general counsel law form for nearly 30 years, as well as station groups Audacy, Gray Television, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and TelevisaUnivision.

Top Honors Unveiled

While many winners were announced previously, the highest honors, the Carole Kneeland Award and the Overall Texas Broadcast Excellence Awards, were unveiled at the event.

The Carole Kneeland Award went to KXAN-TV Austin. Kneeland was a highly respected Texas news manager who had a national reputation for training and motivating journalists. She passed away in 1998 after an eight-year battle with breast cancer at the age of 49.

The Overall Texas Broadcast Excellence awards were unveiled at the event and went to:

• Large Market Radio: KSTX Texas Public Radio, San Antonio
• Other Market Radio:  Bryan Broadcasting, Bryan-College Station
• Large Market Television:  KXAN-TV Austin
• Other Market Television:  KOSA-TV Odessa-Midland

The Charles E. Green Awards went to:

• Best Television Reporter: Tony Plohetski, KVUE Austin
• Best Radio Reporter: Dennis Foley, KTSA San Antonio
• Best Breaking News Report-TV:  KPRC Houston “Uvalde School Massacre”
• Best Breaking News Report-Radio: KSTX Texas Public Radio “Migrants Trapped in Trailer”
• Best Investigative Report-TV: KXAN “Still Practicing: Tracking Problem Doctors”
• Best Multimedia/Digital Storytelling: KXAN-TV “Stop Mass Shootings: The Search for Solutions”

COMPLETE LIST OF HONOREES

Questions? Contact TAB’s Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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