Stephanie Farmer reports from the Utilita Bowl, which hosted the joint Industry and Student awards
Sally Taylor received a special award for Services to Broadcasting at the RTS Southern Television Awards in Southampton. As the anchor of regional news magazine BBC South Today for almost 40 years, Taylor covered 10 general elections, reported from war-torn Bosnia and broadcast live from Antarctica. She retired from the show in March.
The BBC also won three awards from the news categories: Special Features Journalist for Ben Moore from BBC South East Investigations; Industry Newcomer for Clodagh Stenson from BBC South Investigations; and Regional TV Journalist for Katharine Da Costa from BBC South Today.
ITV News Meridian won the award for Strand within a News or Magazine Programme for its review of 40 years of coverage of the NHS blood infection scandal. The best Regional News Magazine Programme award went to ITV News Meridian East.
The Jury: Murder Trial, made for Channel 4 by the Brighton-based ScreenDog Productions, was named best Factual Series at the ceremony. The much-praised four-part series shone a light on Britain’s jury system by recreating a real murder trial from court transcripts.
The Single Documentary award was won by Hove’s Chalk Productions for an unflinching portrayal of the life of disabled artist Alison Lapper in the BBC One film In My Own Words: Alison Lapper.
The ceremony at the Hilton Utilita Bowl, Southampton, was hosted by BBC South Today presenter David Allard and ITV News Meridian anchor Sangeeta Bhabra.
University for the Creative Arts took home two Student Awards: Drama for the comic film The Extraordinary Marvel of Francesco Linguine and Factual: Short-Form for Tales of Exile, a documentary about exiled Palestinians in Jordan.
The other three principal awards were shared by Arts University Bournemouth (Animation), Bournemouth University (Factual: Long-Form) and University of Surrey (Entertainment and Comedy Drama).
Southampton Solent University received a special award for Outstanding Technical Achievement for Nothing But Net!. RTS Southern Chair Stuart Ray said: “The judges were incredibly impressed by the complexity and professionalism of this entry, a live five-hour broadcast with content equivalent to a major broadcaster.”
The awards ceremony was filmed and live-streamed by students from Southampton Solent University, led by senior lecturer and Southern committee member Kate O’Driscoll.
RTS Southern Television Awards winners
Industry Categories
Services to Broadcasting Sally Taylor
Single Documentary In My Own Words: Alison Lapper Chalk Productions for BBC One
Factual Series The Jury: Murder Trial ScreenDog Productions for Channel 4
Factual Entertainment Series The Makery Terrific Television for Sky Kids
Regional News Magazine Programme ITV News Meridian East
Strand within a News or Magazine Programme Blood Scandal ITV News Meridian
Regional Television Journalist Katharine Da Costa, BBC South Today
Special Features Journalist Ben Moore, BBC South East Investigations
Industry Newcomer Clodagh Stenson, BBC South Investigations
Short Form Content The Place Makers Ordnance Survey
Camerawork Joshua Bosley
Post Production Maria Veatriki Lykouri, Woodcut Media
Student Categories
Animation Why Won’t Anyone Eat Me? Arts University Bournemouth
Drama The Extraordinary Marvel of Francesco Linguine University for the Creative Arts
Entertainment and Comedy Drama UnCancelled University of Surrey
Factual: Long Form Perspective ADHD Bournemouth University
Factual: Short Form Tales of Exile University for the Creative Arts
Special Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement Nothing But Net! Southampton Solent University
