Three different programs produced by WKU PBS have received a total of five nominations for the 50th annual Ohio Valley Emmy Awards. The winners will be announced on July 29.
Western Kentucky University’s Public Television Service, WKU PBS, has been nominated for awards in five different categories at the 59th annual Ohio Valley Emmy Awards.
The nominations include Informational/Instructional - Short Form or Long Form Content for a show created by Molly Swietek and Darius Barati called Autism Inclusion in the Workplace. In an article posted on Western Kentucky University’s website, Swietek, who serves as the Director of Public Relations and Grants at Lifeworks at WKU, was quoted about the show, saying, "Autism Inclusion in the Workplace is an important instructional guide for employers hiring individuals on the autism spectrum.We’re incredibly honored to have this project acknowledged at the highest level."
By Parties Unknown was nominated for three Emmys including Documentary – Historical, Writer, and Long Form Promotional Spot. By Parties Unknown is a WKU PBS documentary that highlights the cultural climate and events around the lynchings of four Black men that took place in Russellville, Kentucky in 1908. Michael Morrow, Executive Director of the SEEK Museum and community scholar, leads viewers through the stories of Joe Riley, John Boyer, Virgil Jones, John Jones, and Rufus Browder, who lived in a time when unchecked mob violence was prevalent in the area. The documentary was produced by Neil Purcell, Joshua Niedwick, and Morrow, who are named in the Emmy nominations. A student crew of WKU students also assisted in the production of the show at all levels.
Morrow talked about the documentary, saying he wanted to “find the facts and tell them, so these five men's stories could be told, and their families and the community could receive the truth."
Niedwick weighed in on the responsibility to tell the story, saying, “The heart of the PBS mission to educate, serve underserved communities, and express diverse perspectives.”
The fifth Emmy nomination is for Jeff Petrocelli’s work on ROMP- Rhiannon Giddens in the Audio Engineering or Musical Composition category. The program was a recording of Rhiannon Giddens’ performance at ROMP.
Petrocelli said that he is “grateful to be recognized with this nomination.”
He also spoke highly of the crew on the shoot, saying that there is an “outstanding team at WKU PBS.”
The winners will be announced in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on July 29 at a ceremony. WKU PBS has won 30 Emmys over the past 21 years, and has been nominated in every one of those years.
More information about Western Kentucky University can be found at the school’s website.