KNXV in Phoenix wins National Emmy Award for "Arizona's Dental Dangers" investigative reporting series

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Sep 22, 2016, 02:44 ET

CINCINNATI, Sept. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- KNXV in Phoenix, an ABC affiliate of The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP), was honored with a National Emmy Award last night in New York City. The newsroom won the top award in the Regional News Story: Investigative Reporting category at the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards hosted by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS).

KNXV won for its multi-part investigative series "Arizona's Dental Dangers," which brought to light a broken system that was supposed to protect the people of Arizona from dentists with troubled pasts. The station's year-long investigation exposed a hidden disciplinary system that allowed dentist after dentist to keep state licenses despite repeated malpractice, criminal arrests, permanent patient injuries and even deaths.

KNXV Investigative Reporter Dave Biscobing's work quickly got the attention of Arizona lawmakers, who passed a much more transparent system requiring all disciplinary action against dentists to be posted online for consumers to see. They also now require a rigorous background check before a dental license can be granted.

The implications of these stories continue to grow. Most recently, the governor of Arizona called for an overhaul of the entire health board regulatory system. View the series here.

"KNXV's dogged approach to reporting made for a compelling story for our audiences and resonated with state lawmakers," said Rich Boehne, chairman, president and CEO of Scripps. "We're incredibly proud of the Phoenix team and the work that our journalists do every day in uncovering important stories in their communities."

Emmys were presented in 46 categories. Three other Scripps teams were nominated, including KGTV in San Diego, Newsy and Scripps Washington Bureau. For more information about the awards, visit emmyonline.com.

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of television, radio and digital media brands. Scripps is one of the nation's largest independent TV station owners, with 33 television stations in 24 markets and a reach of nearly one in five U.S. households. It also owns 34 radio stations in eight markets. Scripps also runs an expanding collection of local and national digital journalism and information businesses, including multi-platform satire and humor brand Cracked, podcast industry leader Midroll Media and over-the-top video news service Newsy. Scripps also produces television shows including "THE LIST" and "The Now," runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and serves as the longtime steward of the nation's largest, most successful and longest-running educational program, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the motto, "Give light and the people will find their own way."

SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company