Best radio spot news reporting from abroad
AWARD YEAR: 1981
AWARD NAME: The Ben Grauer Award
AWARD RECIPIENT: ABC News Radio
AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: ABC News Radio
AWARD HONORED WORK: “Attempted Assassination of the Pope”
Mere moments after Pope John Paul II had been shot in Rome, ABC News Radio had the bulletin on the air, the first American news organization to break the story. Within seven minutes it began airing a special network report that ran two full hours, with live reporting from Robert O. Miller on the scene in Rome, with graphic descriptions of the event and the circumstances surrounding it, with spontaneous reactions from all over the U.S., and special reports from around the world. After the two-hour special it broadcast four live updates hourly, keeping the audience fully informed about the unfolding drama.
A citation was awarded to ABC News Radio for its “Hostage Coverage.”
Judges: Gene Sosin, Howard Kany, William Kratch, Gloria Zukerman.