KTEP-FM Earns 3 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards
Last Updated on May 20, 2022 at 12:00 AM
Originally published May 20, 2022
By Daniel Perez
UTEP Marketing and Communications
KTEP-FM (88.5), the public radio station that serves the El Paso region, earned three 2022 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, which are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news reporting.
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) recognized KTEP in the categories of Hard News, Investigative Reporting and Continuing Coverage in the small market radio classification in Region 6, which encompasses Texas and Oklahoma. The station broadcasts from The University of Texas at El Paso.
Angela Kocherga, KTEP news director and lecturer in the Department of Communication, reported each of the winning entries. The categories and award-winning stories are “Migrants Expelled” (Hard News), “Border Wall Falls” (Investigative Reporting) and “Private Asia Graham” (Continuing Coverage).
These stories will advance to the National Murrow Award competition in June. The RTDNA will announce those winners later this summer.
Kocherga, an Emmy winning multimedia journalist, said she was happy that KTEP won the awards, which reinforce the importance of telling regional stories on the border, and thankful for the opportunity to cover the border and West Texas for public radio.
“It’s an honor to be recognized with three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for work I’ve done for KTEP,” Kocherga said. “KTEP has a fledgling news operation, but I’m proud the station is committed to providing local reporting and in-depth coverage of critical issues for our listeners. It’s great that work is also being recognized with prestigious awards.”
John R. Carrillo, interim KTEP general manager, said the recognition comes at a significant time for the station. In 2021, UTEP officials unveiled the University’s 10-year strategic plan and part of it was to develop and strengthen KTEP as a platform to share the region’s story with the community and the nation. He said Kocherga has taken a leadership role in that effort.
The station also earned a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award in 2021 for a documentary produced by Kocherga centered on the one-year anniversary of the El Paso mass shooting on Aug. 3, 2019.
“At KTEP, we’re proud of the programs and award-winning investigative reporting we provide to the region, and we’re grateful for the support of our listeners who make it all possible,” Carrillo said.
Denis O’Hearn, Ph.D., dean of the College of Liberal Arts, was pleased that the RTDNA recognized KTEP’s efforts.
“This is great news,” O’Hearn said. “Angela’s addition to KTEP is one of the most important things (the college) has done in recent years to raise the profile of KTEP and UTEP in the region and the nation.”
The RTDNA will bestow in 2022 about 750 awards to more than 325 radio and television stations across the U.S., the District of Columbia and four other countries for their work on local and national stories that demonstrate technical expertise and epitomize the impact and importance of journalism.
Dan Shelley, RTDNA COO and executive director, lauded the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award honorees as the very best in local broadcast and digital journalism in 2021.
“Winners demonstrated through their hard work, professionalism and skill that they are serving their communities in a remarkable way,” Shelley said.
The RTDNA will invite the winners of the national awards to an Oct. 10 awards gala at Gotham Hall in New York City.
RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism. The group named the awards after Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer U.S. news broadcaster.
