Contact: Stan Cleiland, Vice President, Community Relations and Strategic Communications
(904) 358-6366 • scleiland@wjct.org
For Immediate Release
WJCT’s State Of The Re:Union Wins Peabody Award
(Jacksonville, FL, April 20, 2015); The public radio program State of the Re:Union (SOTRU) will receive the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. The University of Georgia announced Monday that the program is one of 40 winners honored as the “best of the best” in television, radio, podcast and web programming in 2014.
State of The Re:Union, presented by WJCT in Jacksonville, is being recognized for its 2014 season, which includes episodes exploring the interior of Alaska, the legacy of the sugar industry in Hawaii and the stories of families with transgender individuals.
“This is a total team win,” said Al Letson, host of SOTRU, “from the staff of State of the Re:Union, the staff of WJCT and loving support from our distributors PRX and NPR. We let our commitment to telling the story of American from the ground up guide the show.”
“WJCT became the presenting station for the program because we recognized the quality of SOTRU,” said WJCT President and CEO Michael Boylan. “It’s really gratifying that the Peabody Board has acknowledged the hard work of Al Letson and the show’s producers.”
State of the Re:Union is currently wrapping up its fifth and final season of production. The show is broadcast on more than 300 public radio stations across the country. Archived episodes will continue to be available for broadcast, and new podcasts will be released
State of The Re:Union is a public radio program that brings listeners a new view of American cities and cultural communities. It takes listeners on a journey to discover the stories of real people in communities across America who are working to build better lives and neighborhoods. It features the music, poetry, interviews and contributions of local residents from the highlighted town, city or community. The program got its start when Letson won PRX’s Public Radio Talent Quest, a competition launched and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to identify and bring fresh, diverse voices to public radio. WJCT became the presenting station for SOTRU in 2013.
The Peabody statuettes will be formally presented on May 31 at a ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Two-time Peabody Award winner Fred Armisen will be the Master of Ceremonies.
The Peabody Awards, the oldest in electronic media, are considered among the most prestigious and selective prizes. The Peabodys recognize excellence and meritorious work by the radio and television stations, networks, webcasters, producing organizations and individuals.
State of the Re:Union is supported by funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Delores Barr Weaver Fund at the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and is distributed by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange and NPR.
The show is presented by WJCT, public broadcasting for the First Coast. WJCT is your community, your world. For more information on WJCT’s in-depth programming content, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org.
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