WRAL-TV Wins Big at RTDNAC/AP 2022 Awards – Capitol Broadcasting Company

WRAL-TV RTDNAC/AP Awards 2022 — WRAL-TV News staffers represent the station, taking home multiple honors from the RTDNAC/AP Awards luncheon in Charlotte on Saturday, November 12, 2022. (front, l to r) Stephanie Beck & Heather Leah (back, l to r) Jeremy Spearman, Lauren DesArmo, Rick Gall, Matt Talhelm, Joe Fisher & Ashley Talley.

WRAL-TV was a big winner at the annual Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC) annual awards, taking home first place for outstanding news operation and news director of the year. The awards were presented during the organization’s convention at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

WRAL won an impressive 14 first place and 11 second place honors in the RTDNAC/AP awards competition in what WRAL-TV News Director Rick Gall called “an extraordinary showing.”

Gall himself was awarded the Margaret Murchison News Director of the Year.

“A special thanks from me to those who contributed to the news director entry, which was secretly submitted,” he told WRAL staffers. “It’s a wonderful honor, and as I said at the awards ceremony … my success is really a reflection of the staff’s success.”

WRAL-TV Reporter Joe Fisher, who won TV Reporter of the Year, and WRAL-TV Senior News Producer Stephanie Beck, who won both News Producer of the Year and Special Projects Producer of the Year, echoed Gall, citing their success as a reflection of the teamwork from their colleagues at the Big 5.

“This award is truly a reflection of the amazing WRAL team and all the people who trust me to tell their stories,” he said. “I’m honored! I’m also so appreciative of the support y’all show me every day.”

Beck said of her awards, “Couldn’t do it without all the talent on Team WRAL.”

And the WRAL-TV winners are:

FIRST PLACE AWARDS

Outstanding News Operation – WRAL-TV
Social Reform – WRAL-TV – Gentrification changing face of southeast Raleigh – Cullen Browder, Ali Ingersoll, Jamie Munden, Ashley Talley, Lena Tillett
Light Feature –WRAL-TV – Garner Hidden Figures – Matt Talhelm, Lauren DesArmo
Podcast (Long) – WRAL-TV – Follow the Truth – Amanda Lamb, Anita Normanly, Shelly Leslie
Original Digital Video – WRAL-TV – Journey through abandoned tunnel on road to nowhere – Heather Leah
General News by Multimedia Journalist – WRAL-TV – Fall on the Blue Ridge Parkway – Bryan Mims
TV News Anchor of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Lena Tillett
TV News Photographer of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Lauren DesArmo
TV News Producer of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Stephanie Beck
TV News Reporter of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Joe Fisher
TV Special Projects Producer (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Stephanie Beck
TV Weathercaster of the Year – WRAL-TV – Mike Maze
TV News Multimedia Journalist of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Bryan Mims
Margaret Murchison News Director of the Year – WRAL-TV – Rick Gall

SECOND PLACE AWARDS

Best Newscast – WRAL-TV – WRAL News at 7: Black Friday Southpoint Mall Shooting
Breaking News – WRAL-TV – Black Friday Shooting at Southpoint Mall
Hard News Feature – WRAL-TV – A Judge’s Fear During Courthouse Shooting – Cullen Browder, Randall Kerr, Jamie Munden
Long-Form Interview – WRAL-TV – ER nurse says hope is fading as cases surge – Lena Tillett, Jeremy Spearman
Original Web Reporting – WRAL-TV – Long-COVID sufferers beg for answers – Maggie Brown
Series – WRAL-TV – Raleigh Responds to the Afghan Refugee Crisis – Matt Talhelm, Lauren DesArmo
Special Report – WRAL-TV – Roe V. Wade Overturned: Impact on North Carolina – Lena Tillett, Jeremy Spearman, Rhett Aycock
Sports Special – WRAL-TV – Battle of the Blues Final Four Showdown
Use of Technology – WRAL-TV – Tornadoes and Hurricanes in Augmented Reality – Elizabeth Gardner, Aimee Wilmoth, Shan Zhong
TV News Investigative Reporter of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Cullen Browder
TV News Reporter of the Year (TV I) – WRAL-TV – Amanda Lamb

Fine a full list of all the winners in the RTDNAC/AP contest: https://rtdnac.org/2022/11/13/2022-rtdnac-award-winners-announced/

Thanks to WRAL-TV for these Capcom photos.