MPT campaign honoring Vietnam vets wins three "Best in MD" awards

OWINGS MILLS, MD – Maryland Public Television (MPT) captured three “Best in Maryland” awards during ceremonies on December 6 hosted by the Public Relations Society of America, Maryland Chapter (PRSA-MD). The awards are associated with MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans, the largest initiative in the station’s history, which recognized and thanked the men and women who served in the military during the Vietnam War era. PRSA Maryland’s 2017 Best in Maryland Gala, attended by 200 area communications professionals, took place at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Hotel in Baltimore.

MPT’s Vietnam veterans initiative was recognized by PRSA-MD as Maryland’s best communications campaign in the “Events and Observances: More than 7 days” category. The multi-year community engagement initiative’s primary components were a three-hour documentary, Maryland Vietnam War Stories, a major two-day regional event called LZ Maryland, a statewide traveling exhibit, and an educator’s guide to accompany the documentary for use by high school history faculty when teaching about the Vietnam War. More information about the multi-year initiative can be found at mpt.org/vietnam.

Two communications campaign components also earned awards. In the “Videos” category, PRSA-MD recognized MPT’s four-minute video, titled MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans, for its use in building stakeholder awareness and support for the initiative. In the “Publications” category, the chapter recognized MPT’s 36-page publication Reflections - MPT Salutes Vietnam Veterans for its use of photography and text to chronicle the initiative from its infancy in 2012 through major events in the summer of 2016.

Maryland Public Television is a commemorative partner in the 50th anniversary observance of the U.S. Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration. The Commemorative Partner Program is designed for federal, state and local communities, veteran organizations and other nongovernmental organizations to assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring our Vietnam veterans and their families.

About MPT
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually. MPT’s community engagement connects viewers with local resources on significant health, education, and public interest topics through year-round outreach events, viewer forums, program screenings, and phone bank call-in opportunities. For more information visit mpt.org.