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KNXV in Phoenix wins National Emmy Award for ‘Cash for Compliance’ investigative series

Oct. 2, 2018 By Rebecca McCarter

CINCINNATI – KNXV in Phoenix, an ABC affiliate of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), was honored with a National Emmy Award last night in New York City.

The KNXV investigative team won the top award in the Outstanding Regional News Story: Investigative Report category at the 39th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards hosted by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

KNXV won for its “Cash for Compliance” series of reports, which uncovered a self-described “advocacy” group collecting millions by exploiting the Americans with Disabilities Act. The KNXV team’s dogged reporting uncovered that the group had filed more than 1,700 lawsuits in just six months against small Arizona businesses for their own profit.

The reporting in this investigative series reached the attention of state officials, prompting the Arizona Attorney General to take legal action against the group for its “improper” lawsuits that led to led to the indefinite suspension of the lead attorney’s law license.

“For the third time in five years, KNXV has won a National Emmy Award for the investigative journalism produced by the ABC15 investigative team,” said Brian Lawlor, Scripps’ president of Local Media. “The station’s commitment to ask the hard questions and affect change that benefits the citizens of Arizona is unparalleled. The incredible journalism at KNXV has resulted in a more fair community that protects the rights of Americans with disabilities. We are incredibly proud of the dedication our stations have to investigative reporting in their communities across the country, and this is a shining example of that relentless commitment.”

Emmys were presented in 49 categories. The KNXV investigative team, including Dave Biscobing, Chad Lindstrom, Shawn Martin and Gerard Watson, had received two nominations in the category: “Cash for Compliance” and “Impostor Doctors.” There were only 11 regional reporting nominations nationwide in two categories.

The KNXV team won a National Emmy Award in 2016 for its investigative reporting for its “Arizona Dental Dangers” series.

Its “Cash for Compliance” series was also honored with a 2018 Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award and a 2016 IRE Award.

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) serves audiences and businesses through a growing portfolio of local and national media brands. With 33 television stations, Scripps is one of the nation’s largest independent TV station owners. Scripps runs a collection of national journalism and content businesses, including Newsy, the next-generation national news network; podcast industry leader Stitcher and its advertising network Midroll Media; and fast-growing national broadcast networks Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff. Scripps produces original programming including “Pickler & Ben,” runs an award-winning investigative reporting newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of 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.”

Media contact:
Kari Wethington, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3763, [email protected]