The Chron and the Merc usually pick up a number of National Headliner Awards every year, but this year they struck out. Ray Chavez of the Oakland Tribune, who earned a third-place Headliner for his photography portfolio, was the only newspaper winner in the Bay Area this year.

More than 90 Headliner awards will be handed out to newspapers by The Press Club of Atlantic City at a banquet on May 17. In 2006, the Chronicle won three Headliners while the Merc and the Oakland Tribune each got one. In 2007, the Chron won five Headliners and the Merc two.

However, electronic journalists in the Bay Area won six Headliners this year.

KCBS-AM 740 won three Headliners, the most of any news organization in the region. The all-news station landed first-place awards for its Web site and newscast (its morning team) and a second-place trophy for documentary or public affairs (Doug Sovern).

San Francisco’s Current TV, the cable network started by Al Gore, won a first-place Headliner for investigative reporting by a broadcast or cable network for a story titled “From Russia With Hate.”

KPIX-TV CBS5 earned a second-place Headliner for business and consumer reporting on TV. The award was for a story titled “The Wireless Runaround II” by Jeanette Pavini, Craig Franklin, Jeff Harris.

KGO-AM 810 received a third-place award for breaking news for its coverage of a wildfire by its afternoon news team.