Los Angeles Times Earns Two L.A. Area Emmy Awards Alongside TV Partners

The Times’ video documentary “Firefighting After Prison” about the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) was the basis for the Emmy-winning segment on Spectrum News 1’s “L.A. Times Today”.

July 25, 2022 3:40 PM PT

The Los Angeles Times produced visual journalism that won two Los Angeles area Emmy Awards: feature segment for “FFRP Firefighters” with “L.A. Times Today,” which was based on the “Firefighting After Prison” documentary, on Spectrum News 1 and sports series programming (post-produced) for the Spanish-language version of “Fernandomania @ 40” series that aired on Univision Los Angeles (KMEX). The awards were presented on Saturday at the Television Academy’s 74th annual L.A. area Emmy Awards ceremony.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the video team for these Emmy wins,” said interim co-head of Originals for L.A. Times Studios
Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein. “Both ‘Firefighting After Prison’ and ‘Fernandomania @ 40’ were generated internally by our team, and it’s great to be recognized for our original reporting, and to make a positive impact on different communities in Southern California.”

“Firefighting After Prison” features former inmates who are attending a training program conducted by the Forestry and Fire Prevention Recruitment Program (FFRP), a nonprofit that trains former inmate firefighters to work as industry professionals. The inmates had all fought fires while in prison and are now pursuing it as a career.

“Producer Claire Hannah Collins poignantly tapped into the human aspect of life and opportunity – or lack thereof – after incarceration,” said Himmelsbach-Weinstein.

“Fernandomania @ 40” is a documentary series that examines star pitcher Fernando Valenzuela’s impact on the Dodgers, Major League Baseball and the Latino community in Los Angeles more than 40 years ago. The Times partnered with Univision Los Angeles (KMEX) to air the series last fall. It was translated from English to Spanish with narration by Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano.

The challenge with “Fernandomania @ 40,” explained Himmelsbach-Weinstein, was finding a new way to tell a well-known story. “We decided to focus on those living in L.A. during Fernando’s rookie year. We spoke with musicians, artists, politicians and others for whom Fernando’s success most powerfully resonated.”

“We’re grateful for our partnership with Univision for their embrace of the ‘Fernandomania @ 40’ series and enabling it to reach a wider audience,” said Himmelsbach-Weinstein, who added a special thanks to Mark Potts, senior producer of video series, “for being a fantastic creative partner on the series.”

Below is a breakdown of the winning entries:

Feature Segment
“FFRP Firefighters”
“L.A. Times Today” and Spectrum News 1