The LA Area Emmy award nominees were announced last week with Channel 11 receiving the most nominations, 17,  NBC 4 coming in second with 16 nominations and KCET channel 28 receiving 15. 

            The Los Angeles Emmy’s are awarded to leaders in local programming on television and cable.  The big prize, the Governor’s Award, honoring broadcasting achievement in Los Angeles will be awarded to Telemundo-owned Channel 52’s program “Mejorando Su Vida”.  The campaign, which means “improving your life”, is a series of informational clips aimed towards Spanish-speaking immigrants.  The awards will be given August 25 at the academy’s Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.

            On July 12, when the nominees were announced, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Chairman Dick Askin said, “We are very pleased that the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to bestow this honor on a news outlet that educates and effects positive change in the community.”

            Last year’s recipient of the Governor’s Award was presented to nationally renowned satirist Stan Freberg, a Los Angeles Television pioneer and founding member of the Television Academy.  But this year’s nomination to “Mejorando Su Vida” is an important nod to Channel 52’s campaign to improve immigrants and families access to information and schools.  It is an innovative reflection of the station’s dynamism towards health, voting, and school.

            KVEA 52’s “Mejorando Su Vida” initiative has precipitated into a partnership and support for LAUSD.  By targeting parents KVEA, 52 has supported LAUSD by giving information about accessing schools and advising people to actively participate in their children’s education.  Spots about assessing report cards and progress reports have provided Latino viewers a foundation to dialogue with their children about grades.  Moreover, tens of thousands of families have been educated via television and through KVEA-52’s First 5 LA their health has been targeted as well.

            Through First 5 LA, low-cost family services have been advertised to families who would not understand an English broadcast.  So who’s to say TV is all bad?  Two years ago, KVEA 52 worked with the American Red Cross to launch the most successful blood drive targeting Latino donors and since the drive has become an annual commitment. Also “Vida” has focused on registering voters and shall continue its attempt to improve the lives of immigrants, long after the awards are given this August.

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