WRAL-TV General Manager Steve Hammel and FOX 50 Account Executive Elizabeth Kline accepted the National Association of Broadcasters’ Service to Community Award in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, for efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence.
In events 300 miles apart on the same day, locally owned Capitol Broadcasting Company was the belle of the ball.
On Tuesday evening, June 16, 2015, at a black tie gala in Washington, DC, Capitol Broadcasting was honored with the coveted Service to Community Award, presented by the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF). CBC stations WRAZ-TV and WRAL-TV collaborated on a yearlong, statewide domestic violence initiative called “eNOughNC.”
WATCH: Award ceremony presentation featuring powerful video of the eNOughNC project and acceptance speech by Elizabeth Kline: https://youtu.be/nmKyNWxmiDU
The NABEF honors five broadcasters each year for their outstanding public service commitment.
Steven D. Hammel, Vice President and General Manager of WRAL-TV and WRAZ-TV said, “In our company, great ideas come from everywhere. This one originated from Liz, who had the courage to share her personal experience. She was the soul of the effort that snowballed across our company and ultimately resulted in resources for domestic violence survivors across the state. We’re humbled to be chosen for this award. There is much more work to be done on this issue and Capitol Broadcasting is committed to continuing it.”
Earlier in the day, at the 2015 North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Annual Convention in Greensboro, WRAL-TV picked up both awards for large market television stations:
- Outstanding Newscast – Compelling coverage of the Frank Janssen kidnapping case.
- Outstanding Sports Story or Series – Two weeks of comprehensive coverage of the Men’s and Women’s US Open in Pinehurst.
WRAL News Director Rick Gall said, “These two awards reflect different kinds of reporting and showcase the great range we have in news coverage. I couldn’t be more proud of the entire newsroom staff, many of whom contributed in some way to these entries.”
Capitol Broadcasting radio station WCMC-FM (999TheFan) was also honored by the NCAB as large market “Radio Station of the Year.” Hosts Adam Gold and Joe Ovies won for large market “Radio Team of the Year.”
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Shelly Leslie for this capcom story.
More about eNOughNC
The station’s eNOughNC campaign was the brainchild of FOX50 Account Executive Liz Kline, who worked with a coalition of groups working in domestic violence prevention and remediation to develop public service announcements, visual media and a web site of resources for victims and abusers trying to break the cycle.
When the issue became a national focus after a videotape showed NFL player Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee, Kline and the CBC team took it a step further. WRAL-TV anchors participated in a commercial, which aired regularly during NFL games, urging viewers to “say enough to domestic violence,” and the station hosted a four-hour telethon allowing victims to seek help and ask questions over the phone and on social media.
“eNOugh has brought out the best in each of us and the best in Capitol Broadcasting Company,” Kline said. “The Service to Community Award was earned by all of us at CBC.”
Thanks to WRAL.com contributions to this capcom story & for these capcom photos.
