Media General Names Annual Television Station Journalism Award Recipients

RICHMOND, Va., March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Media General, Inc. (NYSE: MEG), a broadcast television and digital media company, has named its D. Tennant Bryan journalism award winners, recognizing outstanding reporting at the company's television stations during the 2012 calendar year. The awards, which are named in honor of Media General's founder, have been presented annually since 2001. Two-thirds of Media General's 18 stations are ranked #1 or #2 in their market. Approximately the same number of stations rank #1 or #2 for the key news dayparts: morning, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and late news.

"Local news is Media General's franchise. It's what drives audience and revenue growth and engenders customer loyalty to our brands," said George L. Mahoney, president and chief executive officer. "Our news teams excel at engaging local communities by focusing on the stories and issues that matter to them. The excellent reporting exemplified by this year's D. Tennant Bryan Award winners is what distinguishes our stations in their markets. I congratulate all the winners and thank them for their commitment, tenacity – and for making a real difference in their communities," said Mr. Mahoney.

"We are delighted to recognize our journalists and stations with the D. Tennant Bryan awards for excellence in local news reporting," said Donna M. Reed, vice president-content, for Media General. "The winning reports demonstrate our commitment to stories that make a difference to our viewers."

The 2012 D. Tennant Bryan Awards were awarded to the following journalists and TV stations:

Investigative Reporting

WNCN, Raleigh, N.C. - Charlotte Huffman and David Hattman for "Poison in the Water in Wake Forest," an investigation that exposed contaminated water in a Wake Forest, N.C., community.

WJHL, Johnson City, Tenn. - Nate Morabito and Phillip Murrell for "Bad Bob's BBQ," an investigation that proved employees of a local restaurant were owed back wages.

General News Reporting

WFLA, Tampa, Fla. - Mark Douglas and Todd Davis for "Bullied to Death," a series of reports that uncovered a groundswell of concern about bullying in one school district, and possible violations of Florida's anti-bully law.

WJHL - Nate Morabito and Phillip Murrell for "Baby Born on the Side of the Road," a story about a local couple who couldn't make it to the hospital before their daughter was born.

Feature News Reporting

WCMH, Columbus, Ohio - Mike Bowersock and Seth Distelzweig for "Phantom of Route 40," the story of a 60-year-old local, unsolved mystery.

WSAV, Savannah, Ga. - Holly Bounds and Art Ottimo for "Lloyd Harrell: Hero," a bittersweet story about a local World War II veteran who journeys to Washington, D.C., with other veterans to see the memorials to their efforts.

Spot News Reporting

WJAR, Providence, R.I. - News Staff for "Hurricane Sandy," the multi-day, wall-to-wall coverage the station provided its viewers before, during and after Hurricane Sandy devastated the northeastern U.S.

WJHL – News Staff for "Washington County School Bus Accident," the station's coverage of a school bus accident that injured several children.

Photojournalism

WSLS, Roanoke, Va. - Greg Moore for "Jeter Farm Fall Fun," a look at a local fall festival and how the featured farm is helping to educate children.

WSAV - Jim Jensen for "Police Memorial," featuring moving images from the 2012 Police Memorial ceremony in Savannah.

Multimedia Journalism

WJAR – News Staff for "Hurricane Sandy - Dan at the Big Board," showcasing the ways WJAR informed viewers, even those without power, during Hurricane Sandy's landfall and aftermath.

WNCT, Greenville, N.C. - News Staff for "The Bully Project," a social media effort to combat bullying through information.

All of the winning stories are available for viewing via YouTube.

About Media General

Media General is a leading provider of news, information and entertainment across 18 network-affiliated broadcast television stations and their associated digital media and mobile platforms. The company's stations serve consumers and advertisers in strong local markets, primarily in the Southeast. Media General's network affiliates include eight NBC stations, eight CBS stations, one ABC station and one CW station. One-third of the company's stations operate in the Top 50 markets in the United States. Media General's stations reach more than one-third of TV households in the Southeast and more than 8 percent of U.S. TV households. Media General entered the television business in 1955 when it launched WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, as an NBC affiliate. Today, WFLA is the company's largest TV station, operating in the 14th largest DMA in the United States.

Contact Media General

Additional information about Media General is available on its web site www.mediageneral.com or by contacting Liz Cleal, Communications Manager, at (804) 887-5049 or [email protected].

SOURCE Media General, Inc.