ORLANDO,Oct. 21, 2024 — In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, a WUCF TV series has been honored for its in-depth conversations about sea level rise and shoreline conservation on Central Florida's coast.
WUCF TV received its third Suncoast Regional EMMY® nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for its award-winning "NewsNight" program, this time for a two-part special from its "NewsNight Conversations" series called "Crisis to Conservation: The Importance of Restoration and Resiliency."
Hosted by "NewsNight" Executive Producer Steve Mort, the special features in-depth discussions with local leaders and scientists, exploring the ongoing efforts to restore Central Florida's cherished Indian River Lagoon and improve coastal resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
"As a station, we are committed to covering issues that are important to Central Florida and the people who live here," said Jennifer Cook, WUCF Executive Director. "This nomination is a tremendous honor for our team because it reflects the hard work and passion everyone at WUCF brings to our programming, but even more important is the opportunity to be a trusted forum for our community to discuss challenges and solutions that impact us."
The first segment of the "NewsNight Conversations" special dives into the restoration of the Indian River Lagoon, a treasured Florida waterway facing numerous challenges. In the second part, the spotlight shifts to coastal resiliency, exploring how Central Florida is preparing its coastal areas to withstand rising sea levels and future storms.
The programs feature interviews with leaders from the City of Cape Canaveral, Brevard Zoo, Satellite Beach and East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, as well as environmental engineers, and panel conversations that also included Brevard County officials, a Brevard County business owner, environmental scientists and journalists, highlighting collaborative efforts for a more sustainable future.
Full episodes and additional resources from the series are available on WUCF's website (wucf.org/newsnight).
In addition to Mort, the series' host and executive producer, field reporting led by Senior Producer Krystel Knowles took viewers to coastal communities to engage directly with city officials and those leading critical conservation projects. Production Specialist Ben Kassab skillfully captured these crucial conversations both in the field and in studio.
The team will be recognized at the 2024 Suncoast EMMY® Awards gala on December 7.
On the air since 2019, "NewsNight" is a weekly round-table program featuring a team of journalists in radio, television, newspaper and blogs from across Central Florida, breaking down big stories and how they will impact the community. Learn more at wucf.org/newsnight.
ABOUT WUCF:
WUCF TV is the sole-service PBS member station for the nearly 4 million Central Floridians across nine counties. WUCF is Central Florida's storyteller, encouraging curiosity and learning through compelling content and community engagement. WUCF produces award-winning local content like "Florida Road Trip," which explores Florida through history, people and culture. WUCF also serves Florida's youngest citizens, offering hours of PBS Kids content on-air, online and in the classroom, leading the state in usage for PBS LearningMedia. Throughout its 10-year history, WUCF has engaged with over 1.5 million people across Central Florida at in-person events and over 30 million people online through virtual events and streaming content. The station is community-supported public broadcasting from the University of Central Florida. Learn more at http://wucf.org/.
Media Contact on Behalf of WUCF:
Christine Dellert Mullon
407.718.0199
