STATION OF THE YEAR
WKYT
Running Time | 29:59
It’s not often a newsroom covers three of the biggest stories of the year within the span of four days.
September 16: Russell County, Kentucky sheriff’s deputy Josh Phipps was killed in the line of duty after an attempted traffic stop turned deadly.
September 18: The 10-day manhunt for the gunman who opened fire on drivers along a Kentucky interstate comes to surprising end when a livestreaming couple on a date solves the case.
September 19: In a story that also garnered national headlines, a Kentucky sheriff is accused of killing a judge in his chambers.
In an unprecedented series of breaking news, WKYT presented viewers with around-the-clock coverage as the significance of these stories folded.
Helping the community.
Serving and building a better community in many neighborhoods across Kentucky marks the almost seven decades of WKYT serving the Lexington market.
After devastating flooding, WKYT worked with community partners to raise money to support flood relief efforts in Kentucky’s Appalachian counties and in other parts of the state.
"Appalachia Strong” supported the ARH Foundation Fund for Flood Relief and the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Crisis Fund. These funds directly supported the families impacted by the flooding.
Each year, WKYT helps raise millions of dollars for the community and spotlights efforts ranging from bringing awareness to the causes of cancer to why it’s important for a thriving arts community.
Partnering with The Mission of Hope, WKYT helped to bring hope to our less fortunate neighbors in Appalachia each Christmas through a major donation effort.
Investigating important issues.
In addition to regular news coverage and multiple 30-minute specials created by its investigative team, WKYT spotlighted a wide array of issues such as water lines contaminated by lead pipes and questions surrounding public school spending.
Addressing trust in journalism.
Recognizing that we must proactively address concerns about trust, we reinforce to viewers that WKYT is their trusted news source. The Fact✓Check brand is our way of reinforcing this.
In another year marked by divisiveness in Washington and Kentucky’s state capital, politics took center stage. In addition to the long-running weekly public affair program “Kentucky Newsmakers,” more than 2,400 viewers completed our poll to rank key issues to help steer our coverage in the final weeks of the Presidential campaign.
Leading in digital content.
WKYT took major steps to broaden its digital coverage, as the station brought viewers a more in-depth look at stories with interactive charts and graphics to help readers better understand a story.