Strong business journalism on TV

The winners of the 2006 duPont-Columbia University Broadcast News Awards included two business journalism pieces. They are:

1. CNBC for The Age of Wal-Mart: Inside America’s Most Powerful Company

A 2-hour documentary about the corporate strategies of Wal-Mart

Reporter David Faber wove a comprehensive story about the tremendous growth and frugal corporate philosophy of the world’s largest company, building on unprecedented access to Wal-Mart and its CEO Lee Scott. The business insights of Faber and the CNBC team permeated this detailed exposition of Wal-Mart’s competitive advantage.

For CNBC: David Faber, reporter; Lori Gordon, producer; David Faber, Lori Gordon, Glen Rochkind, writers; Patrick Ahearn, editor; Wendy Lehman, coordinating producer; Angel Perez, director of photography; Glen Rochkind, executive producer.

2. FRONTLINE, WGBH, Boston, and The New York Times for The Secret History of the Credit Card

A comprehensive examination exposing the many pitfalls for consumers in America’s credit-card economy

The calculated strategies of banks to export consumer debt to states that have no limits on interest rates or usury laws were laid bare in this one-hour documentary about the credit card industry. Consumer credit cards are now the most profitable products of commercial banks, and escalating interest rates have led to a wave of personal bankruptcies. FRONTLINE collaborated on this investigation with The New York Times, producing a stunning fact-filled narrative with information vital to all American consumers.

For FRONTLINE, WGBH, Boston, and The New York Times: Lowell Bergman, correspondent; David Rummel, Nelli Kheyfets, producers; Brian Fassett, editor; Remy Weber, field producer; Robin Stein, Mike Schreiber, associate producers; Will Lyman, narrator; Ann Derry, Lawrie Mifflin, executive producers for New York Times Television; David Fanning, executive producer for FRONTLINE.

The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards honoring overall excellence in broadcast journalism were established in 1942 by Jessie Ball duPont in memory of her late husband, Alfred I. duPont. With his cousins, Mr. duPont transformed their gunpowder company into the chemical company E.I. duPont de Nemours. He later created a separate successful financial institution of his own in Florida and was owner of a chain of small-town, liberal newspapers in Delaware. The duPont Awards, administered since 1968 by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, are considered the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prizes, which the Journalism School also administers