KTTZ-TV Wins Two Emmys

Paul Hunton, KTTZ-TV station manager, remembers the feeling of winning his first major industry award.

“Winning was a surreal experience,” Hunton said. “They call the nominees, then they called us out as the winner, and I really don’t remember much after that. You go on stage, say a speech, and they whisk you backstage, and the statuettes are guarded, and you have to sign for them. It’s crazy.”

Local PBS affiliate KTTZ-TV won two Emmy awards from the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences – Lonestar Region for the projects “Guns Up: The History of Raider Red” and “Put Me to Suffering.” These are the first Emmy wins for the local television station, after three nominations in years past.

Hunton, along with Jonathan Seaborn, production director, Daniel Ballard, producer and editor, and Reagan Doyal, producer and assistant director for “Put Me to Suffering,” attended the regional Emmy awards in Austin.

“I am continually impressed with the work KTTZ produces,” said Chris Cook, managing director of Texas Tech Public Media. “Never surprised, but always impressed.”

Hunton said he and his colleagues submitted the two pieces because they represent their greatest work within the submission period, which was May 2014 – May 2015.

These pieces also best represent KTTZ-TV viewers and supporters, he said, with a story about Texas Tech University and an “extraordinary Lubbock citizen.” Hunton added that he thinks the stories connect with people’s emotions.

“Guns up: The History of Raider Red” tells the story of the beloved Texas Tech University mascot, from his beginning as a cartoon by Dirk West in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal to the 2012 Capitol One Mascot National Championship.

“Put Me to Suffering” follows the journey of Ted Dotts and his wife Betty Dotts as the former Lubbock pastor decided to  forego cancer treatment after he was diagnosed in 2014.

“It deals with the power of Ted’s faith, the legacy of his life, and the love of their beautiful marriage,” Hunton said.

Hunton said winning was both humbling and nerve-racking.

“To be in a room full of your peers who worked just as hard and want to win just as bad…” he said. “Getting past the glitz and the glamour is easy once they start announcing winners.”

Winning an Emmy represents not only the quality in production of stories, but more importantly, the stories and storytelling, Cook said.

“The ability to keep an audience engaged is not always easy,” Cook said. “Paul and his staff continually deliver on these types of pieces.”

KTTZ-TV is creating world-class work that rivals any other media outlet in the country, Hunton said.

“It also says that Texas Tech University values the power of public media and has invested time and resources in making it one of the best PBS organizations in the country,” Hunton said, adding that KTTZ-TV is very grateful to Texas Tech University President M. Duane Nellis.

“He values the work we do and understands that great public media adds to the quality of TTU’s missions to be one of the best higher education institutions in the world,” Hunton said.

Added Cook: “The word ‘Emmy’ represents a pinnacle in the film and TV industry. I am proud of our staff and their talents. There are people on our staff who may not have directly edited, shot footage or wrote script, but it takes all of those people on staff for one organization to be successful. I am proud of them all.”