EMMY Awarded to Local Station for Impaired-Driving Series

STATEWIDE—On July 14, 2018, the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Telemundo the 2018 EMMY Award for a special series about the impact of impaired driving as part of the "Political/Government" category.

Last year, Denver-based Spanish-language station KDEN-Telemundo—in partnership with CDOT and its multicultural communications contractor, Hispanidad—ran a four-part series titled, "Vidas Truncadas: Lives Turned Upside Down." This series featured thought-provoking stories detailing the impact of impaired-driving decisions on a victim, an incarcerated repeat offender, as well as interviews with law enforcement and attorneys.

Entries for the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Annual Awards ceremony were received from Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.

This is the second EMMY in which CDOT has been involved. In July 2017, CDOT was honored with the EMMY for Outstanding Community/Public Service (PSA) — Single Spot for the "Si Tomas, No Manejes" spot, featuring local rock en español band, iZCALLi. This spot was originally released as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, in an effort to raise awareness among the state’s younger Hispanic drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving.

According to a 2015 CDOT survey, 70 percent of males ages 21 to 35 believe they are safe to drive after one to two drinks, yet one-third of traffic fatalities in Colorado are alcohol related.

"CDOT is responding to these misconceptions by partnering with bold messaging partners to roll out informative campaigns to raise awareness among all Colorado adults," says Sam Cole, traffic safety communications manager at CDOT.

In Colorado, Hispanics comprise over 21 percent of the state's population, with a median age of 27 compared to a median age of 40 for non-Hispanic whites. Fifty-three percent of the state's Hispanic households speak some level of Spanish, with 47 percent speaking only English.

Download the English version of the PSA.

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