ABC7 Chicago Wins Six Regional Emmy Awards
The station earned honors for local news coverage during an awards ceremony held Saturday at the Swissotel Chicago.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Awards
ABC7 Chicago secured six regional Emmy Awards, including a top honor for its reporting on a March 10, 2026, tornado outbreak. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented the awards during their annual chapter ceremony.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the station's role in local broadcast journalism, specifically for its comprehensive coverage of significant regional weather events.
ABC7 Chicago took home six awards, including recognition for an evening newscast covering tornadoes in Kankakee and Lake Village, Indiana. These honors follow the professional tenure of Ken Bedford, who has served at the station for more than 50 years.
The players
ABC7 Chicago
This local television station provides news and programming to the Chicago area.
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
This professional organization supports the advancement of television and honors excellence through the Emmy Awards.
Ken Bedford
A long-time broadcast professional who was inducted into the Gold Circle after more than 50 years at the station.
Kathy Brock
A former broadcast anchor who was inducted into the Silver Circle following her 28-year career at WLS-TV.
The details
The ceremony also featured the induction of two veteran broadcasters into the honor circles of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Kathy Brock and Ken Bedford received these lifetime achievement distinctions in recognition of their long-term contributions to the industry in Chicago.
Timeline
March 10, 2026: Tornado outbreak occurred.
1990: Kathy Brock began her tenure at WLS-TV.
2018: Kathy Brock retired from WLS-TV.
October 24, 2026: Annual awards ceremony held on Saturday at the Swissotel Chicago.
Culture Shift
These inductions and awards represent a broader societal shift in how the broadcast industry preserves local legacy and institutional knowledge. By formalizing these honors, organizations are increasingly emphasizing long-term contributions amidst the rapid changes in media consumption habits.
Viewers in the Chicago area may notice an increase in promotional content surrounding these awards during local newscasts. The recognition serves as a marker for audiences to identify which programs and reporting teams the industry considers most essential for regional news.
The takeaway
Professional recognition in broadcasting underscores the value of sustained careers and high-stakes reporting in maintaining trust with local audiences. Readers can look to these industry benchmarks as a way to distinguish high-quality journalism from general content in a crowded media landscape.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest industry honors in the Awards section.
