News: WKYC video tribute to Herb Score named nation's best

CHARLOTTE, NC -- A WKYC video obituary in memory of Herb Score was awarded top honors by the Society of Professional Obituary Writers at their annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The tribute was produced by Dick Russ and video editor Matt Hein and aired following Score's death on November 11, 2008. It is still being viewed on wkyc.com. (See the player below)

Alana Baranick, director of the Society of Professional Obituary Writers said the judges "absolutely loved" the production, which recounted highlights of Herb Scores life and career, and his contributions to the Northeast Ohio community.

She said the video was selected from among entries which included the network obituaries of Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, and Sir Edmund Hillary. Finalists in the broadcast category included submisssions from CBS News and the BBC.

"Matt and I are honored to have been selected," said Dick Russ, who attended the awards ceremony in Charlotte.

"It was a privilege to have been able to share with the people of Northeast Ohio some of the best memories we all have of Herb Score as a ballplayer, a broadcaster, and a beloved member of our community," Russ said.

Among the winners in print categories were stories from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Toronto Globe & Mail, and the Philadelphia Enquirer.

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