BOSTON -- Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., parent of WCVB-TV/DT Channel 5 has earned a coveted Peabody Award, from the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism, for its "Commitment 2008" election -- and issues-coverage series. The honor reflects the work of WCVB and other Hearst-Argyle stations in covering the 2008 election season.

"Commitment 2008" was Hearst-Argyle's fifth biennial political coverage project; the series began with "Commitment 2000," a cornerstone of which was the Company's pledge to carry a minimum of five minutes nightly of candidate discourse in the 30 days prior to election day; this commitment was expanded to an unprecedented 10 minutes as part of "Commitment 2006." In recognizing the Company and its station group, Peabody judges cited Hearst-Argyle as "exemplars of public-service broadcasting."

Today's honor marks the fifth Peabody for Hearst-Argyle or a Hearst-Argyle station within the past seven years. Last year, Hearst-Argyle's WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, was honored for its investigation into Pennsylvania's state-run student loan agency; in 2005, WBAL-TV, Baltimore, was recognized for its investigation of pollution in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay; in 2004, WISN-TV, Milwaukee, was recognized for its investigation of home smoke detectors; and in 2003, WESH-TV, Orlando, was honored for its investigation into Florida homebuilding practices. WCVB has won five of the prestigious awards in its history.

In making today's announcement, Horace Newcomb, Director of the Peabody Awards, said, "The Hearst-Argyle group offers a model of community service that reminds us of broadcasting's great value and responsibility to our communities."

"Commitment 2008" last month also earned Hearst-Argyle its fifth consecutive USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism. Hearst-Argyle remains the sole recipient in its category for the Cronkite Award, which was established following the 2000 election season and which has become recognized as the premier honor specifically for television political journalism.

The Peabody awards will be presented at an event hosted by NBC Anchor Brian Williams at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York on May 18. More about the Peabodys can be found here: http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=59