MADD Announces Winners of 5th Annual National MADD Media Awards

20 Awards for Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking Issues: The Santa Fe New Mexican and NBC Today Show Earn MADD's Highest Honors

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) announced today the 20 winners of its 5th annual national MADD Media Awards program. The 2007 MADD Media Awards, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance and Volkswagen, are in recognition of outstanding media coverage advancing MADD's mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.

"The media plays a vital role in educating the public and raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and underage drinking," says Glynn Birch, MADD national president. "This awards program is MADD's way of thanking the media for its support of MADD's mission."

MADD's top honor -- the Award of Excellence -- goes to NBC Today Show for broadcast media and to The Santa Fe New Mexican in Santa Fe, N.M. for print media. NBC Today Show Contributor and Security Specialist Bill Stanton illustrated the effects of drinking and driving at different blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) while under the supervision of state police on a controlled driving track. The Santa Fe New Mexican published a series of stories after five members of a Las Vegas family were killed by a drunk driver going the wrong way on Interstate 25 outside of Santa Fe last November.

The 2007 MADD Media Awards winners are:

-- Award of Excellence -- Broadcast -- NBC Today Show
-- Award of Excellence -- Print -- The Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe, N.M.
-- National Television: Drunk Driving Issues -- Good Morning America Weekend Edition, ABC News
-- National Television: Underage Drinking Issues -- CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight
-- National Television: Special Programming -- The Party Never Stops, Lifetime Television
-- Local Television: Drunk Driving Issues -- KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, N.M.
-- Local Television: Drunk Driving Issues-Series -- WBKO-TV, Bowling Green, Ky.
-- Local Television: Underage Drinking Issues -- WBRC-TV, Birmingham, Ala.
-- Radio: Drunk Driving Issues -- NewsTalk 1530 KFBK, Sacramento, Calif.
-- Radio: Underage Drinking Issues -- MediaTracks Communications, Des Plaines, Ill.
-- Newspaper: Drunk Driving Issues -- The State, Columbia, S.C.
-- Newspaper: Underage Drinking Issues -- The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.
-- National Magazine: Drunk Driving Issues -- Wired
-- National Magazine: Underage Drinking Issues -- Teen Vogue
-- Local Magazine: Drunk Driving Issues -- Seattle Magazine
-- Trade Magazine: Underage Drinking Issues -- Scholastic Choices
-- Spanish-Language Media: Broadcast -- Univision 38, Goleta, Calif.
-- Spanish-Language Media: Print -- La Voz de Nuevo Mexico, Santa Fe, N.M.
-- Community Awareness: Programming -- MetroBeat TV, Comcast, Denver Metro Area
-- Community Awareness: Public Service Announcements -- R & R Partners, Salt Lake City, Utah


The 2007 award winners will be honored at a luncheon as part of MADD's National Conference on September 7 in St. Louis, Mo. The MADD Media Awards have been sponsored by Nationwide Insurance for five years and Volkswagen for three years.

"Eliminating drunk driving must start with education," said Bill Windsor, vice president of safety for Nationwide. "Nationwide applauds the media for joining us in this important life saving crusade."

David Geanacopoulos, Director, Industry - Government Relations of Volkswagen of America, Inc. says, "As a proud supporter of MADD, Volkswagen congratulates and thanks this year's Media Award winners for building and sustaining public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. Your work illuminates the path toward concrete actions that save lives every day."

Each year, more than 13,000 people are killed in drunk driving crashes and half a million others are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. In 2006, MADD served more than 41,000 victims/survivors of drunk driving. In 2006, MADD launched its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving that includes support for increased enforcement, current and emerging technologies and rallying the public behind the idea of making it impossible one day for a vehicle to be driven by someone who is drunk.

The call for entries for the 2008 MADD Media Awards will be announced this fall. Stories broadcasted or published between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008 are eligible to enter the program.

For more information, visit http://www.madd.org/media-awards

MADD is a 501 (c) (3) charity with approximately 400 offices and 2 million members and supporters nationwide. Founded in 1980, MADD has helped save more than 330,000 lives.

For more information, visit http://www.madd.org/

Source: Mothers Against Drunk Driving