Hugh Haugland Award

TORONTO , Nov. 3 /CNW/ - RTNDA Canada is pleased to announce its annual award for news videography will now be known as the Hugh Haugland Award in memory of the veteran CTV cameraman who died earlier this year.

Haugland was killed in August when the helicopter he was in crashed while he was videotaping the aftermath of a tornado in Mont Laurier, Quebec . Haugland spent 24 years at CTV Montreal . Among other assignments, he covered 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the London terror plots in 2007.

"Hugh embodied so many of the qualities we all value in journalism: A great eye, a big heart, and an intense sense of curiosity and wonder about the world around him", said Jed Kahane, Director of News and Public Affairs at CTV Montreal and a longtime colleague and friend of Hugh's. "He was deeply committed to always learning more about his craft so that we could all tell the most beautiful and compelling stories possible. Lending his name to an award honoring the best videographers in the country seems very fitting to those who knew him and now miss him so much".

Haugland was the son of CTV Montreal anchor Bill Haugland who retired in 2006. He was thrilled to hear RTNDA Canada was honouring his son: "Hugh was known to his friends as Huge - and that is the way I regard this honour in his name." The first Hugh Haugland Award for Creative Use of Video will be presented June 18th, 2010 at the RTNDA National Conference in Edmonton .

RTNDA Canada is the voice of electronic journalists and news managers in Canada . The members of RTNDA Canada recognize the responsibility of broadcast journalists to promote and to protect the freedom to report independently about matters of public interest and to present a wide range of expressions, opinions and ideas. The RTNDA Canada Code of Ethics adopted by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, is used to measure fairness and accuracy in our profession.

For further information: Sherry Denesha, Operations Manager, RTNDA Canada at [phone] or email [email protected] or visit www.rtndacanada.com