Double his pleasure.
Roger Hudson, a fourth-year reporter at KOA 850-AM, took not one but two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards last week from the Radio-Television News Directors Association.
He won for a half-hour documentary, “Letters Home,” interviews with Coloradans who provide support for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He also won for, get this, “Santa School,” the hoary holiday yarn about learning to be a mall Santa Claus. Hudson gave it an unusual twist by lacing his report with sound bites from traditional Christmas films like “Miracle on 42nd Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Warm and fuzzy bits.
But his pride and joy is the “Letters” documentary. “That was a labor of love,” says Hudson, who grew up in Alaska. “I did 50 or 60 interviews with soldiers’ families. It was five months of my life.
“If that wins, that will make me very happy. If ‘Santa’ wins, that would just make me giggle and be ashamed.”
Hudson can’t hide his glee, in any case. “You know, this is going to sound really cheesy. I came from a station that never submitted (an entry). To have won two is so cool!”
Buenos dias, Peter
Peter “There’s a Mexican Under My Bed!” Boyles, who’s been riffing on his opposition to illegal immigration for weeks, is off to take a firsthand look at the issue.
The talk-show host will spend Wednesday and Thursday (KHOW 630-AM, 5 to 9 a.m.) on the border near Nogales, Mexico. He doesn’t want to talk too much about who he’ll be with or what they’ll be doing, other than to say, “We’re going to watch ’em cross.”
He will, he says, “be staying on a ranch.” And he won’t be carrying a sidearm.
Mostly, “I want to see what the truth is about what’s going on down there.” He’s anxious, he says, to talk to the watchers who are watching who’s watching the border.
Around the dial
New country station KWLI 92.5-FM (“Willie”) adds its first two jocks today. Joyce Jefferson, late of KYGO, on from 10 a.m to 3 p.m., and Tad Swenson, last at KXKL 105.1-FM (“Kool”), takes over from 3-8 p.m. … Michael Schiavo, whose wife, Terri, became the center of a life-support controversy a year ago, guests on “Colorado’s Morning News” with Steffan Tubbs and April Zesbaugh this morning on KOA. … Denver author Stephen Singular discusses his “Unholy Messenger: The Life and Crimes of the BTK Serial Killer” on the second hour of “Anderson Cooper 360” (9 p.m. Tuesday, CNN). … More awards: Wick Rowland of KBDI-Channel 12 and Mark Crowley of KNUS 710-AM anointed Broadcast Citizen of the Year in TV and radio by the Colorado Broadcasters Association. … Quotable: “I don’t deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.” Jack Benny
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
