At the 67th annual New York Emmy Awards, CUNY TV received two awards for their series “CENTRO Presents: Puerto Rican Voices” and another for “CUNY Laureates.”
On the morning of July 26th, 2024, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced CUNY TV’s record 23 nominations for the New York Emmy Awards. The 24-hour television station now has a total of 44 awards to their name after the official ceremony was held on Oct. 26th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
“We are excited to be recognized by our peers in the television industry with these three New York Emmy Awards, especially since we work in the most competitive television market of the country,” CUNY TV Interim Executive Director Chiqui Cartagena told CUNY.
“CUNY Laureates: Julius Axelrod – The Thrill of Discovery” is one of the awarded projects. This particular piece of media is a health/medical-based short form content available on YouTube and is an episode of “CUNY Laureates,” which, as described by official CUNY TV media channels, “is a documentary series about the lives and achievements of CUNY graduates who went on to win major awards in their respective fields.”
This particular episode is focused on Julius Axelrod and his discovery of reuptake, which was a particularly important advancement for the pharmaceutical industry. The episode begins with Axelrod as a young lab assistant getting severely injured when he accidentally breaks a jar full of concentrated ammonia. The documentary jumps between different points in time whilst narrating Axelrod’s story.
This incident then segues to the mechanism behind the release of the flight or fight hormone adrenaline. This leads to Axelrod doing extensive research on the hormone later in his life and discovering the reuptake system, forever changing the medical field. The winners involved in the making of the video are Executive Producer, Writer and Editor Petar Talijančić, Producer and Writer Joseph Montalbano, Adam Finger for Graphics and Animation, and Supervising Producer Jose Luis Orbegozo.
Another New York Emmy Award recipient, focusing on politics is “CENTRO Presents: Puerto Rican Voices – The Tax Paradise.” This documentary series, which is also available to watch on CUNY TV’s website, highlights how the Puerto Rican “government puts forward a privatization agenda, providing unprecedented tax breaks to investors.”
The episode directed by Ana María Garcia, spotlights specific laws, such as Acts 20, 22 and 60, meant to promote investment by providing residents with tax breaks. Speakers then share how certain politicians exploit people’s dislike for these laws to gain power, only to later abandon their promises once elected.
Combined with the aftermath of hurricane María, this has burdened the local residents. However, the episode highlights the resistance from communities such as Puerta de Tierra, standing against colonialism, gentrification, and untrustworthy political leaders. Their perseverance, knowledge, and willpower drive the story.
From the same series, “CENTRO Presents: Puerto Rican Voices – After the Boats Left” is also a New York Emmy Award winner, with Director Sonia Fritz and Producer Omaya Sosa Pascual. This episode focuses on the residents of Fajardo facing difficulty after the government relocates the ferry service and operations center from Fajardo to Ceiba. Locals including fishermen, business owners and others dependent on the ferry transportation system are all in the midst of financial instability. This negligence from the political parties in power is criticized by the people of Fajardo and its community leader Elba Dávila. The documentary features numerous sceneries of the town, describing the abandoned properties, the gardens, and the ships sailing over the surrounding body of water.
CUNY TV Interim Executive Director Chiqui Cartagena, Executive Producers Yarimar Bonilla, Angel Antonio Ruiz and Juan Carlos Davila are some of the production involved in the making of the CENTRO episodes.
The other nominees from “CUNY Laureates” are the episodes “Gertrude Elion, Robert Aumann and Hunter College History,” “Leon Lederman – The Quest for Simplicity,” “Bright Sheng – My Song,” “Ada Louise Huxtable – The Art We Must Live With” and another “CENTRO” nominee: “Puerto Rican Voices – Burning Ashes.”
Since 1985, CUNY TV has provided an educational medium integral for cultural preservation. It has helped with promoting social awareness regarding numerous contemporary issues and providing a way for people to explore their creativity in the scholarly world. The annual awards are important for celebrating and acknowledging the effort that goes into making these films, while bringing attention to global issues that are directly connected to the U.S. and helping students learn more about the world around them.
