Eight, Arizona PBS Receives Four Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards For Exceptional Work In Television

Judges in the 36th annual Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards presented Eight, Arizona PBS with four prestigious gold Emmy statuettes at the 2013 Rocky Mountain Emmy Gala for its excellence in television programming. The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of NATAS honors the best television professionals from all disciplines of the industry, serving as the common meeting ground for individuals dedicated to advancing the art and science of television in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and El Centro, California.

“We strive to serve our Arizona community with locally produced programming that informs and enriches,” says Eight, Arizona PBS General Manager Kelly McCullough.  “Thanks to community support, we have the opportunity to showcase some of the best of what Arizona has to offer.  Whether it’s our rich and sometimes outrageous history, advances in technology and medicine, or our eclectic and increasingly world-class restaurant scene – we’re proud and pleased to be recognized for these accomplishments, and we hope it brings attention to the diversity and quality of our programming here at Eight, Arizona PBS.”

Eight’s programs won four Emmys in three categories this year, They are:

Informational/Instructional

ASU Discovers

Eight, Arizona PBS

Melody Cavanary, Producer

• ASU Discovers: New Perspectives on Research takes viewers from inside the laboratory out into the community with Arizona State University’s top researchers as they examine some of the cutting-edge research taking place at ASU. The show highlights the work of researchers to detect bone loss, develop programs that will help to prevent diabetes and efforts to maximize the efficiency of solar energy technology.

The Latest Procedure: Anterior Total Hip Replacement

Eight, Arizona PBS

Wayne Dickmann, Director

Chris Wooley, Producer

Jim Cissell, Host

Nancy Southgate, Executive Producer

Kelly McCullough, Executive in Charge of Production

Theodore Firestone, Guest Physician

• Eight’s hour-long special The Latest Procedure: Anterior Total Hip Replacement Surgery, hosted by Jim Cissell, allows viewers to step inside the OR with Arizona orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ted Firestone, M.D. of the Total Joint Replacement program at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea. During the surgery, Dr. Firestone provides a step-by-step explanation of this innovative hip replacement technique, which results in less pain and a quicker return to normal activities for patients.

“The operating room can be a scary place for patients,” says Wayne Dickmann, director of the Eight, Arizona PBS landmark medical series The Latest Procedure. “Our goal was to pull back the shroud of mystery and educate viewers about exactly what goes on.  I think this award and the feedback we’ve received from viewers demonstrates we were successful in our efforts.  We look forward to securing new partnerships this upcoming year so that we can distribute the series nationally and produce more episodes across many other medical specialties.”

Interview/Discussion-Program/Special or Series

Check, Please! Arizona

Eight, Arizona PBS

Suzanne Guery, Coordinating Producer

Nancy Southgate, Executive Producer

Kelly McCullough, Executive in Charge of Production

Scott Wallin, Producer

Robert McGrath, Host

Mark Harms, Art Director

• Each week, Check, Please! Arizona features a trio of guests who dine and then review three local restaurants they recommended to each other. Long-time Valley chef and restaurateur Robert McGrath hosts the half-hour program.

“Check Please! Arizona is our most popular locally produced series, and we’re very pleased to see it recognized with an Emmy Award again this year,” says the series’ Coordinating Producer Suzanne Guery. “There is a lot involved in putting together a show like this, from reviewing hundreds of restaurant nominations and interviewing potential guests to coordinating shooting schedules with restaurants, our three guest reviewers for each episode, our crew and our James Beard award-winning host. It’s a large-scale team effort, but when viewers tell us how much they enjoy learning about all the diverse dining options in Arizona, and the featured restaurants enjoy significant boosts in business after being on the show, we know we’re on to something worthwhile for our community.”

Season 4 of Check Please! Arizona is now in production, and scheduled to begin airing in January 2014.  The series received multiple Emmy Awards for Season 1 in 2011, including Interview/Discussion – Program/Special or Series, Lighting and Photographer (non-news program).

Nostalgia Program – Program/Special

Outrageous Arizona

Eight, Arizona PBS

Scott Wallin, Producer

Scot Olson, Videographer/Editor

Bob Boze Bell, Director

Ken Amorasano, Executive Producer

• Hosted by Bob Boze Bell, executive editor of True West magazine and a prolific western history writer and illustrator, Outrageous Arizona explores little-known, hard-to-believe tales from Arizona’s past with photographic and illustrated images provided from the archives of True West.

Eight, Arizona PBS is a trusted community resource.  more than 50 years, the PBS station has focused on educating children, reporting in-depth on public affairs, fostering lifelong learning and celebrating arts and culture. Eight achieves its mission through the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach and community-based initiatives. Its signal reaches 86 percent of homes in Arizona. With more than 1 million viewers weekly, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. For more information, visit azpbs.org. Eight is a member-supported service and the public media enterprise of Arizona State University.