KOAA receives Television Station of the Year Award from the Colorado Broadcasters Association

COLORADO SPRINGS — The News5 team was honored to receive the 2021 Television Station of the Year Award for a Non-Metro Market from the Colorado Broadcasters Association. We want to take a moment to recognize our exceptional team members, who also won a number of awards, and to thank our viewers who make it all possible.

News5 Anchors Rob Quirk and Dianne Derby were awarded the Best News Anchor or Team Award of Excellence. Just last week, Rob Quirk received the Damon Runyon Award from the Southern Colorado Press Club for his lifetime achievements in the field.

Our anchors were not the only ones awarded. Journalist Jon McMichael, along with photojournalist Dez Rowe and Morning Anchor Ira won the Best Documentary Award of Excellence for their spotlight on the Shield616ride across the state of Colorado that raises money to help protect first responders.

Jon McMichael picked up another award as well, winning the category of Best Specialty Reporter.

Jake Gadon won the award for Best Sportscaster, and Afternoon Anchor Alasyn Zimmerman won the award for the Best Use of Digital/Social Media.

Photojournalist Carl Winder won the award for excellence for Best Video Essay with no Narrative for his story on the restoration of a Vietnam era helicopter.

Former News5 journalist Colette Bordelon won the Best General Assignment Report award for her Am I Still a Father? story, which shared the story of a father who lost 2 of his sons to fentanyl overdoses.

Members of the News5 team who operate behind the camera also won a number of awards.

David Reeve and Travis Eckland won awards for Best Public Service Announcement and Best Community Service Campaign for their Fill the Fridgeand Hispanic Heritage Month Campaigns, respectively. The pair, along with Justin Walton, also won the Best Station Promotion/Marketing Campaign award.

Outside of the team efforts, Travis Eckland won the Best Station Promo award for the Positively Colorado campaign.

In advertising, Justin Walton won Best Sales Campaign for an Advertiser for the Border Burger Bar campaign, and James Fenczik won the Best Television Commercial for an Advertiser for the spot from Life Network Thrift Store.

KOAA was also recognized with several Certificates of Merit.

Travis Eckland's and David Reeve's Kids on Bikes campaign, which worked to help kids in need get access to cycling, received a certificate for the Best Public Service Announcement.

Olivia Dickinson, Dianne Derby, and Amy Smith were recognized for the You Are Not Alone campaign, which worked to highlight stories from our region's veteran community.

Justin Walton received two certificates for Best Television Commercial for an Advertiser and Best Sales Campaign for an Advertiser.

Colette Bordelon was recognized for Best General Assignment Report within 24 hours for her Meaning of Memorial Day story, where she shared the story of a Gold Star Family in Colorado Springs.

She was also recognized for her Science Behind a Shell Casing story, which won the Certificate of Merit for Best Investigative Reporting. The story examined how shell casings can help police solve gun crimes.

Chief Meteorologist Mike Daniels won the Certificate of Merit for Best Weathercaster, and Chief Investigative Report won Best Specialty Reporter.

Photojournalist Juice Godfrey won the Certificate of Merit for Best Photojournalist.

We're proud to recognize all these members of the News5 team for their exceptional work, and our viewers, who make all of this possible.
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