VANCOUVER — The Webster Awards recognizing excellence in radio, television, print and online journalism in B.C. were presented Tuesday evening during an online broadcast.
The awards are presented by The Jack Webster Foundation, established in 1986 upon the retirement of its namesake, who was once Western Canada’s best-known and most influential journalist.
This year, the award for best breaking news in the radio category went to the Global News team at 980 CKNW, Gord Macdonald, Janet Brown, Terry Schintz, John Copsey, Erin Ubels, Srushti Gangdev, Robyn Crawford and Emily Lazatin, for Northern B.C. Murders.
The best breaking news award in the TV category was won by the CTV Vancouver news team for State of Emergency – The Pandemic Arrives in B.C.
In a new category this year, the award for excellence in diversity and inclusion reporting was presented to a long list of contributors at CBC Vancouver for When is Enough Enough? A CBC Town Hall from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The best feature/enterprise reporting award for radio/podcast went to Wawmeesh Hamilton, Rafferty Baker and Joan Webber at CBC Radio’s The Current, for Not Alone.
The same award in the TV/video category went to CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro, David Molko, Penny Daflos and Allison Hurst for Failing Our Most Vulnerable – Covid-19 in B.C. Care Homes.
During the awards broadcast, the 2020 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John Daly (pictured above) of 980 CKNW. Daly’s career includes nearly four decades reporting for BCTV, and then Global. Semi-retired, he continues to work in front of the microphone every Saturday morning with his CKNW radio talk show, Back on the Beat.
Hosted by Anita Bathe, co-host and investigative reporter for CBC Vancouver News, last night’s awards broadcast can be viewed at www.ohboy.ca/webster-awards.
The full list of 2020 Webster Award recipients and finalists can be found here.
