Media Eclipse Awards announced

WAVE 3 TV in Louisville, Kentucky, won the Media Eclipse Award for Local

Television for its pre- and post-race coverage of this year's Kentucky Derby

(G1) at Churchill Downs. The station devoted 11 1/2 hours of coverage, providing

viewers with live racing, news features, celebrity and racing personality

interviews, and a one-hour post race program. The NBC affiliate won the Media

Eclipse Award for Local Television in 2004. Among the members of the production

team were producer Caroline Dickie and director Brian Reeves.

"We are extremely excited about winning the Eclipse Award for the second

consecutive year," said Dan Foos, executive producer of WAVE 3 TV. "Our coverage

of horse racing isn't just a job; it's a part of life in this city. We believe

in balancing our Derby broadcast with knowledgeable reporting for the hard-core

fan and to educate the novice who is unfamiliar with the sport."

Judges for the Local Television category were Jack Coffey of Eclipse

Productions, Stu Kirshenbaum of Oak Street Films and independent film producer

Fritz Mitchell.

Sirius Satellite Radio won the Media Eclipse Award in the Audio and

Multi-Media Internet category for its live coverage of the 2005 Breeders' Cup

World Thoroughbred Championships from Belmont Park.

In the first ever national live radio broadcast of all eight Breeders' Cup

races, Sirius devoted eight hours of coverage on Sirius Channel 125, led by

co-hosts Dave Johnson and Bill Finley, who were joined by reporters Caton Bredar

and Mitch Levites, and analysts Dave Grening, Dick Jerardi, Jay Privman, Gary

Selby, Mark Johnson, Nick Smith and Simon Clare.

Honorable mention in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category went to WBAL

Radio in Baltimore for "Baltimore's Last Preakness?" produced by Mark Miller and

Mike Wellbrock about the future of racing in Maryland.

Judges for the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category were Jim Militello of

Associated Press Radio; Brian Rublein, former news director of WHAS Radio in

Louisville; and Mike Farrell, racing journalist and former UPI Radio reporter.

The 2005 Eclipse Award ceremony will be held January 23 at the Regent Beverly

Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California.