WINNER: VIRGINIA JOHNSON, ON THE TOWN REPORTER, BAY NEWS 9/TAMPA BAY ON DEMAND, BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS

Virginia Johnson’s friendly Cajun outlook (she grew up in Devil’s Swamp in Thibodaux, LA) always comes through when she’s out On the Town. And that’s a blessing for Bright House subscribers who depend on her always lively and fun reports about the local area. Whether catching up with celebrities passing through Tampa or just hitting the streets to find the most entertaining activities around town, Johnson always brings levity and frivolity to every segment, while also conveying useful information to her viewers. Perhaps it was growing up with 8 brothers who desensitized her to swamp creatures, but Johnson is fearless in her pursuit of regional fun. And it’s all available on subscribers’ VOD menu. We’re always impressed when VOD innovation comes not from a huge MSO but from a mid-size operator with a lot of local spunk and determination. And Johnson makes us wish we lived in the Sunshine State.

Honorable Mentions:

Scott Fais, Florida on a Tankful, Bright House Networks/Central Florida News 13: Fais has racked up more awards than we can list here for this fun series, but trust us: His chipper storytelling style and willingness to go "off the beaten path" to find unique stories is uncanny. His Surf the Mall segment about an indoor surfing simulator had us wondering how we can get one for the office.

Russ Thaler, Washington Post Live, Comcast SportsNet: Thaler launched Washington Post Live in March 2007, leaving the show in April 2009 to become Comcast SportsNet’s chief digital correspondent. We miss him but understand why he moved up the ladder. He’s just really good. Period.

Fast Fact

  • Johnson has a master’s degree in international business but caught the journalism bug while interviewing people in Malaysia for her final paper. She later got a another master’s — this time in journalism — from Northwestern U.

 

Back to Program Awards

The Daily

Subscribe
Friday–April 25

Hope Ahead: Charter Mitigates Video Losses as Mobile Grows

Despite losing 60,000 internet and 181,000 video customers during 1Q25, Charter’s stock rallied following its earnings call Friday morning, ultimately closing the day up 11.43%.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Sep 11
2025 Faxies Awards Faxies Nominations Open! Final deadline: 4/4/25
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact Carley Ashley, [email protected], for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.