WUSA, WBFF top news stations at regional Emmys

Washington's WUSA and Baltimore's WBFF were the top news stations in their respective markets at the 55th Emmy Awards of the National Capital/Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The awards ceremony was held Saturday night in Baltimore.

WUSA won 11 regional Emmys, including two for Lesli Foster in the categories of best anchor and best consumer news series. Reporter Andrea McCarren won five Emmys for categories ranging from best single crime story to best serious report feature news.

WBFF won nine Emmys, including best reporter for Kathleen Cairns and best investigative reporting for Melinda Roeder (reporter) and Stephen Janis (producer). Cairns and Roeder each won two Emmys.

"Fox45 has a long history of great storytelling, and this year's Emmy wins reflect that," said Mike Tomko, the station's news director.  "We have a great group of journalists that bring their best to the job every day. You can see that effort every day in the newscasts we air."

The Ted Yates award went to Scott Livingston, former WBFF news director who is now vice president for news at Sinclair Broadcasting, the Hunt Valley-based media company that owns WBFF.

Ted Yates was an NBC news and documentary producer killed by gunfire while on assignment in the Middle East. The award is "given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding professional and personal qualities in their contribution to the National Capital Chesapeake Bay region's television news and public affairs," according to the chapter's website.

Maryland Public Television, which will televise a recording of the awards show Monday and Tuesday nights, also had a very good evening, taking home eight Emmys, including a public service award for its 2012 "Concert for the Chesapeake Bay" volunteer-a-thon.

The awards ceremony was held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. It was the first time the event took place in the city.

"It is our first Baltimore Emmy Night and it drew a record crowd of 540," said Fran Murphy, co-chair of the awards. "We are very pleased with the way our chapter has grown to include more and more entries in increasingly diverse formats for recognition in our region."

Murphy confirmed the tally of Emmys reported in this story.

A two-hour recording of the ceremony will air at 8 p.m. June 17 on MPT2, the station's secondary channel. The awards will be re-broadcast on MPT's main channel June 18/19  at midnight and 4 a.m.