The 64th annual Mark Twain Awards
2011 RULES FOR APTRA’S MARK TWAIN AWARDS
The contest covers the period from Jan. 1, 2010 through
Dec. 31, 2010.
Entries MUST ARRIVE no later than Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011,
at 2 p.m.
Designated News Dates:
Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010
Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010
If your television or radio station in California, Nevada,
Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Washington, Colorado,
Utah, Montana, Wyoming, or Alaska subscribes to The Associated
Press, you are a member of APTRA and are eligible to enter
the contest. There are no dues or membership applications
for membership in APTRA. Non-AP members will not be considered.
Winners in each of the competition categories will receive
Mark Twain Trophies. The AP’s Mark Twain Awards will
be presented during the annual APTRA convention.
DIVISIONS:
CLASS 1 Television: Markets 1-30.
CLASS 1 Radio: Markets 1-50.
CLASS 2 Television: Markets 31-70.
CLASS 2 Radio: Markets 51+.
CLASS 3 Television: Markets 71+.
DESIGNATED NEWS DAY COMPETITIONS
Entries for any of the following categories must come from
either of this year’s two “designated news days”
as announced on the AP wires. They are:
Best News Broadcast
Best Sports Segment
Best Weather Segment (TV)
Best News Writing
FEE SCHEDULE IN ALL CATEGORIES
$100.00 per entry
COMPETITION PAYMENT
Payment may be made by check to APTRA or by a credit card
processed on APTRA’s online payment system at www.aptra.org.
ENTERING THE COMPETITION
1. Go to the online entry system, register and fill out
the online form.
2. Once all your entries are in the system, print out two
copies of the automatically generated forms.
3. Firmly attach one copy to your entry.
4. Attach the other copy to your check or online payment
receipt. Note: There is a fee for every entry paid by credit
card.
5. Stations may submit more than one entry in each news
category.
6. Entries without proper forms will be disqualified.
NOTE: WEBSITE ENTRIES MUST BE PRINTED AND SENT IN AS WELL!
DVD AND CD REQUIREMENTS
1. For television: DVDs are required.
2. Radio submissions may only be sent on CDs.
3. Commercials must be deleted and replaced with a three-second
leader (for radio) or three seconds of black burst (for
television). NOTE: Casual references to sponsors are permitted.
4. Transcripts from non-English broadcasting stations are
encouraged BUT not required.
5. The DVD submission for the BEST ASSIGNMENT TEAM/Live
Breaking News must accompanied by a written explanation
of no more than 250 words or less as explained in the rules
for that category
6. Entry DVDs and CDs will not be returned.
7. Entry fees or online receipts must accompany entries.
8. Entries not accompanied by checks or online receipts
will be automatically disqualified.
9. Mail entries and entry fees/online receipts to:
Jeff Wilson
The Associated Press
221 S. Figueroa St., Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1200
SUBMIT YOUR 2011 ENTRIES NOW!!!
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ENTRIES:
Entries MUST ARRIVE no later than Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011,
at 2p.m. This rule will be strictly enforced.
THE STAN CHAMBERS AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT
APTRA's Board of Directors will select this category and
may honor such things as lifetime achievement, specific
achievements or extraordinary service to the industry.
WEB JUDGING
The Web categories are judged on an unannounced day. They
will be judged on presentation, creativity and production
value.
NOTATION SYMBOLS
* Nominee categories, in which, winners will be announced
during the dinner
RADIO CATEGORIES
Radio entries must be submitted on audio CD. Cassettes
are not acceptable. Bill Stout categories are contested
as open categories in the APTRA competition without regard
for market size or division class.
R-1 BILL STOUT AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE - This may be a long-form
special segment, mini-series or documentary. It may be truly
investigative in nature or it may be an enterprising, in-depth
look at any subject. This may be the work of one reporter
or the joint efforts of two or more reporters dealing with
the same subject over a specific period of time.
R-2 BILL STOUT AWARD FOR STATION SPOT NEWS - This should
be a total station effort toward spot news that may include
live and taped elements within the total coverage. This
entry should not exceed 60-minutes in length, but may include
breaks into programming, as well as newscasts while covering
a single, breaking spot news story. (This may include elements
from BEST LIVE COVERAGE OF A NEWS EVENT and
BEST SPOT NEWS STORY, if appropriate.)
R-3 BEST NEWS WRITING - Individual or staff effort. Entire
script or portion thereof should not exceed 15 minutes.
R-4 BEST SPORTS SEGMENT - Must be a regular comprehensive
sports report.
*R-5 BEST LIVE COVERAGE OF A NEWS EVENT - Interrupting either
a regularly scheduled program or within a news broadcast.
Must not exceed 60 unedited minutes.
*R-6 BEST SPOT NEWS STORY - Must be on-the-scene coverage
of an unscheduled,breaking news story.
*R-7 BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING - An in-depth expose of
a single subject. This may be reported in one newscast or
a series of newscasts.
R-8 BEST SPECIAL PROGRAM - No year-end summaries. Documentaries
can be submitted in this category.
*R-9 BEST COVERAGE OF AN ONGOING STORY – A compilation
DVD or tape must be submitted along with a written explanation
of what's on the tape and the extent of coverage.
*R-10 BEST SERIOUS FEATURE
*R-11 BEST LIGHT FEATURE
R-12 BEST SPORTS REPORTING - Must be a sports story on an
athletic event or other sports topic.
R-13 BEST ANCHOR OR ANCHOR TEAM - Submit one unedited newscast.
NOMINEES WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE FOLLOWING RADIO CATEGORIES,
WITH WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED DURING THE AWARDS CEREMONIES.
*R-14 BEST USE OF SOUND - Serious or hard news.
*R-15 BEST USE OF SOUND - Feature.
*R-16 PAT DAVIS RADIO REPORTER OF THE YEAR - On one CD,
submit one example each of a hard news story, a spot news
story and a feature story.
*R-17 BEST NEWS BROADCAST (Less than 15 minutes) - Entries
must be material that was broadcast during a continuous
period of time less than 15 minutes. Network or syndicated
cut-ins must be included if they were part of the broadcast.
All news or newsblock formats excluded.
*R-18 BEST NEWS BROADCAST (More than 15 minutes) - Entries
must be material that was broadcast during a continuous
period of time longer than 15 minutes. Network or syndicated
cut-ins must be included if they were part of the broadcast.
TELEVISION CATEGORIES
As a reminder DVDs are now required for the television
competition. Please note: Bill Stout categories are contested
as open categories without regard for market size or division
class.
T-1 BILL STOUT MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENTERPRISE
NEWS COVERAGE - This may be a long-form special segment,
mini-series or documentary. It may be truly investigative
in nature or it may be an enterprising, in-depth look at
any subject. This may be the work of one reporter or the
joint efforts of two or more reporters dealing with the
same subject over a specific period of time.
T-2 BILL STOUT MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN STATION
SPOT NEWS - This should be a total station effort toward
spot news that may include live and taped elements within
the total coverage. This entry should not exceed 60 minutes
in length, but may include breaks into programming, as well
as newscasts during a single breaking spot news story. (This
may include elements from BEST LIVE COVERAGE OF A NEWS EVENT
and BEST SPOT NEWS STORY, if appropriate.) DESIGNATE WHETHER
YOU ARE ENTERING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IN CLASS ONE OR CLASS
TWO TELEVISION
T-3 BEST NEWS WRITING - Individual or staff effort. Entire
script or portion thereof should not exceed 15 minutes.
T-4 BEST SPORTS SEGMENT - Must be a regular, comprehensive
sports news report.
T-5 BEST WEATHERCAST SEGMENT - Must be a regular comprehensive
weather report.
*T-6 BEST LIVE COVERAGE OF A NEWS EVENT - Interrupting either
a regularly scheduled program or within a news broadcast.
Entry must not exceed 60 unedited minutes.
*T-7 BEST SPOT NEWS STORY - Must be on-the-scene coverage
of an unscheduled,breaking news story.
*T-8 BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING - An in-depth expose of
a single subject. This may be reported in one newscast or
a series of newscasts.
*T-9 BEST COVERAGE OF AN ONGOING STORY - Compilation DVD/tape
must be submitted along with a written explanation of what's
on the tape and the extent of coverage.
T-10 BEST SPECIAL PROGRAM - No year-end summaries. Documentaries
can be submitted in this category.
*T-11 BEST SERIOUS FEATURE
*T-12 BEST LIGHT FEATURE
T-13 BEST SPORTS REPORTING - Must be a sports story on an
athletic event or other sports topic.
*T-14 BEST VIDEOGRAPHY OF HARD NEWS - Best field work by
an electronic camera crew in coverage of breaking news or
hard news.
*T-15 BEST VIDEOGRAPHY OF A NEWS FEATURE - Best field work
by an electronic camera crew in coverage of feature material.
T-16 BEST VIDEOGRAPHY OF SPORTS - Best field work by an
electronic camera crew in coverage of sports material.
T-17 BEST ANCHOR OR ANCHOR TEAM - Submit one unedited newscast.
*T-18 BEST HARD NEWS EDITING - Must be one single story
or one segment of a multi-part
series.
*T-19 BEST FEATURE EDITING - Must be one single news or
sports story or one segment of a multi-part series.
*T-20 DICK TERRY VIDEOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR - On one entry,
submit one example
each of a hard news story, spot news story and feature story.
*T-21 BEST ASSIGNMENT TEAM/LIVE BREAKING NEWS - Stations
may enter only those people on an assignment desk who worked
on a breaking news story whether broadcast live within a
newscast or as a break-in during regular programming. Entries
must include a tape of what was broadcast and a written
statement of 250 words or less explaining what was involved
in that team effort and why they believe it was exceptional,
creative and demonstrated excellence in finding and getting
a story to air.
*T-22 CHRIS HARRIS REPORTER OF THE YEAR AWARD - On one tape,
submit one example each of a hard news story, spot news
story and feature story.
*T-23 BEST NEWS BROADCAST - 30 minutes.
*T-24 BEST NEWS BROADCAST - 60 minutes.
WEB CATEGORIES
–Since many websites being used are not uniquely
designed for each station but the look and template are
created by a network for its affiliates, Best Website Awards
will be judged on the actual use of the site. To enter,
provide the site name and anything, in writing, you would
like about the way the site is used. For other categories
provide links for viewing by giving an url for an archived
copy or provide the material (such as a vodcast, podcast,
webcast, streamed story etc.) on a disk.
W-1 BEST USE OF A NEWS WEBSITE – Class 1 Radio
W-2 BEST USE OF A NEWS WEBSITE - Class 2 Radio
W-3 BEST USE OF A NEWS WEBSITE – Class 1 Television
W-4 BEST USE OF A NEWS WEBSITE – Class 2 Television
W-5 BEST VOD, POD or WEBCAST OF A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM
EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB - Class 1 Radio
W-6 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM REGULARLY SCHEDULED
MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB – Class 2 Radio
W-7 BEST VOD, POD or WEBCAST OF A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM
EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB – Class 1 Television
W-8 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM REGULARLY SCHEDULED
MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB – Class 2 Television
W-9 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM NOT REGULARLY
SCHEDULED MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB – Class 1 Radio
W-10 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM NOT REGULARLY
SCHEDULED MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB Class 2 Radio
W-11 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM NOT REGULARLY
SCHEDULED
MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB – Class 1 Television
W-12 BEST VOD, POD OR WEBCAST OF A PROGRAM NOT REGULARLY
SCHEDULED MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE WEB- Class 2 Television
W-13 BEST USE OF THE WEB: BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE - Class
1 Radio
W-14 BEST USE OF THE WEB: BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE - Class
2 Radio
W-15 BEST USE OF THE WEB: BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE - Class
1 TV
W-16 BEST USE OF THE WEB: BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE - Class
2 TV
W-17 BEST BLOG Serious (Radio – Class 1 and 2 are
combined)
W-18 BEST BLOG Light (Radio – Class 1 and 2 are combined)
W-19 BEST BLOG Serious (Television – Class 1 and 2
are combined)
W-20 BEST BLOG Light (Television – Class 1 and 2 are
combined)
MARK TWAIN News Promo Awards
Entries must be spots that appeared “on air”
outside
of the newscast.
NP-1 BEST NEWS PROMO – Class 1 Radio
NP-2 BEST NEWS PROMO – Class 2 Radio
NP-3 BEST NEWS PROMO – Class 1 Television
NP-4 BEST NEWS PROMO – Class 2 Television
SUBMIT YOUR 2011 ENTRIES NOW!!!
Print a copy of your information and send to:
Jeff Wilson
AP, 221
S. Figueroa St. #300
Los Angeles, CA 90012
