The University of California Television (UCTV) documentary "In the Shadow of White Mountain" received a prestigious Emmy award for Best Documentary by the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The program's producer, Rich Wargo of UCSD-TV, accepted the award at the 31st Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards ceremony held on June 18, 2005 at the Omni San Diego Hotel.

In addition to the Emmy recognition, "In the Shadow of White Mountain" was recently honored with a "Certificate for Creative Excellence" by the United States International Film and Video Festival's 38th Annual Awards competition. In early 2005, the documentary received a bronze Telly Award, an international competition honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions.

"These awards represent the hard work of everyone involved in the program," says Wargo. "The White Mountain research station and the people who work there are truly a special part of my life, and I hope we can share their passion and my special fondness for this place -- as well as some dispassionate science -- with the audience."

Nearly three years in the making and featuring the distinctive voice of narrator Peter Coyote, "In the Shadow of White Mountain" tells the many stories of the White Mountain Research Station (WMRS), a biological field station with both the highest research lab and the highest Internet node in North America. The hour-long documentary includes segments ranging from the extreme hibernation of White Mountain's squirrels to what the evolution of the Willow Beetle can tell us about climate change. The program was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation through its Divisions of Biological Infrastructure and Elementary, Secondary and Informal Science Education. More information about the program, including photos, a look behind-the-scenes of the production, and links to view the program "on-demand," visit www.ucsd.tv/whitemountain.

The purpose of the Emmy Awards is to recognize outstanding achievements in television by conferring annual awards of merit in the Pacific Southwest region. The Pacific Southwest region includes San Diego County and the television markets of Bakersfield, Oxnard, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

UCTV broadcasts the best in educational and enrichment programming from the campuses, national laboratories and affiliated institutions of the University of California system. UCTV is available in over 15 million households nationwide and can be viewed via the following:
* Direct Broadcast Satellite: Nationwide 24 hours a day, Dish Network Channel 9412
* Cable TV: In California and across the country (visit www.uctv.tv/cable for details)
* Internet: Live webcast, "video-on-demand" archive, program schedules and more at www.uctv.tv

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