KCBS 740 has won four national Edward R. Murrow awards, the most of any station in the country. They were for overall excellence, use of sound, Web site and writing. In the radio category, the only other broadcasters to win four awards were networks — CBS Radio News and ABC Radio News. In all, 55 news organizations won 80 awards out of an initial pool of 3,723 entries from 568 news organizations. No other radio or television station in the Bay Area received a national Murrow award.
In regional Murrow awards, KCBS won eight and KGO won two. KCBS won for continuing coverage (Hurricane Katrina), feature-hard news (Katrina’s Wake), investigative reporting (Pot Clubs), news documentary (Hired Hands), overall excellence, use of sound (County Fair), Web site and writing. KGO-AM was honored for best newscast (KGO Morning News with Ed Baxter and Jennifer Jones) and sports reporting (Coach Carter). KFBK Sacramento won an award for news series. Northern California stations dominated the regional Murrow competition, winning 11 of 13 awards. The only Southern California stations to win were KFI-AM for spot news coverage of the Metrolink accident and KPCC-FM Pasadena for a feature story on psychedelic cancer treatment.