“Grounds for Removal”

Recipient of the Best Investigative Report (Television) award in The Charles E. Green Awards (2011)

Brett Shipp, Mark Smith and Billy Bryant
WFAA, Dallas-Fort Worth

Judge Comments:

“Grounds for Removal” is a beautiful example of how persistent investigative journalism can potentially save the lives of millions.  WFAA-TV crafted a four-year investigation that focused on a small piece of metal used to connect Texas homeowners to their gas lines.  Through wonderful storytelling and compelling photography, Brett Shipp, Mark Smith and Billy Bryant transformed a technical and complicated subject into the kind of television viewers could understand and ultimately become outraged over.  Augmented by detailed video documentation and decades of records, including depositions, internal memos, campaign finance records and inspection reports, WFAA-TV deserves the Headliner Award for staying with the story and ultimately holding a massive utility company and the state officials who regulate it accountable.

Tisha Thompson
Investigative Reporter
WTTG-TV Fox 5 News

To view the entered material from WFAA-TV’s prize-winning series,
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