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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Seattle's Democracy Portal and Office of Cable Communication Recognized with National Awards for Excellence
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/29/2004 12:30:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gary Gibson, Seattle Channel (206) 684-8328
D'Anne Mount (206) 233-8736
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Seattle’s “Democracy Portal” and
Office of Cable Communication Recognized with
National Awards for Excellence
Making Government More Accessible Is a Winner All Around
Seattle’s “Democracy Portal” and the Office of Cable Communications came away with seven awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) at its 19th annual government programming awards in San Francisco on September 17, 2004.
Looking for City Hall by producer Jeff Gentes won first place in the documentary category. It tells the story of 150 years of Seattle history looking for a proper place to call City Hall, providing a fond, fun and often irreverent look back...and a glimpse today at our brand new City Hall.
“Winning first place in the documentary category is a huge accomplishment,” said Seattle Channel general manager Gary Gibson. “For a television producer, this is the best award you can receive. It's exactly what the Democracy Portal is about…telling the stories of the city in engaging and informative ways.”
“Democracy Portal” is the name given to Seattle’s cable television station, the Seattle Channel, and its Website, www.seattlechannel.org The Office of Cable Communications negotiates with and regulates private cable communications providers in Seattle.
Seattle’s winning programs and Web sites are listed below:
The Seattle Channel
- First Place in Documentary – Event Coverage for “Looking for City Hall”
- Second Place in Documentary – Profile for “Bruce Lee Legacy”
- Second Place in Government Access Station Web Site for “Seattle Channel Web Site”
- Honorable Mention in Children/Young Adults for “Vera Project”
- Honorable Mention in Documentary – Social Issues for “Strange Fruit”
- Honorable Mention in Interview – Talk Show for “Council Conversations with Peter Steinbrueck”
Office of Cable Communications
- Third Place in Cable Office Web Site for “Seattle Office of Cable Communications Web Site”
NATOA received nearly 1,000 entries from across the country. More about NATOA and the awards can be found at http://natoa.org/
The Seattle Channel is carried on cable channel 21 to more than 160,000 homes. It is a multimedia organization providing compelling content on cable television and the Internet that focuses on life in the City of Seattle. It covers government, community and culture with a variety of programs, features and interactive possibilities, including call-in, chat, and e-mail, with the goal of engaging the people of Seattle. The Seattle Channel televises gavel to gavel coverage of city council meetings and many of the mayor’s press conferences.
The Seattle Channel is webcast around the clock on the Internet. Its Web site, www.seattlechannel.org, provides scheduling information, news updates, links to related information, a weekly viewer poll, video-streaming and video archives.
The Seattle Channel, its Web site, and the Office of Cable Communications are administered by the Department of Information Technology.
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