Sky News Wins RTS News Channel of the Year Award

Sky News scooped the prestigious News Channel of the Year award for a record seventh time at the Royal Television Society (RTS) awards last night (Wednesday 24 February 2010).

Beating off stiff competition from nominees CNN International and Al Jazeera English in the same category, the RTS judges said that Sky News "demonstrated it can report international news as well as its normal fare of UK news".

Head of Sky News, John Ryley, said of the win: “We're disruptive, unorthodox and bold – established but not part of the establishment.” He added: “It’s fitting that we’ve won the award 21 years after Sky News launched.”

Accepting the award he paid tribute to Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay and Asia Correspondent Alex Crawford, commending their "enterprise, professionalism and their sheer courage."  He said: “Their reporting from Pakistan and Afghanistan has been at the heart of Sky News’ coverage.”

The news channel continued its success at this year’s RTS awards winning in a further three categories, taking the number of RTS award wins in a single year to a record four.

Alex Crawford won Television Journalist of the Year for the second time. As Sky's Asia Correspondent, she has reported on a broad range of stories from her base in India - including the terror attacks in Mumbai, the fight against the Taliban in Pakistan and the civil war in Sri Lanka.

The RTS judges commended Alex on the "outstanding depth, quality and humanity” of her reporting.

Sky News’ Pakistan: Terror’s Frontline won the award for News Coverage – International. Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay became the first and only foreign journalist to enter the Swat Valley when it came under Taliban control, filming a series of reports that helped expose the Pakistan government's apparent capitulation to the insurgents.  RTS Judges commended Sky News' "brave reporting".

The Sky News and Skynews.com tribute wall - Fallen Heroes - which remembers those who have died in the Afghanistan conflict, won the Innovative News Award. The judges commended the “high production values” of the memorial.

John went on to thank all Sky News' rivals and said he was delighted to have "joined forces" with ITN and BBC to deliver live TV debates between the three party leaders during the election campaign.

Sky News was also nominated for two other awards including Tom Rayner for Young Journalist of the Year and Sky News Political Correspondent Joey Jones for Specialist Journalist.  Five News Crime Correspondent Jason Farrell was nominated for Specialist Journalist (his second nomination in a row).