FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 16, 2006
Contact:  Bobbie Fisher, Corporate Communications, 757.889.9107

WHRO RECEIVES 2005 EMMY NOMINATION
Public Broadcaster Recognized for Civil War Documentary

Norfolk:  WHRO, public broadcasting for Hampton Roads, has received an Emmy Award nomination for Episode 1 of Civil War in Hampton Roads.  The nominations were announced at an event hosted by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on May 8, 2006. 

Civil War in Hampton Roads is a series of one-hour historical documentaries about the War Between the States, produced by Cynthia Pardy of WHRO.  The first episode, which premiered in November of 2005 on WHRO TV15, illustrates events in 1861, the year that Southern Militia soldiers captured Gosport Navy Shipyard and Fort Norfolk; Brigadier General Benjamin F. Butler arrived at Fort Monroe and issued his Contraband of War decision; new technologies changed the way this war would be fought and residents of Hampton burned their city to the ground, shocking the Union command at Fort Monroe.  John V. Quarstein, director of the Virginia War Museum, hosts Episode 1.

Future episodes of this series will focus on the Battle of the Ironclads as well as the Peninsula Campaign.  Episode 2 is currently in production.

The 48th Emmy Awards will be presented on June 10, 2006, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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The National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter is a nonprofit, professional organization serving the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. television community. The Academy's Emmy Award is the industry's benchmark for the recognition of television excellence. 

WHRO is a public service media company that promotes education, culture and citizenship to the citizens of Hampton Roads, Virginia through a variety of telecommunications services.  Thousands of viewers and listeners tune in to broadcast programming on WHRO's public television and two public radio stations every day.  Since its founding 40 years ago to support education, WHRO has employed creativity and technology to serve its mission to enrich audiences through content that educates, entertains and promotes understanding. Owned by 14 local school divisions, WHRO delivers educational and new media services to 286,000 students and 25,000 educators per month as well.