MVCC Producers Win 4 Philo T. Farnsworth Awards for Best Public Access Television in Midwest

Viewers tuning in to Miami Valley Communications Council Channel 991 on Time Warner Cable Inc. in the Miami Valley are watching some of the best public access television programming anywhere in the Midwest, and the latest Philo T. Farnsworth Award results continue to prove it.

Four local producers are among the winners of the 2009 Philo T. Farnsworth Awards, recognizing excellence in cable programming within the Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio region. The awards presentation will be held at the 2009 Alliance for Community Media Central States Regional Fall Conference on October 16, 2009 in Strongsville, OH.

Jim Berecek received first place for the documentary A Season with the DPYO… in the documentary profile (non-professional) category. A Season with the DPYO… follows the over 100-member Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (that includes performers from over thirty school districts in the greater Dayton area), starting with its first practice in September 2007 through their final concert in May of 2008. Clips from live concerts along with behind-the-scenes footage from the orchestra’s annual winter camp and interviews of current and past members and staff of the DPYO make up this hour and twenty-minute documentary. This is Berecek’s third straight year as a Philo winner; he was recognized in 2008 as a first place recipient for the concert Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in the educational (non-professional) category, and in 2007, where his production Centerville Schools Orchestra 2006-2007 Year End Review won for best educational program.

John Moraites and Barb Moraites received first place for the documentary Art at the Trace in the cultural event (non-professional) category. Art at the Trace is a documentary on the artists and music gathered for this annual City of Centerville public event held at the Golf Club at Yankee Trace. John Moraites is a multiple-award winning producer of historical documentaries. He has received Philo awards each year from 2003-2007 and over 70 of his programs can be watched on the MVCC channels.

Tiffany Shaw-Diaz received two first place awards for the program ArtTalk, both in the talk show (non-professional) category and in the arts/cultural awareness (non-professional) category. ArtTalk is a televised series highlighting artists from the Miami Valley, and airs on MVCC Channel 991, Tuesdays at 10:00pm. This is Shaw-Diaz’s second year in a row winning for best talk show in the non-professional category, having also received the award in 2008.

Producers at the Miami Valley Communications Council have a history of recognized success for their high-quality public access television, and these awards exemplify the positive, local television programming offered on MVCC’s four channels. “DPYO is a youth orchestra that is made up of students from the greater Miami Valley, and what better place to showcase them then on a local television channel like MVCC has to offer,” said Jim Berecek. “MVCC has always been supportive of projects that not only deal with subject matter in their member cities but also with the greater Miami Valley area and MVCC is a great way for local producers to bring their works to the public.” 

In 2008, MVCC producers received 5 awards, and a total of 173 awards have been received in MVCC’s history dating back to 1975.  This year's winning programs are available for viewing online, on-demand here. The shows can also be seen on MVCC Channel 991.

The Philo Awards recognize excellence in cable programming within the Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan region. The Alliance for Community Media is a nonprofit, national membership organization founded in 1976 which is committed to assuring everyone's access to electronic media. The Alliance represents over 950 public, educational, and government (PEG) access organizations across the United States, and the interests of local individuals and community, charitable, and religious organizations who utilize PEG access centers. For more information, visit http://www.csregionacm.org/video_comp.php