KUSI TV in San Diego has just received this year’s Bill Stout Memorial Award for Enterprise from the Associate Press Radio & Television Association. Presented under the “Mark Twain Awards” umbrella, this award is presented to the broadcaster that most personifies the values and dedication to enterprise reporting embodied by legendary Los Angeles newsman Bill Stout.
From a field of scores of entries, the panel selected KUSI’s continuing series on Oxycontin abuse, called, “Oxy: What your Kids aren’t Telling You.”
The series included daily and weekly reports outlining the dangers of the drug, its availability, and law enforcement efforts to stop the abuse. Through a joint effort with law enforcement in both the city and county of San Diego, the San Diego District Attorney’s office and the FBI and DEA, executive producer Davida van der Ploeg was able to enlist addicts, parents, and rehab specialists as subjects in the series.
The entire staff of KUSI contributed to the specials and brought insight, personal stories, and a commitment to tackle Oxy use in a way never before attempted by any station in the market.
KUSI President & General Manager Mike Mckinnon was instrumental in developing the concept and dedicating the independent station’s resources to the effort. He, along with producer Tommy Sablan, saw the opportunity to explore an addiction that had received sparse coverage.
KUSI is the rarest of the rare, a true independent television station that produces over 48 hours of live, original, local news weekly.