TAPB/TAPME awards presented in Nashville for best work in broadcast and print in 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 9, 2009__ WTVF-TV, The Tennessean and WPLN-FM were the big winners in the annual journalism competition sponsored by the Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors and the Tennessee AP Broadcasters.

The awards honor the best journalism work done on the air, in print and on the Internet in Tennessee during 2008.

WTVF of Nashville took home the most awards, being presented with 11.

The Tennessean and WPLN, also of Nashville, won nine apiece to lead the print and radio divisions.

WSMV-TV in Nashville claimed the new Freedom of Information category award, which encompasses all platforms in the competition. The Leaf-Chronicle of Clarksville and The Daily News Journal of Murfreesboro tied for second in the category. The Tennessean placed third.

There were four newspaper divisions, based on market size.

The Tennessean placed first in Division I. The Jackson Sun took home eight first-place honors to lead Division II.

Six first-place awards gave The Greeneville Sun top honors in Division III. The Mountain Press in Sevierville placed first in six categories to lead Division IV.

In the television competition, WZTV in Nashville was second with four first-place awards.

WUOT in Knoxville claimed two first-place wins to follow WPLN in the radio category.

Best of Show Awards were presented to Kim Green, WPLN for radio, the WTVF's photography staff for television and to The Tennessean's series on infant mortality for print.

The keynote address was delivered by Terry Anderson, who worked in Associated Press bureaus in Detroit, Louisville, New York, Tokyo, Johannesburg and in Beirut as former chief Middle East correspondent where he was abducted in 1985 and spent nearly seven years as a hostage in Lebanon.

Anderson has been highly involved in freedom of journalism issues and in January 2009 began teaching a course on international journalism at the University of Kentucky.