WPT’s “30-Second Candidate” wins Emmy

“The 30-Second Candidate,” a documentary made for PBS by Wisconsin Public Television, won a national News and Documentary Emmy Award presented by The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Sept. 8 in New York City.

“The 30-Second Candidate” won the award for Outstanding Background Analysis of a Single Current Story – Programs. Other nominees in the category were “Awakenings: The Real Story” from the Discovery Channel and “The Last Mile” from NBC.

Kathy Bissen and Dave Iverson co-produced “The 30-Second Candidate,” which explores the evolution of political advertising, its growth and the increasing influence of political consultants, and some possible options for reform.

“We pride ourselves on creating programs that matter to the people of Wisconsin, and in the case of ‘The 30-Second Candidate,’ a program that had meaning for all Americans concerned about how we elect our leaders,” says Byron Knight, WPT station manager. “To have that worthy effort honored with this Emmy Award is another validation of the talent and dedication of our people at Wisconsin Public Television, and particularly all those who worked on this show.”

Wisconsin Public Television’s WHA-TV was the first non-commercial station in the country to win a national Emmy for “Pretty Soon Runs Out,” produced in 1969 as part of a week-long series on Milwaukee.