KCAL, KTTV, KFWB Top the Field at Golden Mikes

KCAL-TV Channel 9, KTTV-TV Channel 11 and KFWB-AM(980) were the big winners Thursday in the 45th annual Golden Mike Awards for outstanding broadcast news in Southern California. Each captured eight honors for work done during the past year.

The winners will be honored at a dinner at the Universal Hilton on Jan. 21. While most of them were announced in advance by the Radio & TV News Assn. of Southern California, winners in several categories remain to be unveiled that night, including best radio and TV newscasts among large stations.

KCAL won Golden Mikes for weather, sports news reporting, serious feature reporting, light feature reporting, entertainment reporting, videotape editing of a single feature story, writing and news special (“Earthquake! What We Know Now”).

KTTV’s awards were in the categories for best documentary (“California AIDS Ride,” a tie with KNSD-TV in San Diego), news reporting, investigative reporting, economic reporting, videography of a single news feature, videography of a feature series or special, videotape editing of a hard news series or special and original news commentary, news analysis, station editorial or series of editorials.

KEYT-TV Channel 3 in Santa Barbara and KNSD-TV Channel 39 in San Diego each won four Golden Mikes, while KMEX-TV Channel 34 in Los Angeles earned three. KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo won the award for best daytime newscast among small stations.

In the radio competition, all-news KFWB captured awards for writing, sports news reporting, sports feature reporting, spot news, live coverage of a news story, investigative reporting, light feature reporting and best continuing coverage of the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake.

KNX-AM (1070) was the runner up with six awards. KFI-AM (640) was honored for best news broadcast under 15 minutes among large stations.