The Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced their Midsouth Regional Emmy Award nominations. WTCI, the Tennessee Valley’s community PBS station, has been nominated for an Emmy Award for the Greater Chattanooga episode, Fighting for Change.
Founded in 1984, the Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. There were 76 television stations, production companies, and independent producers nominated this year and WTCI was nominated for an award in the Documentary/Topical category. Winners will be announced at the 33rd Annual Gala at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Feb. 16, 2019.
Vice President of Content and Digital Strategy Shaun Townley and Senior Producer Emily Compton were nominated in the Documentary/Topical category for Fighting for Change, a part of the ongoing Greater Chattanooga series. Bo Wheeler served as photographer for this production.
For the Fallen, another part of the Greater Chattanooga series, won an Emmy Award in 2017.
WTCI President and CEO Paul Grove expressed pride in his team, saying “WTCI’s dedicated production staff serves their community every day, telling the stories that make our region unique, educating, engaging and inspiring a lifetime of learning in all of our neighbors.”
The majority of juvenile crime occurs after school and the choices kids make can affect the rest of their lives. The team at YMCA Y-CAP use a model of early intervention and prevention programming for youth ages 10-15 who are referred through the juvenile court system or the school system. Each student and their family have a personalized treatment plan which addresses their educational, behavioral, and spiritual needs, including mentoring, hot meals, family nights and group therapy. The Y-CAP Boxing Club has produced dozens of national and world championship titles, 14 Golden Gloves titles, three professional boxers and one team manager for the 2008 Olympic Games. Teaching discipline, self-control, coordination and teamwork, this program also changes the lives of its participants year after year, said officials.
Emily Compton produced and edited this film and has won three Emmy Awards, in 2014 for her work on the spot One with Courage for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County, in 2016 as producer of From the Streets to the Stage, a one-hour long WTCI documentary, and in 2017 as associate producer on the Greater Chattanooga film, For the Fallen. A Chattanooga native, Emily began at WTCI as a student intern, is the producer of the interview series, The A List with Alison Lebovitz and graduated from Hollins University.
Shaun Townley, a Chickamauga native, has served at WTCI since 2007 and was among 25 producers selected to attend the CPB/PBS Producer’s Academy in Boston in 2013. He has earned two Emmy Awards as executive producer of From the Streets to the Stage and the Greater Chattanooga film For the Fallen. As vice president of Content & Digital Strategy, Mr. Twonley has spearheaded WTCI's local programming, including the development of the Emmy Award winning series, Greater Chattanooga. This series of short films explores the people and the ideas that make us more aware, happier, and stronger as a community, said officials.