Channel Five wins 2 major categories in news awards from CBU

marion ali

Channel Five has distinguished itself in Belize and the region for excellence in the news, entertainment, sports, documentaries, our morning show and a host of other locally produced programs. The creativity and the talent of our staff have been consistently recognized and this year, Channel Five won the two major categories in the news awards from the Caribbean Broadcasting Union. So it is with great pride that we toast, our own reporter, Marion Ali, who you have seen reporting on issues that range from the social to the political to the cultural. Marion bested the region in the two top awards for news this year.  She won for the best investigative reporting for a two-part story which she covered on Victoria Peak when environmentalists took issue for clearing the top of the national monument. Her cameraman in that story was Rick Romero. The second award she picked up was for the best news feature on a story entitled Disable but able in which together with cameramen George Tillett and Darrel Moguel, she captured of the challenges of the persons with disabilities.

Marion Ali, Winner of 2 CBU Awards

“The idea for the disabled story which was entitled ‘Disabled But Able’ that was my idea.  I came up with the theory and I took it to my boss, Amalia Mai, and she loved the idea and she said go and do the story and of course she wanted a package.  I also wanted to make a package out of it because I think that too many times we sit down and even though we go through our challenges in life.  There are always people out there who have it a little worse than we do and look at them, they’re not sitting down and feeling sorry.  They’re not looking for sympathy and I tip my hat off to those people because I said Donovan, I worked with him at Love FM, he was one of the people that inspired me back then even when I was at Belize Times back in 1992.”

Isani Cayetano

“Going out there and finding the subjects for the interview was one thing.  What was the process like in terms of putting together the actual piece?”

Marion Ali

“Easy.  I like what I do so it comes kinda naturally for me.  [Em] the only thing is you will need time on your side and putting together a story like that sometimes you can’t find the people you want to talk to, to give you the kind of story you want.  So you will talk to people you know and naturally other people or other recommendations will come to you.  It proves to me and to all my fellow Belizeans that anybody can do this.  You have what you need already.  You were born with it, just apply it to life.  That is simply what it means.  There is no special gift in what we do.  Yes you have to fine tune and that comes with experience and the years that you put into it but if you’re serious about it and you love what you do you will excel.”

Marion will be honored at a special award program of the CBU later in the year. In tonight’s newscast we will air Disabled but Able and on Thursday, we will be airing the winning stories on Victoria Peak.