WEDU-TV Receives Top Honors at Image Awards

West Central Florida’s primary PBS station, WEDU-TV, received top honors at the Florida Public Relations Association’s (FPRA) annual Image Awards ceremony on April 20, 2006. WEDU-TV won the Grand All Image Award recognizing the overall “outstanding public relations program in all categories of competition” for its WEDU Be More Awards™ program. In addition, WEDU-TV received the Image Award in the community relations’ category for WEDU Be More Awards™ and an award in the special events’ category for Sojourn.

The WEDU Be More Awards™ program celebrates the commitment and selfless work of those in the West Central Florida non-profit community. On January 19, 2006, more than 300 guests attended the inaugural WEDU Be More Awards™ ceremony. The ceremony recognized six outstanding non-profit organizations who demonstrate admirable achievements during the 2005 calendar year. The annual fundraising event for WEDU-TV, Sojourn, is an internationally themed black-tie gala celebrating the wine, cuisine, and culture of South America. Sojourn took place on February 4, 2006 and transported guests to various wine-producing regions of the world. Event guests took away the experience of an exciting evening which not only exposed them to an entertaining cultural experience but also one that supports PBS television.

Laura Turner, the Director of Public Relations at WEDU-TV is pleased with the success and acknowledgment of the WEDU Be More Awards™ and Sojourn in their inaugural year. “WEDU Be More Awards™ spreads the word about non-profit organizations that serve our community. The "unsung heroes" gain attention through a myriad of press efforts and we feel that the more exposure we can provide these groups, the more support they can garner, resulting in more services that they provide the community,” said Turner.

WEDU-TV can now add the FPRA awards to its collection which includes numerous Emmy® awards and other honors for its local programming.