Radio DZMM wins silver in New York Festival

abs-cbnNEWS.com

ABS-CBN's radio
station, DZMM Radyo
Patrol 630 bagged the
silver prize in the
prestigious New York
Festivals for the Radio
Broadcasting Breaking
News Story category
(longform) for its
special coverage of
the Manila Hostage
Drama last year.

Peter Musngi, ABS-CBN
vice-president for
Manila Radio Division,
DZMM program and
production services
manager Marah Faner
Capuyan and DZMM
executive producer
Nannette Quong
received the award
Thursday night, June
19, at at the Tribaca
Rooftop in New York
City.

DZMM won for
covering the hostage-
taking involving a
whole busload of pre-
school students who
were held hostage on
March 18, 2007.

It will be recalled that
as soon as Radyo
Patrol reporter Armel
Fernandez broke the
story, DZMM geared
up for a special
coverage and deployed
reporters to the
scene to get more
information and a
clearer picture of the
situation at hand.

"The biggest
breakthrough came
when DZMM got hold
of Jun Ducat, the
hostage-taker himself
and as it turned out,
it was only through
DZMM that he could be
contacted. "It also
became the link
between Ducat and
the worried parents
of school children,"
said Musngi.

DZMM veteran anchors
Ted Failon and Korina
Sanchez bridged him
and the proper
authorities--from the
education department,
to the social welfare
department and, most
importantly, the
national police -- for
his demands. After 10
long hours of tension,
the hostage drama
ended when Ducat
agreed to surrender
and release the
hostages at seven in
the evening.

"Throughout this,
DZMM reported with
prudence and acted
responsibly thus
avoiding a tragic
ending to this crisis.
The station again
lives up to its
commitment of being
first in news and
public service without
causing harm and
endangering others,"
said Musngi.

Aside from winning
the silver prize, DZMM
also earned a finalist
berth fot its station
manager-anchor
Angelo Palmones in
the Talk Show Host
category for the
science-oriented show
"Bago Yan, Ah!"

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