Four local stations –Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV, Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR, Denver ABC affiliate KMGH and Hartford NBC O&O WVIT — have won George Foster Peabody Awards for excellence in electronic media in 2012.
KNXV’s award-winning report, “Ford Escape: Exposing a Deadly Defect,” was a five-month investigation that revealed an acceleration problem with the vehicle, sparking a federal inquiry and the recall of 700,000 SUVs.
WTHR won a Peabody Award for “Investigating the IRS,” a “stunning investigation” that exposed how illegal immigrants were defrauding the IRS of billions of dollars in tax refunds.
“Investigating the Fire,” KMGH’s award-winning report, examined the mistakes and miscommunication that led to a deadly fire caused by the Colorado State Forest Service’s controlled burn. The report resulted in legislative changes in Colorado.
- Related, TVNewser: CBS, ABC, PBS Lead List of Peabody Award Winners
WVIT won for “Breaking News: Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.” The station was the first television news outlet to report on the Sandy Hook shooting, providing “comprehensive coverage that informed not only its own audience, but viewers around the country.”