NNN’s Northwestern News Report won its first College Television Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences this month for a newscast that aired on the network last May.

The network is now a finalist in the “Best College Newscast” category, the winner of which will be announced at the 30th College Television Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on March 21.

The newscast NNN submitted was one of more than 700 student broadcast pieces, submitted by 214 colleges.

Kathleen de Onis, the executive producer of the winning newscast, along with former News Director Jenn Korducki, selected and submitted it this fall. The two Medill seniors will attend the awards gala in March.

De Onis was “ecstatic” when she received the call on Feb. 6. “You work really hard and hope something great comes out,” she said.

“There was twice the amount of entries than in previous years,” de Onis said, “so it is really an honor to have gone this far given the competition.”

As news director, Korducki oversaw content decisions. She says this particular newscast was intriguing because of a story on the university’s decision to revoke Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s honorary degree.

Prof. Larry Stuelpnagel, NNN’s faculty adviser, said another strength of this newscast was “localizing national stories.” In particular, he said the piece on rising gas prices and their ramifications on a Chicagoland Meals on Wheels program, stuck out for him.

Northwestern News Report won an Illinois Broadcasters Association Award last year, but this is their first year to make it this far in the national competition.

– Lauren Kelleher