PITTSTON, PA - August 23, 2023- The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) has announced that WVIA is a finalist for nine Public Media Awards in several different categories. This year is the 55th Annual Public Media Awards.
The Public Media Awards, presented by NETA, honor their member's work in the highest caliber community engagement, content, education, and marketing and communications.
WVIA’s works were announced as finalists in the following categories; Education Resources for the Community, Cultural Feature, Annual Report, Integrated Marketing Campaign, Promotion, Social Media, and Special Events.
A standout production that was named as a finalist in multiple different categories is WVIA’s original documentary ROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers. ROAR was released on May 12, 2023, after months of building anticipation and awareness through various promotions, culminating in a community pep rally held at Southern Columbia High School with a special showing of the film the day before the official public release on May 11th.
"ROAR became something more than a football documentary to me. I got swept up in the drama of the season and the emotions of the players while capturing this incredible story,” said filmmaker Alexander Monelli. “It's awesome to not only see the film recognized nationally by NETA, but all of the marketing and promotional efforts as well. So many people at WVIA touched this project and I think we all produced something special that I'll never forget."
WVIA’s Mind Over Matter, Season 2, a mental health initiative presented in conjunction with Geinsinger, was also named as a finalist. Mind Over Matter began as a television program, but quickly led to a podcast as well. The success of the program has resulted in a renewal for a third season, debuting in fall/winter of 2023.
“Our team is honored to be recognized by our public media peers for the content that we produced highlighting the people and places in the communities of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania which we are proud to serve,” said Ben Payavis II, Chief Content Officer at WVIA.
The 55th Annual PMA winners will be announced on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at the 2023 NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forumin Grand Rapids, MI.
With the exception of the overall excellence categories, stations competed within their divisions based on their station size. Awards are judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.
Below are the categories and works for which WVIA was named a finalist.
Education Resources for the Community
Careers that Work
Cultural Feature
It’s More Than HairROAR: The Story of the Southern Columbia Football Tigers
Annual Report
WVIA Community Impact Report 2022
Integrated Marketing Campaign
ROAR Documentary Marketing and Promotions Campaign
Mind Over Matter, A Mental Health Initiative, Season 2
Promotion
ROAR Documentary: Official Trailer Release
Social Media
ROAR Documentary Launch: Social Media Campaign
Special Events
Community Pep Rally: ROAR Documentary Launch
About NETA
The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) is a professional association representing 302 member stations in 49 states, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. NETA provides leadership, general audience content, educational services, professional development, and trusted financial management services, including human resources and benefits administration, to individual public media licensees, their affinity groups, and public media as a whole. For more information, visit netaonline.org and follow us on X @NETA_Tweets, Facebook @NETAstations, Instagram and Threads @NETA_grams, and LinkedIn @NETAbusiness.
About WVIAWVIA is the PBS and NPR affiliate serving over 22 counties in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. For over 50 years WVIA has been committed to serving the people by offering informational, educational, and entertaining content that enriches and expands viewpoints and serves as a catalyst for positive change. WVIA television channels include WVIA TV, WVIA PBS Kids 24/7, and WVIA Create. WVIA’s radio channels include WVIA Radio, WVIA HD2, and the Chiaroscuro Channel. WVIA’s programs can also be found streaming live and on-demand on wvia.org and the WVIA app.
WVIA MissionWVIA educates, inspires, entertains and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures, and perspectives to nurture community.