The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced that Premiere Radio Networks has won the Media Eclipse Award for Audio/Multi-Media Internet coverage of Thoroughbred racing. Premiere Radio's broadcast of the 128th Kentucky Derby, produced by Shelby Whitfield, aired on May 4, 2002. This is the fourth Media Eclipse Award for Premiere Radio and Whitfield. A portion of the broadcast can be heard online at the NTRA Web site, NTRA.com, and at the Daily Racing Form Web site, drf.com."Premiere Radio is a firm believer and supporter of Thoroughbred racing, and I'm fortunate to have a great broadcast team," said Whitfield. "The Kentucky Derby is indeed the 'world's greatest two minutes in sports,' and we are proud to have provided coverage of the race to those across the country and to our military forces around the world who may have been unable to view the race on television."Judges for the Audio category, which was broadened this year to include Internet-based, multi-media presentations with an audio component, were George Nicholaw, vice president and general manager of KNX News Radio in Los Angeles, Jim Militello, a sports reporter for Associated Press Radio Network, and Mike Francesa, co-host of WFAN's radio sports show "Mike and the Mad Dog."
Premiere Radio's broadcast was "a totally professional presentation covering all aspects of Thoroughbred racing's premier event," said Nicholaw. "Each segment made you anxious to participate in the actual race coverage."Eclipse Award winners will be honored at the 32nd annual Eclipse Awards ceremony, to be held Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. For hotel accommodations and Eclipse Awards dinner reservations, contact Debbie Blair at the NTRA's Lexington office, (800) 792-6872, or e-mail