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CITY OF TALLAHASSEE NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2007

CONTACT: Lizzy Kelley, Department of Communications, 891-8533

WCOT Producer Takes Home the Emmy!
DUI Prevention Video Garners National Attention

Tom Bronakoski, a producer for the City of Tallahassee’s TV station WCOT, won an Emmy Award on Saturday, Dec. 1. The award, considered one of the highest possible in the field of television production, was awarded for Bronakoski’s production of "Tallahassee Matters - DUI Prevention."

"This is the icing on the cake for me. I feel honored to have won," said Bronakoski. "I thank the families of the two girls for letting me share their story. If the video deters even one person from getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, that’s the real win for this production."

The hour-long video offers a look into how families on both sides of a DUI-related crash are affected. It was also adapted for YouTube where it has received over 13,000 hits, and it has aired on government television stations across the country reaching more than a million potential viewers. In addition, Leon County Schools have provided copies of the video to drivers education classes; it has been distributed to parents of Florida State University students, and it has been presented to youth at all of the city’s recreation centers. Both the long and short versions of the video have been requested for use by law enforcement agencies across the country, and it has been approved for use in mandatory DUI classes by the State of Florida.

The Suncoast Regional Emmy entries are judged against standards of excellence and not against each other. Because of these strict expectations, some categories have nominees but no winners.

"It’s all about recognizing the very best in broadcast and advanced media editorial content and video production creativity," wrote Bill Press, president of the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to excellence in television. It sponsors the annual Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards to television markets in the entire State of Florida; Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; Thomasville, Georgia; and Puerto Rico.

"This is a tribute to Tom’s incredible ability to tell and produce a gripping story, in this case about the devastating impact of drinking and driving. But it is also a tribute to the City Commission and city leadership that has allowed us to hire quality employees and have the necessary tools to keep our citizenry informed of and involved in the work of city government," said Michelle Bono, assistant to the city manager and director of Communications.

A significant part of the video’s success was also due to the willingness of two Tallahassee families to share their stories. Recognition is due to the Napier, Dickson, Smallridge, and Schaffer families, along with the officers of the Tallahassee Police Department, who are committed to keeping the city’s streets safe.

WCOT, broadcast on Comcast Cable channel 13, is the City of Tallahassee's government-access station. The Emmy Award caps off a 2007 year where the city’s creative and effective communications work was recognized with the highest award in the state from the Florida Public Relations Association, as well as national awards for public relations programs and television productions by numerous other professional groups.

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