A trip to New York

The Peabodys will be awarded during a May ceremony in New York City.

NOAH Housing Program Investigation (WWL-TV)WWL-TV, New Orleans
Dogged inquiry by anchor/reporter Lee Zurik embarrassed the New Orleans Authority Housing Program, a non-profit agency intended to help poor and elderly victims of Hurricane Katrina, and prompted a federal investigation of its misuse of funds.

Congrats, Lee AND KAREN. I see that WWL cries poor at the end of the article below. Poor or not it seems that they have acknowledged the contributions of Karen Gadbois and are making sure that she is in New York when Lee accepts the Peabody. New Orleans has recovered due to the endless energy and commitment of regular working folks. It is too easy to forget that this is a citizen lead recovery. The citizens who are working so hard for the NEW New Orleans deserve every bit of recognition they can get. Thanks again Lee & Karen.

ANOTHER MEDAL FOR ZURIK
Investigative stories earn WWL a Peabody
Friday, April 03, 2009
Dave Walker

WWL-Channel 4 is one of 36 recipients of a George Foster Peabody Award, announced Wednesday by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The honor came for reporter Lee Zurik's investigative stories about the now-defunct New Orleans Affordable Homeownership Corp. (NOAH), which on Tuesday won the top prize -- the IRE Medal -- in a story competition sponsored by Investigative Reporters and Editors.

The Peabody is considered broadcast journalism's highest honor. The awards, begun in 1940, recognize "distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by TV and radio stations, networks, producing organizations, individuals and the World Wide Web," according to the Peabody Web site, and are decided by a panel of TV critics, broadcast professionals and academics.

WWL last won one for its Hurricane Katrina coverage; this is the seventh time the station has been recognized by the Peabody judges.

The Hearst-Argyle TV-station group, which owns New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU-Channel 6, also won a Peabody, for its "Commitment 2008" coverage of local and regional political contests. In March, the station group's political coverage won a USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

Also honored with a Peabody was National Public Radio's "36 Years of Solitary: Murder, Death and Justice on Angola," a story about two inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola who have been kept in solitary confinement for more than three decades.

"Black Magic," the ESPN documentary about the integration of college basketball, for which several men with Louisiana ties (including Ben Jobe, Bob Love and Harold Hunter) were interviewed, and for which Chris Paul and Wynton Marsalis served as narrators, also won.
Other Peabody winners include ABC's "Lost," AMC's "Breaking Bad," public radio's "This American Life," YouTube and "Saturday Night Live."

The Peabodys will be awarded during a May ceremony in New York City.

WWL-Channel 4 is laying off five employees -- all technical or clerical, none in news -- as part of a cost-reduction effort by its Texas corporate parent, Belo Corp. Bud Brown, the station's general manager, said the staff reduction was prompted by the nation's depressed advertising climate.
"These are all good people," he said. In mid-March, Belo, which owns 20 TV stations, announced a company-wide suspension of 401(k) matching contributions for all employees, a 5 percent salary reduction for managers, and layoffs totaling 150.