Center for the Arts Receives Fifth Telly Award for 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo has been selected to receive a bronze Telly Award for the television program Building UB, Growing Community: The Draft Plan (Information Programming), which was produced for the Office of the President.

This award is in addition to the four previously announced 2009 bronze Telly Awards the Center for the Arts received in recognition of the following video productions: UB College of Arts and Sciences (Development Feature); Bullseye Series Season 2 (Sports Programming); Arts in Healthcare (Health and Wellness Feature); and UB Bulls vs. Temple "The Catch" (Sports Feature).

The Center for the Arts has now received a total of 14 Telly Awards for its video and television productions.

In 2005 the Center for the Arts embarked on an initiative to produce original programming for television. The resulting series, Music is Art LIVE @ The Center, ran for six seasons and continues to be broadcast today across New York State. These award-winning programs were produced by a group of Center for the Arts staff, local media professionals, and UB students. In 2007, an increasing number of campus media projects led the center to formally establish a professional group -- Center for the Arts Video Production.

Thomas Burrows, executive director of the Center for the Arts states, "As we all work to strengthen and grow our programs and realize the goals of UB2020, the impact of video for the Web and television is indispensable. Our campus partners now use our services to educate the community, engage alumni and donors, recruit students, showcase their achievements and more."

Burrows adds, "In less than four years, the video productions initiated by the center have already achieved national recognition. This is a testament to the fine work performed by the professional staff involved in this enterprise, and we are grateful for their special talents."

With nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 states and around the world, this year's 30th anniversary has been one of the most competitive and successful in the long history of the Telly Awards.

Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest film and video productions, and groundbreaking Web commercials, videos and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

This year's winners include companies, agencies and organizations of all sizes, from large multinational media companies to small ad agencies and local production houses. A sample of other current Telly Award winners includes: American Cancer Society, Fox Soccer Channel, Harpo Productions, HBO Latin America, Miami Dolphins, Microsoft, NBC Universal, New York Jets, Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros.

A prestigious judging panel of 350 accomplished industry professionals evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work. Entries do not compete against each other, and instead are judged against a high standard of merit.

For more information on the Center for the Arts visit: http://www.ubcfa.org.

Further details on the 30th Annual Telly Awards are available at http://www.tellyawards.com.