WEDU PBS Honored with 3 Suncoast Regional Emmys®

TAMPA, Fla. - Dec. 5, 2016 - PRLog -- The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored WEDU PBS, West Central Florida's primary PBS station, with threeSuncoast Regional Emmy^® Awards during an annual ceremony held on Saturday, December 3, 2016 in Orlando, Florida.

Veterans – The Telling Project was honored in the "Documentary – Cultural" category with the first of three Emmy^® Awards presented to WEDU during the ceremony. Produced by Kristine Kelly and filmed by Bradley Clore and in partnership with the Florida Humanities Council, the WEDU PBS original documentary captured a five month long project where six Florida military veterans and one military spouse told their personal stories through dramatic performances on stage around the Tampa Bay area. During the project, the diverse cast of service members spent five months learning their dramatic cues, cultivating friendships and reconnecting with emotional memories.

The project titled "Telling: Tampa Bay" is part of the national The Telling Project, founded in 2008 to help bridge the communication gap in an American society in which less than 1 percent of the population has served in the military over the past dozen years of war. The performance script is based on interviews with the veterans conducted by Jonathan Wei, founder of The Telling Project.

Another Emmy^® was awarded to Kristine Kelly in the "Arts/Entertainment – Program Feature/Segment" category. Weeki Wachee Mermaids explored the rich history of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park from the mermaids who have performed there over the past 60 years.This award winning segment was part of WEDU Arts Plus, a local weekly arts and culture program.

A third Emmy^®Award was presented Kenneth Cherry in the "Health/Science – Program" category. Prosthetics for Veterans explored how St. Petersburg College's Orthotics and Prosthetics lab is working with veterans providing mobility in ways not thought possible just a few years ago. This award winning segment was part of WEDU Quest, a local monthly science and technology program.

Jack Conely, WEDU Vice President of Content, shared his congratulations for the 3 Emmy^® Award wins and seven overall nominations this year. "We are extremely proud to be honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for WEDU's community focused programming. This acknowledgement is a tribute to the quality of work produced by the talented and hardworking WEDU staff and our local production colleagues. We couldn't be more proud of the efforts by our entire team."

WEDU PBS Suncoast Regional Emmy® Award List:

Arts/Entertainment - Program Feature/Segment
Weeki Wachee Mermaids (http://video.wedu.org/video/2365755557/)
Kristine Kelly

Documentary – Cultural
Veterans - The Telling Project (http://www.wedu.org/thetellingproject/)
Kristine Kelly, Bradley Clore

Health/Science - Program
WEDU Quest: Prosthetics for Veterans (http://video.wedu.org/video/2365604818/)
Kenneth Cherry, Gina Presson

WEDU Arts Plus broadcasts weekly on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. and WEDU Quest broadcasts monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 8:30 p.m. All of WEDU's winning and nominated programs can be viewed on the WEDU PBS website at: www.wedu.org/awards.