CBS Wins Eight News, Documentary Emmys

CBS was the big winner at the 22nd annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, picking up eight statuettes at ceremonies in New York Wednesday night.

Four of them went to the network’s long-running newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” including one to correspondent Ed Bradley as best interviewer for his piece on Timothy McVeigh, the convicted Okalahoma City bomber.

PBS was the second most-honored network with seven Emmys. An episode of the “Nature” series called “The Urban Elephant” was named best informational or cultural program and also won for the work of its director, Allison Argo.

The News and Documentary Emmys, handed out by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, covered work done in calendar year 2000. Winners were selected by what the academy described as blue-ribbon panels of broadcast professionals.

Other outlets with multiple wins were CNBC with 5, NBC with 4, ABC with 3 and CNN, MSNBC and the Discovery Channel with two apiece.

Four of CNBC’s Emmys went to the series “National Geographic Explorer” in categories covering cinematography, electronic camera work, editing and lighting direction.

Among the other winners:

Best program covering a breaking news story: ABC’s “The Gunfight.”

Best program providing background and analysis of a single current story: PBS’ “Drug Wars” (presented on the “Frontline” series) and the Learning Channel’s “Kent State: The Day the War Came Home.”

Best program of investigative journalism: Cinemax’s “Crimes of Honor” (on the “Cinemax Reel Life” series) and CNN’s “Cry Freetown” (on “CNN Perspectives”).

Best historical program: HBO’s “One Day in September.”