WRAL-TV's centralXpress.com Wins Gabriel

centralXpress.com, a WRAL-TV original program for children and teens, has received recognition for its excellence once again. The "Bomb Threat" episode of cXp has won a Gabriel Award in the Children's Programming category.

"Bomb Threat" was produced in early 2000 and originally aired on the first anniversary of the school shooting at Columbine. The episode dealt with school violence. Producer/director Dan Oliver explained, "The tricky thing about approaching this subject was deciding how to deal with violence without showing a lot of it…One of the show's original cast members, Josh Harris, suggested that we center the story around a bomb threat instead. There was a rash of school bomb threats in the weeks after Columbine, and his concept was that nearly everyone in the target audience could relate to what it was like on 'bomb threat day.' By focusing on the reactions of students, teachers and

Dan Oliver cXp's Producer/Director & Writer

"The Bomb Threat" is cXp's second Gabriel. The program won two years ago for "True Colors," part of WRAL-TV's Facing Race campaign. Last year cXp received an Honorable Mention for "Suzanne," the story of a girl dealing with a manic-depressive mom.

The National Catholic Association for Communicators presents the Gabriel Awards annually. The awards are national and seek to honor radio and television news stories and programs that elevate the dignity of the individual and/or enrich the community served.

The 2001 Gabriel Awards Banquet will take place on October 20, at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.