With no facts to back it up, LTTV advisor Bill Allan posted a note on the station’s website in 2007 naming it the best high school television station in the nation. No one questioned or fought him on this statement. Now, 11 years later, this claim has evidence to back it up. LTTV was presented with a national Emmy Award on Oct. 18 for its coverage of the 2018 Blackout basketball game.

“It feels good obviously, you can’t deny that,” announcer Max Abrahamson ‘18 said. “To see that your sports department was named the best nationally, that feeling is really indescribable.”

After winning first place in the Midwest Media Educators High School Video Festival, LTTV was considered for the National Student Production Award. A clip from their live sports coverage of the 2018 Blackout game was nominated by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

“I’m honored that we even got nominated,” Allan said, before the announcement of the final results. “Just to hear Tom Bergeron say ‘Lyons Township High School Blackout Game’ and to see the clip and know that thousands of people all over the world are going to be watching that live will be an honor in and of itself.”

Current and former LTTV students and staff gathered in NC room 17 during eighth period on Oct. 18, eagerly awaiting the results of the awards presentation. They tuned into the live-streamed awards presentation hosted at Emerson College in Los Angeles and captured the celebratory moment—in their usual nature—on camera, and have posted the reaction video on their website.

“We exploded with cheers and excitement,” Allan said. “The whole group was elated.”

There were 2,000 entries across the nation for a total of 15 categories. In past years, the pool has been closer to 1,000 or 1,500 entries, making this year more competitive than usual. LT’s coverage was selected among only four others for the “Live Events” category.

“I think if [someone] who didn’t even know about sports production watched all five entries, it would be very clear which one is the most professional looking and sounding,” Allan said. “It’s ours hands down. We are miles above the level of normal sports production.”

For basketball games, the crew travels with a production truck that holds close to half a million dollars worth of equipment, Allan said. This includes a Tricaster 8000 Switcher, a top professional broadcaster switcher with the ability to do instant live replays, live video rolls in and freeze frames. All sounds are controlled separately, and everything is done live. Although LTTV has such high-end equipment, it’s what the crew is able to do with this equipment that sets their production apart from others, Allan said.

Sideline announcer Leo Bruni ‘20 agrees: “I believe [the equipment] played a factor in the outcome, but I think a bigger factor was how experienced everyone was with the equipment. We were trained extremely well by Bill Allan and Paul Moorehouse to be ready for the game.”

When selecting the winner, not only is the whole production reviewed, but there needs to be a compelling narrative, Allan said. The judges are looking for a production that tells a whole story and covers it from multiple angles. It is important for sound levels and audio recording levels to be spot on, as well camera shots and directing.

LTTV was able to perfectly capture the moment Tyrese Shines ‘18 hit the shot that sent the basketball game into overtime, Abrahamson said. The astute directing, seamless replay and spot-on, passionate announcing only added to this coverage of the monumental play, setting LT apart from the other nominees.

“I think we just had our A crew on that game and everyone bought into that game, so it was a very special night,” Abrahamson said. “It just shows that if you believe in what you do and you invest in what you do, someday you might get that recognition.”