Programming by Lakeshore Public Media has earned broadcasting industry honors.

The Merrillville-based public television company recently earned two Telly Awards, which honors excellence in video and television across all screens.

“We are thrilled that our work – showcasing some of the great stories to come out of Northwest Indiana and Chicago – has been recognized with this prestigious award,” said James Muhammad, president and CEO of Lakeshore Public Media. “We are proud of our team and the work they do every day.”

The Telly Awards were founded in 1979 to honor excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials with non-broadcast video and television programming added soon after. With the recent evolution and rise of digital video, the Telly Awards also reflects and celebrates video on and offline. This year’s theme was ‘Telly Award Winners Tell Great Stories’.

An episode of the Lakeshore PBS series Friends & Neighbors was awarded a 2020 Silver Telly in the Television General-Public Interest/Awareness category. Produced by Tony Santucci, the episode featured segments on the Humane Indiana Wildlife Center, Pondapalooza backyard music festival, the Student Conservation Association of Chicago’s efforts in Northwest Indiana and local eatery Blue Top Drive-In.

“We Are Lakeshore PBS” was a 2020 Bronze Telly Winner for Promotional Video /Branding. The spot promoted the station’s recent upgrade to a new digital transmitter and its 30-year history of serving the communities of Northwest Indiana and Chicago.

The 2020 competition included more than 12,000 entries from around the country and five continents. Winners were selected by the Telly Award Judging Council, a group of leading video and television experts representing the entertainment, publishing, advertising, and emerging technology sectors.