News 8 Austin
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News 8 Austin is a 24-hour local cable news-station based in Austin, Texas. It is owned by Time Warner Cable. It includes weather segments every ten minutes ("Weather on the 8s"), as well as traffic, sports and business reports during specific parts of its program day. News-of-the-day, breaking news when it happens, and regional "living" features make up the balance of the programming content in its one-hour news blocks. It can be seen exlusively on Time Warner Cable channel 8 in the Austin and Waco television markets.
News 8 Austin and its affiliates represent the state-of-the-art in local television news coverage, delivering on a commitment of responsible and community-oriented journalism on an around-the-clock basis. The news channel is well known in Austin for its deep coverage of community news and hype-free, tempered coverage of TV news staples such as crime and scandal.
The programs on News 8 Austin are called "wheels" because they are constructed by sequencing pre-recorded digital video clips into playlists. This allows the newscast wheel to be quickly and easily updated as new or updated stories become available. When live content such as weathercasts, traffic reports or breaking news reports are necessary, producers simply insert them as an "event" into the playlist that that the automation systems will switch from pre-recorded digital content to live programming from the studio or field.
The channel is also distinct from traditional TV news operations in that its shows are traditionally hosted by a single anchor and in that its reporters (sometimes called video journalists or VJs) frequently set up, shoot and edit their own stories without the assistance of a video photographer.
News 8 Austin also operates several other video services including:
- News 8's RadarNOW, a 24-hour Doppler Radar service, with National Weather Service audio.
- News 8's Non-Stop Weather, 24-hour regional weather channels in both English and Spanish.
- News 8's TrafficNOW, a 24-hour traffic camera service utilizing TxDOT roadway cameras.
- News 8's Non-Stop Sports, a 24-hour sports headline channel featuring local and national sports highlights.
- News 8 on Demand, a video-on-demand archive of features, series and event coverage from News 8.
The channel also has a video-intensive website, www.news8austin.com, which features an extensive weather section and a video application which allows site users to build customized online newscasts that mimic the channels on-air programs.
News 8 is available only in homes served by Time Warner Cable and is positioned as a community service of the cable company. Its service area therefore mirrors that of Time Warner's Centeral Texas cable division -- generally encompassing the areas bounded by San Marcos to the south, Waco to the north, Smithville to the east and Fredericksburg to the West.
Time Warner operates seven other similar local cable news operations including New York One, Capital News 9 in Albany, News 10 Now in Syracuse, R News in Rochester (all in New York state) as well as three news channels operating under the News 14 Carolina banner serving Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro. Bright House Networks also operates two former Time Warner Cable news channels -- Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13.
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[edit] Mission
Following News 8's fifth anniversary in September of 2004, the management and editorial team at News 8 revisited and reaffirmed our mission as a journalistic enterprise in the following updated mission statement:
News 8 Austin and Time Warner Cable provide comprehensive local news, weather and sports whenever you need it.
News 8.... explores issues, focuses on solutions and avoids sensationalism; reflects the diversity and values of our community and expands our mutual understanding of them; holds ourselves to high standards of journalism, business practices, and community service; earns your respect through accurate, timely reporting and thoughtful consideration of your feedback.
[edit] On-Air Personalities
Anchors: Todd Boatwright, Paul Brown, Jennifer Bordelon, Crestina Chavez, Gina Swanson
Sports: Jeff Power (Sports Director), John Hygh, Kevin Holden
Weather: Burton Fitzsimmons (Chief Meteorologist), Ernie Pacheco, Rich Segal, Marc Gomez , Miguel Montoya (Espanol), Carolina Saiz (Espanol)
Videojournalists: Amy Hadley, Allison Topperwein, Reagan Hackleman, Bob Robuck, Hermelinda Vargas, Valerie Gutierrez, Veronica Castillo
[edit] History
News 8 Austin launched on Sept. 13, 1999, and is Austin's first and only 24-hour, 7-day-a-week local news channel. The studios are located just north of the Capitol and immediately south of the UT main campus in the heart of Downtown Austin at the corner of 17th and Colorado, one block east of Lavaca. An old house which housed law offices located previously in this lot was demolished in 1998 to make way for the news studios and operations offices. The location was chosen to feature views of the Texas Capitol building to the south and the University of Texas at Austin main tower to the north as backdrops for the news set and weather set respectively.
[edit] Awards
2006: Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Documentary: James Keith and Rachel Elsberry: He Said/She Said • Second Place – Series: Crestina Chavez and Chris Hardie: The Cost of DWI
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award • Best Continuing Coverage: Austin After Katrina
Texas Association of School Boards' Media Honor Roll • Veronica Castelo
2005: Radio–Television News Directors Foundation • N.S. Bienstock Fellowship Award: Hermelinda Vargas, government reporter
Goodwill Community Partnership Awards - Media Partner of the Year
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – TV Magazine/Special: Rachel Elsberry & Lalo Garcia: ACL Fest Preview • Second Place – TV Magazine/Special: News Staff: Longhorn Game Day
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Documentary: Crestina Chavez, Chris Hardie & Lalo Garcia: On the Streets with APD.
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place: Web site: news8austin.com
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – Sports Story: Jeff Power:Heart of a Champion
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – General Assignment, Crestina Chavez: The Filling Station
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Feature/Light: Allie Rasmus: Tamale Tradition
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Series, Allie Rasmus & Eddie Garcia, Tale of Two Campaigns
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Continuing Coverage, James Keith, Baby Asia
2004: National Edward R. Murrow Award • Documentary – Erica Riggins – Child Abuse
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award • News Documentary – Erica Riggins – Child Abuse
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award • Web Site – news8austin.com
Lone Star Emmy Award • Barry DeCrane and Mike Harvey – AMOA Warhol Exhibit
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Spot Story-Individual • Erica Riggins and Kevin Coons – UT War Protest
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Specialty/Beat Reporting • Eric Allen – Government
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Continuing Coverage • Staff Effort – Killer D's
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – TV Website
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – News Anchor/Team - Paul Brown
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – Documentary • Erica Riggins – Child Abuse
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Feature (Light) • Rachel Elsberry – Lessons In Leadership
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Series • Erica Riggins – Child Abuse
Barbara Jordan Media Award • TV News Feature • Jitin Hingorani – Open Door Preschool
2003: Regional Edward R. Murrow Award • News Series – Antonio Castelan • News 8 Explores – Mold
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award • Web Site – news8austin.com
Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism • Honorable Mention – Doug Shupe – Los Trabajadores series
USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award for Political Journalism • 2002 Election Coverage – Local Cable News Station
Best Local News Website • Austin Chronicle “Best of Austin” Readers Poll
Lone Star Emmy Award • Outstanding Live Report – Erica Riggins and Kevin Coons
Lone Star Emmy Award • Outstanding Engineering Achievement – Glenn Patterson • September 11, 2002
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Spot Story-Individual • Antonio Castelan and Dathan Hull – As bad as it gets
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Series • Rachel Elsberry and Brian Elledge – Sept. 11: Reflections
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – TV Website
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – General Assignment • Eric Allen – The Motivator
Mental Health Association in Texas Media Award • News Series – Doug Shupe – Mental Illness
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Media Award • News Series – Doug Shupe – Mental Illness
Champions' Media Award from the Austin New Milestones • News Series – Doug Shupe – Mental Illness
2002: National Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism • Breaking News Coverage – Sept. 11: Austin, Texas
Best Local News Website - Austin Chronicle “Best of Austin” Readers Poll
Best Traffic Reporter - Jabari Warfield - Austin Chronicle “Best of Austin” Critics’ Choice
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • First Place – Spot News Story • Eric Allen – San Marcos Flooding
Dallas Press Club Katie Awards • Finalist, Spot News Story – Sept. 11: Austin, Texas
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Second Place – Best Sports Story • Jeff Power
Houston Press Club Lone Star Award • Third Place, Spot News Coverage – Sept. 11: Austin, Texas
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Best Division II Reporter Candace Byers
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Spot News Story Doug Shupe – Shoal Creek Flooding
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Continuing Coverage Yogurt Shop Murder Trial
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters • Honorable Mention – Spot News Coverage Round Rock Fire
2001: Houston Press Club Lone Star Award- Best Medium/Small Market Newscast
Dallas Press Club Katie Awards - Finalist – Best Medium/Small Market Newscast
Dallas Press Club Katie Awards - Finalist – Web Site News Content • Yogurt Shop Murder Trial
Austin Chapter of Public Relations Society of America - Best Media Organization
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters - Honorable Mention – Best Division II Newscast
Best Fashion News on Television - Cheryl Bishop - Austin Chronicle “Best of Austin” Critics’ Choice
2000: National Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism • Continuous Reporting of a Breaking Event - Texas A & M Bonfire Collapse
Regional Edward R. Murrow Award - Television Spot News Coverage • Texas A & M Bonfire Collapse
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters - First Place – Continuing Coverage • Texas A & M Bonfire Collapse
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters - Second Place – Sports Story • Kelli Johnson – Deaf Football Player
Austin Chapter of Public Relations Society of America - Texas PR Choice Award
News 8 Austin has also been cited for outstanding coverage and cooperation with the Associated Press, both in Texas and nationally.
[edit] External links
| Broadcast television in the Austin market (Nielsen DMA #53) | ||
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KTBC 7 (Fox) - K09VR 9 (Ind/Bloomberg/Fuse) - KVAT-LP 17 (LAT TV) - KLRU 18 (PBS) - KADF-LP 20 (AZA) - KVUE 24 (ABC) - KGBS-CA 32 (Ind) - KXAN 36 / KXAM 14 (NBC) - KXLK-CA 40 (HSN) - KEYE 42 (CBS) - KBVO-CA 51 (TFU) - KNVA 54 (The CW/MNTV) - KAKW 62 / 31 (UNI) |
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| Local cable television channels | ||
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KLRU2 / KLRU-G (PBS) - News 8 Austin |
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| San Antonio stations licensed within the Austin market | ||
| Defunct Television Stations | ||
