Nexstar’s Local Anchorwomen Win National Gracie Awards for Groundbreaking News Stories
WCMH-TV’s Colleen Marshall Honored for Investigation That Exposed Abuse at Ohio State, KFOR-TV’s Ali Meyer Recognized for First-Person Account of Battle with Breast Cancer
COLUMBUS, OH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK and IRVING, TX – Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST), announced today that two of the company’s veteran news anchors have each been honored with a national “Gracie Award” for their groundbreaking reporting over the course of the last year. Colleen Marshall of WCMH-TV (NBC) in Columbus, OH (DMA #34), won in the “Hard News/Feature” category for her investigative series “Culture of Cover-Up,” which exposed decades of abuse at The Ohio State University, and Ali Meyer of KFOR-TV (NBC) in Oklahoma City, OK, (DMA #43), won in the “Soft News/Feature” category for “Baseline Breast Cancer,” her first-person account of confronting breast cancer.
Ms. Marshall is the co-anchor of WCMH NBC 4’s Monday-Friday 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts and hosts a weekly political program, “NBC 4’s The Spectrum”. Now in her 36th year at WCMH-TV, Ms. Marshall has won numerous awards for her exceptional journalism and dedicated focus to local topics of interest that matter to Central Ohio viewers.
Ms. Marshall’s award-winning series, “Culture of Cover-Up” investigated the abuse of hundreds of students at The Ohio State University by Dr. Richard Strauss. The abuse was shrouded in silence, with many victims too intimidated or too ashamed to make public, until Ms. Marshall’s reporting offered such an opportunity. In an effort to shed light on abuse that had been hidden for years, Ms. Marshall obtained an exclusive interview with an accuser previously known only as “Student B.” The accuser revealed what finally led to the suspension of Dr. Strauss in 1995—nearly two decades after the first red-flag was raised about Strauss’ abusive conduct. Highlights of the series can be found at WCMH-TV website, nbc4i.com.
“It is an honor, both to be singled out by an organization that recognizes the achievements of women in media, but also to help survivors finally share their stories after decades of painful silence,” said Ms. Marshall.
Ms. Meyer is the co-anchor of KFOR-TV’s Monday-Friday “News 4 Morning Show” and files special reports for KFOR-TV’s 10 p.m. News. Now in her tenth year at KFOR-TV, Ms. Meyer’s work has been recognized repeatedly with national journalism awards, including an Edward R. Murrow Award.
When Ms. Meyer decided to livestream her mammogram during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she hoped to encourage viewers to schedule their own mammogram. Instead, doctors discovered she had breast cancer. The radiologist delivered the news to her live. Her subsequent series of stories on KFOR-TV and kfor.com presented an authentic, tearful account of her shocking diagnosis. Ms. Meyer shared intimate personal details of her treatment and recovery in order to educate women about the importance of screening mammograms and the benefits of early detection. Highlights of the series can be found at kfor.com.
“Honest, authentic storytelling is so powerful. I am unbelievably honored to receive a Gracie Award for documenting my breast cancer journey,” said Ms. Meyer. “This was a deeply personal story for me, and it has been so rewarding to know my truth has touched so many lives.”
The Gracie Awards, presented annually by the Alliance for Women in Media, recognizes exemplary content produced by women, for women and about women. Named for the late Gracie Allen, a broadcast comedian, the awards focus on women in media who are making positive change and who further the discussion of what a fulfilling career in media looks like. Past winners include Barbara Waters, Robin Roberts, and Soledad O’Brien.
Commenting on the awards, Tim Busch, President of Nexstar Broadcasting, said, “Colleen and Ali are the living embodiment of Nexstar Broadcasting’s commitment to local news and service to the community. Colleen’s investigation exposed terrible wrongs and helped bring some measure of peace to those who were victimized. Ali’s personal journey through breast cancer not only helped countless women understand the importance of regular mammograms, but the value in early detection. Colleen and Ali are very deserving of these prestigious national awards, and we are extremely proud to have their experience and dedicated reporting as a part of the Nexstar Nation.”
About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Nexstar Media Group is a leading diversified media company that leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 196 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 114 markets or approximately 38% of all U.S. television households (reflecting the FCC’s UHF discount). Nexstar’s portfolio includes primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. Nexstar’s community portal websites offer additional hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content while creating new revenue opportunities. Nexstar also owns WGN America, a growing national general entertainment cable network and a 31.3% ownership stake in TV Food Network, a top tier cable asset. For more information please visit www.nexstar.tv.
Media Contact:
Gary Weitman
EVP & Chief Communication Officer
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
312/222-3394 or gweitman@nexstar.tv
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Joseph Jaffoni, Jennifer Neuman
JCIR
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