June 20, 2005

UCSD-TV Receives Four Prestigious Emmy Awards

By Juanita LaHaye

From left to right, John Malashock and John Menier (Love and Murder), Rich Wargo (In the Shadow of White Mountain) and James Teiper, (co-winner with Peter Kreklow, not pictured, for Lighting Direction, Love and Murder).

The University of California, San Diego Television was recognized Saturday by the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with four Emmy Awards, including the Emmy for Best Documentary for “In the Shadow of White Mountain” and three awards for “Love and Murder” including Best Visual and Performing Arts Program, Editing/Other than News, and Lighting Direction. Additionally, “Love and Murder” was nominated for Photography/Other than News. The 31st Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards Ceremony was held on June 18, 2005 at the Omni San Diego Hotel.

“It is exceedingly gratifying to have the quality of your work recognized as being among the best in your field by the best in your field,” says Lynn Burnstan, Managing Director of UCSD-TV. “Receiving these awards is indeed a testament to UCSD-TV’s commitment to offering its viewers award-winning regional programming.”

In addition to the Emmy recognition, “In the Shadow of White Mountain” was recently honored with a “Certificate for Creative Excellence” by the United States International Film and Video Festival’s 38th Annual Awards competition, a major award for this documentary and its producer, UCSD-TV’s Rich Wargo. In early 2005, the documentary received a bronze Telly Award, an international competition honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions.

Nearly three years in the making and featuring the distinctive voice of narrator Peter Coyote, "In the Shadow of White Mountain" tells the many stories of the White Mountain Research Station (WMRS), a biological field station with both the highest research lab and the highest Internet node in North America. The hour-long documentary, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, includes segments ranging from the extreme hibernation of White Mountain's squirrels to what the evolution of the Willow Beetle can tell us about climate change.

“These awards represent the hard work of everyone involved in the program,” says Wargo. “The White Mountain research station and the people who work there are truly a special part of my life, and I hope we can share their passion and my special fondness for this place--as well as some dispassionate science--with the audience."”

Described by UCSD-TV producer John Menier as “cheerfully demented,” “Love and Murder,” featuring the music of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, is the second dance film collaboration between Malashock Dance and UCSD-TV. For the second year in a row, the Malashock Dance/UCSD-TV partnership has garnered multiple nominations and awards. Last year, “The Soul of Saturday Night” took home two of television’s coveted awards, the Emmy for outstanding Visual and Performing Arts Program, and the award for Best Direction/Other than News.

Menier, Co-Producer of “Love & Murder,” says “what pleases me most is that these awards reflect the combined dedication and efforts of many talented people, not least of all the eight dancers. Congratulations and a personal ‘Thank You’ to all who made this project successful.”

The purpose of the Emmy Awards is to recognize outstanding achievements in television by conferring annual awards of merit in the Pacific Southwest region. The Pacific Southwest region includes San Diego County and the television markets of Bakersfield, Oxnard, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The annual presentation of these awards is intended to be an incentive for the continued pursuit of excellence for those working in television and to focus public attention on outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievements in television. This year’s awards were presented in 64 categories - from news reporting and sports coverage to animation and art direction.

Media Contact: Juanita LaHaye (858) 822-2026