Thirty-three awards were announced in April by The University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which has administered the Peabody Awards program since its inception. The Peabody Awards National Advisory Board met at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in March. The awards were presented May 6, 1996, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.
"An impressive, eclectic collection of domestic and international programs was selected from more than 1,200 entries to receive this year's Peabody Awards," said telecommunications professor Barry Sherman, director of the awards program. The board selects the radio and television awards based on overall merit rather than in specialized categories.
Since the first awards were given in 1940, more than 30,000 programs, personalities, and institutions have been nominated, with more than 1,000 Peabodys awarded. The Peabodys are awarded without regard to industry influence, market size, or professional or personal influence. Anyone may submit an entry for the awards competition. All entries for the Peabody Award become the property of the Peabody Collection, which is maintained by The University of Georgia Libraries. The collection includes letters, photos, sound recordings, kinescopes, and audiotapes and videotapes. A "Peabody Awards Pavilion" will feature broadcast coverage of past Olympics and other video presentations, July 20 through August 4, 1996, as part of UGA Arts '96.
What follows is a complete list of this year's recipients. For more information about the Peabody Awards, contact the Peabody Awards Office, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-3018, 706-542-3787.
"Blind Justice: Who Killed Janie Fray?"
WJR Radio, Detroit, Michigan
"A carefully researched and thorough investigative report that got an innocent man out of prison when nothing else worked."
"Kevin's Sentence"
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, Canada
"A powerful and personal portrait of the impact of drunk driving on teenagers, their friends, families and the criminal justice system."
"St. Paul Sunday"
Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota
"A music and entertainment series for radio with an extraordinary record of excellence and ongoing achievement."
"Oscar Brand"
WNYC, New York, New York
"A personal Peabody Award to a broadcaster who, for more than 50 years, has presented, celebrated and preserved the legacy of American and international folk music."
"Wynton Marsalis: Making the Music/Marsalis on Music"
National Public Radio, Washington, D.C., and Sony Classical Film and Video for PBS
"A combined radio and television award, this comprehensive survey of jazz performances and creativity showcases great music, teaches how it is created and demonstrates why it is important."
"The Peavy Investigation"
WFAA-TV, Dallas, Texas
"An exhaustive probe which led to a federal grand jury investigation and changes in the personnel and operations of a local school board."
"Truth on Trial"
ABC News 20/20, New York, New York
"A shocking and important report revealing the suggestibility of children and its relationship to potentially false charges of abuse in group care."
"Target Seven: Armed and Angry"
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, Michigan
"An early and ongoing examination of the militia movement locally and nationally, WXYZ-TV had this story long before the tragic events in Oklahoma City."
"New York City School Corruption"
WCBS-TV, New York, New York
Journalistic work by reporter Marcia Kramer and an outstanding news organization revealed multiple levels of corruption in this major urban school district.
"50 Years After the War"
Television Broadcasts Ltd., Kowloon, Hong Kong
"A series of reports on the impact of World War II on Asia which represents important investigative journalism on an international scale."
"Hoop Dreams"
Kartemquin Educational Films and KTCA-TV, St. Paul, Minnesota, presented on PBS
"A definitive cinema veritŽ record of the ambitions and accomplishments of two young basketball players and their families."
"The Dying Rooms"
A Cinemax Reel Life Presentation of a Lauderdale Production for Channel 4, London, England, and Cinemax, New York
"Brave investigative reporting which documents heretofore rumored but unproven allegations of the systematic abuse and neglect of unwanted children."
"Road Scholar"
Public Policy Productions Inc., in association with Thirteen/WNET, New York, N.Y., presented on PBS
"A tour-de-force for writer, humorist and commentator Andrei Codrescu as he set off in a red Cadillac to rediscover America."
"Rock & Roll"
WGBH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts, and BBC Bristol, United Kingdom
"An intelligent, complete and well-told history of an important musical genre, its roots and its evolution."
"Peter Jennings Reporting: Hiroshima: Why the Bomb Was Dropped"
ABC News, New York, New York
"A pointed and historically accurate account of the events leading to Hiroshima, and their legacy for contemporary America."
"Yugoslavia: Death of a Nation"
A Discovery Journal Special, Discovery Channel, Bethesda, Maryland; Brian Lapping Associates for BBC London, England
"A unique journalistic achievement which is perhaps the definitive record of the events associated with the dissolution of a nation."
"CBS Reports: In the Killing Fields of America"
CBS News, New York
"A program which traces the roots of America's epidemic of violence and which humanizes its consequences through compelling personal stories."
"Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter"
P.O.V./Deborah Hoffman, New York, presented on PBS
"A remarkable, profound and even humorous story of one daughter's experience with her mother's progressive deterioration due to Alzheimer's disease."
"Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream"
Turner Original Productions, Tollin/Robbins and Mundy Lane in association with Television Production Partners
"An inventive documentary and dramatic recreation of the career of one of baseball's and America's legends which draws parallels between his journey and ours."
"The Private Life of Plants"
Turner Original Productions and BBC Natural History, London, England
"A program examining the problems facing plants and the methods they employ to overcome them. Whoever would have thought watching gardens grow could be so compelling?"
"Coming Out Under Fire"
DeepFocus Productions, Los Angeles, presented on PBS
"Exposes a little-known and important chapter of history and provides background and texture to the ongoing debate on gays and lesbians in the military."
"Wallace & Gromit"
Aardman Animations in association with Wallace & Gromit Ltd., BBC Children's International, BBC Bristol and BBC Lionheart
"Clever, charming and exquisitely produced animation with appeal to both children and adults."
"Frontline: Waco--The Inside Story"
Frontline/WGBH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts
"The first comprehensive insider account of the dynamics and decision-making which led to the Waco tragedy in 1993."
"CBS coverage of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin"
CBS News, New York
"Timely and comprehensive radio and television coverage of an emotional and internationally important event that reflects the highest standards of this venerable broadcast institution."
The television news stations of Oklahoma City for coverage of the Murrah Building bombing
KFOR-TV, KOCO-TV and KWTV-TV, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
"Complete, thorough and heroic television journalism in a time of unprecedented crisis for the local community and the nation at large."
"The Politician's Wife"
The Producers Films for Channel 4, London, England
"A brilliantly written and superbly acted portrayal of a woman's public humiliation and ultimate retribution."
"The Tuskegee Airmen"
An HBO Pictures Presentation of a Price Entertainment Production. Home Box Office, New York
"The remarkable story of the U.S. Air Corp's 'Fighting 99th,' the first squadron of African-American combat pilots in World War II."
"Homicide: Life on the Street"
NBC, Baltimore Pictures, Reeves Entertainment, SL/TMF Productions in association with NBC Productions
"A socially relevant dramatic series that manages continually to improve upon its impressive record of achievement."
"The Boys of St. Vincent"
Les Productions Tele-Action Inc. in association with the National Film Board of Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Telefilm Canada, presented on the Arts & Entertainment Television Network, New York
"An unusually delicate, insightful and effective miniseries for television on an often overlooked and frequently taboo topic."
"August Wilson's 'The Piano Lesson' "
A Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation. CBS, Craig Anderson Productions Inc. in association with Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions Inc.
"A simple yet compelling story of a family's legacy told by one of America's greatest dramatic writers."
"Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story"
NBC, Barwood Films Ltd., Story Line Productions Inc. and Trillium Productions Inc. in association with TriStar Television
"A powerful, fact-based drama of a woman's honesty and the professional and personal consequences of that honesty."
"The Journey of Christopher Reeve"
ABC News 20/20, New York, New York
"Barbara Walters's interview with this courageous person transcended the ordinary, and, without sensationalizing, became a rare television moment."
Oprah Winfrey
A personal Peabody Award to a woman of extraordinary commitment and achievement who, in the view of the Peabody Board, deserves a place among the greats of American broadcasting.
NOTE: Information provided by The University of Georgia Office of Public Information.