TV Delmarva Channel 14 News has been awarded first place for best television newscast and special programming by the Delaware Press Association as part of the 2022 Professional Communications Contest.
Award recipients were officially announced Wednesday where TV Delmarva was awarded the honor of first place for “Best Television Newscast” and first place for “Special Programming” for television in the State of Delaware.
The honor was awarded for TV Delmarva’s newscast that aired on December 6, 2021, less than a month after our station launched our hyper-local newscast that has viewers tuning in daily in anticipation of hard-hitting, investigative news stories and real-time, accurate weather forecasting by our team that prides themselves on serving the people of Delaware.
Colin Walls, owner and general manger of TV Delmarva, has been at the forefront of all programming and was elated to learn of the accomplishment. He praised the news and weather team:
“When we set out to do a daily newscast we decided to focus on stories that were not being told. We jumped in head first, and have not looked back,” Walls said. “The honor of this award goes to the TV Delmarva Crew, and to the people who have asked us to tell their stories, when they felt their voices were not being heard.”
TV Delmarva News Director and Investigate Journalist Rob Petree, who was not only awarded the honor of best newscast for his work anchoring but was also awarded first place for Special Programming for an investigative piece on the Indian River School District, was thrilled to learn of the news and vowed to continue to fight for the people and provide a voice for issues concerning Delaware:
“I do what I do everyday in an effort to make a positive difference here in Delaware,” Petree said. “I learned early on in my career that when you take a position of influence in the media, you’re in a real position to effect change and help a lot of people. This recognition solidifies the commitment I have to always stand up for the people and be their champion. I am honored to work alongside such true, passionate professionals at a station that actually cares.”
TV Delmarva’s Chief Meteorologist Hunter Outten was overjoyed to learn that he was recognized for his daily dedication to providing the most accurate, dynamic weather forecast on Delmarva. He reflected on his journey to get here and thanked everyone who helped made this incredible achievement possible:
“I am so proud of what we have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time. We have been able to make a difference in the community in a very short amount of time as underdogs. We are making our statement known that we are here to serve our community and to let your voice be heard. The Delmarva Region has always been an important part of my life and progress into meteorology,” Outten said. “To know that I am helping to make it a safe and informative community when disastrous weather strikes these last 12 years. A big thank you to every single one of you who continue to push me to my greatest potential and being able to serve this community with dependability.”
Jonathan Mistrot, TV Delmarva’s lead news reporter and fill-in anchor, who also won in several student categories as well, said he was humbled by the achievement and vowed to continue to work hard to make a difference in the community through passionate, in-depth news coverage that makes a real difference here on Delmarva:
“When I came onboard TV Delmarva, I didn’t expect to have such an impact as we did right out of the gate. It’s a testament to the kinds of stories we provide our viewers with a focus on local issues,” Mistrot said. “It’s been a rough couple years for all of us and the news cycle is the busiest its ever been, but we had a job to do and we get it done each newscast. I’m absolutely humbled to receive this award and look forward to continuing the great work we do at TV Delmarva!”
On behalf of everyone who made this possible, TV Delmarva News would like to thank all of our station’s staff, the Delaware Press Association, and most importantly the great people of Delaware, for making this honor and achievement a reality.
