WRAL-TV’s Gerald Owens (left) receives the Journalist Award from Senior Deputy Atty General William P. Hart, the President elect for NC VAN.

FOX 50’s local crime show NC WANTED has been receiving accolades from law enforcement for helping put criminals behind bars since it hit the air.   Now NC WANTED is being officially honored by the North Carolina Victims Assistance Network.  NC WANTED Host Gerald Owens recently received the organization’s Journalist Award.

NCVAN made the presentation on August 29, 2007, in Asheville at their annual statewide training conference.  Owens was among several 2007 NCVAN Leadership Award Winners which also included N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, who won the award for Outstanding Victim Advocate.

Owens has been hosted NC WANTED since the program launched in April 2007.  NC WANTED profiles some of the area’s most wanted fugitives and unsolved cases.  The broadcast has resulted in several arrests.  NCVAN honored him for his work in helping crime victims in North Carolina.

NCVAN promotes the rights and needs of crime victims by educating North Carolina’s citizens and public policy leaders about the devastating impact that crime has on our society.

A team of producers, editors, photographers and more put together the weekly program which Owens hosts. David Creech, Callie Martel, Shaheen Syal, Katie Prince, Keith Papke, Chris Mason and Melanie Thomas work together to get NC WANTED on the air.

“It’s their hard work that made the award possible,” said Owens.

NC WANTED airs on FOX 50 in the Triangle viewing area on Saturdays at 10:35pm, after WRAL’s 10 O’Clock News on FOX 50.  The program also began airing on WILM-TV on the N.C. coast on Saturday nights after WRAL’s 11 O’Clock News on WILM in September

Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Gerald Owens for this capcom photo.