May 4, 2008 11:10 pm US/Eastern
5 CBS4 Journalists Honored Sunday
DORAL (CBS4) ―
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Michael Williams, one of the recipents of the Silver Circle Award Sunday.
CBS
Five veteran CBS4 journalists were honored Sunday evening by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast chapter for significant contributions to television when the accept the Silver Circle Award for 25 years of service to broadcasting. This is the first time 5 people from one news organization have been honored by the organization in a single year.
CBS4 weekend anchor Ileana Varela, photojournalists Rafael Murciano and Manny Alvarez, Chief Investigative Reporter Michele Gillen and anchor/reporter Michael Williams were presented along with former University of Miami professor Carolyn Cefalo in a ceremony Sunday evening at the Doral Resort and Spa.
A who's Who of South Florida's broadcast community attended, including a number of former recipients of the award who presented the latest honorees. The ceremony introduced a number of college students who are recipients of scholarships from the chapter, which works to encourage the next generation of journalists even as they honor the achievements of the current group.
The Silver Circle honors extended service by an individual to the viewers of South Florida. To be considered, a broadcaster must have at least 25 years of service, a majority of which must be in South Florida. In an industry which tends to see professionals move from city to city, it honors the decision to become a part of the community, learning it's needs and using that education to best serve viewers.
Over the years, some of the most famous faces in South Florida television have been honored with the award, including iconic newscaster Ralph Renick, groundbreaking anchor Anne Bishop, and 99 others who appeared in front of the camera and worked behind the scenes.
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After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Florida,
Ileana Varela
started her career in radio, and quickly moved to television in her adopted hometown of St. Petersburg, reporting for WTOG-44. In 1985, she moved to Miami and WPLG-10, and in 1989, joined WCIX (Later WFOR) as a reporter. In 1993, she was promoted to anchor, most recently for WFOR's weekend broadcasts. Ileana is a multiple-Emmy winner and also the recipient of 2 SDX Green Eyeshade awards. She currently anchors weekend newscasts on WFOR and reports for weekday newscasts. Her husband, Al Rodriguez, is already a member of the Silver Circle. She will be introduced by Dave Game, a longtime colleague and currently Executive Producer of Digital Media for CBS4 and Silver Circle recipient.
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Multiple Emmy winner
Michael Williams
brought his talent to television in 1980, graduating as a Gator to take a job at WTVX in West Palm Beach, where he worked as a reporter and anchor. In 1982, he moved to Cincinnati for 2 years before returning to Miami and WSVN, where he served as a lead reporter for 8 years before moving down the Intercoastal to WTVJ. Michael reported for WTVJ and for MSNBC and NBC News, where he provided reports for affiliates. He returned to WTVJ to take the anchor chair, and after a short foray to the private sector as a spokesperson for FPL, Michael returned to journalism as a reporter and anchor for WFOR. Michael has a number of journalism awards, including multiple Emmys. He is the co-recipient of the Alfred I DuPont award. He will be introduced by his friend and former WTVJ colleague Bob Mayer who is also a member of the Silver Circle.
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Michele Gillen
is WFOR's Chief Investigative reporter who started her career in the late 70's in Bangor, Maine. She moved directly from Maine to the other end of US1, coming to Miami and WPLG in 1980, where she anchored and reported for 8 years, winning the Columbia DuPont Silver Baton for her investigative reporting. Michele joined NBC News in 1988, working for Dateline and Expose, before returning to Miami in 1993 to anchor the news for WTVJ, for whom she also did investigative reporting. Michele moved to CBS in 1995, where she joined the staff of KCBS, before again returning to Miami to join the investigative unit at WFOR, where she has crafted award winning investigative reports for more than a decade. She will be introduced by retiring WPLG anchor Dwight Lauderdale, a longtime friend and also a member of the Silver Circle.
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Rafael Murciano
learned how to make pictures for television the hard way, as someone who carried the heavy stuff for the guy with the camera. Rafael started as a grip, carrying the reporter and tripod for photographers at WSVN and WPLG. What he really wanted to do was take the pictures, and he finally got the chance when he was hired in 1985 as a photographer for WCIX. His first assignment came back with nothing but green video, but Rafael got the hang of things and developed a fine eye, growing into one of the most respected videographers in South Florida. Rafael's work has earned him so many Emmys that he's run out of places to display them, and earned him the respect of the reporters who work with him as someone who can handle any assignment and produce outstanding pictures. He's especially known for his stop-motion photography, including one project that earned him a spot at an international film festival. Rafael's entire career has been in south Florida, most of it at WFOR, and both his colleagues and his community have benefited greatly from his contributions. He will be introduced by his friend and colleague, Silver Circle recipient Gary Nelson.
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Manny Alvarez
has been sharing his video with South Florida viewers for 28 years, and is known by his friends and colleagues as the hardest working man in South Florida television. He was an early member of the Nightly Business Report produced by WPBT, traveling around the country and helping to create some of the early reports which gave the NBR it's national reputation. In 1984, he joined the staff of WCIX, later WFOR, where he settled in doing outstanding work in one of the underappreciated jobs in local TV journalism, the general assignment photographer. Manny would work all hours, take any assignment, and day after day make something out of nothing. Many of the most memorable pictures in South Florida television came through the lens of his camera, but it is the volume and consistency of his work over the years that makes him so important to the community. He will be introduced by his fiancé, Reisel Larrea.
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Carolyn Cefalo
recently retired after more than 40 years at the University of Miami. She received her Undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University. She worked as a staff member producing video programs. For the past 22 years, Carolyn was a Professor of broadcast production in the School of Communication. She is a former President of the Suncoast Chapter and the recipient of its highest honor, the Governor's Award. She will be introduced by friend and UM graduate Al Sunshine, CBS4 Consumer investigator and member of the Silver Circle.
Silver Circle nominations are made by members of the Suncoast Chapter of the Nation al Academy of Televesion Arts and Sciences.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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