2nd Annual National MADD Media Awards Winners Announced for Outstanding Drunk Driving & Underage Drinking Coverage

Dateline NBC and Massachusetts' The Patriot Ledger Earn MADD's Highest Honors - the Awards of Excellence

WASHINGTON, June 24 -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) announced today the 16 winners of its second annual national MADD Media Awards program. The 2004 MADD Media Awards, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance and Federal-Mogul, are in recognition of outstanding media coverage advancing MADD's mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. The 2004 award winners were honored at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.

"The media has a chance to engage, activate and propel readers to action," said Wendy J. Hamilton, MADD national president and event emcee. "The MADD Media Awards program highlights those that go above and beyond in their coverage of drunk driving and underage drinking and the result is increased public awareness as well as a placeholder in time for those many victims' families whose lives have been so tragically impacted."

Awards were handed out in several categories including the Award of Excellence -- the highest honor bestowed by MADD -- which went to Dateline NBC for broadcast media and to The Patriot Ledger in Massachusetts for print media, as well as television, radio, newspaper, magazine and Spanish language media. A new category, Community Awareness for print and broadcast media was added this year, and a special MADD honor was handed out, the Spotlight Award, for longtime, consistent coverage of drunk driving and underage drinking issues.

                 The 2004 MADD Media Awards Winners are:
             Award of Excellence - Broadcast -- Dateline NBC
     Award of Excellence - Print -- The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.
National Television: Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues -- Good

Morning America National Television: Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues -- Crime

                               & Punishment
 Local Television: Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues -- KPRC,
                              Houston, Texas

Local Television: Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues -- WPTV,

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Radio Broadcasting: Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues -- CONTACT,

St. Louis, Mo.

Radio Broadcasting: Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues -- For

Your Kids, Palm City, Fla.

Newspaper: Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues -- The Santa Fe New

Mexican, Santa Fe, N.M.

Newspaper: Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues -- Bucks County

Courier Times, Levittown, Pa.

Magazine: Outstanding Coverage of Drunk Driving Issues -- Good Housekeeping

Magazine: Outstanding Coverage of Underage Drinking Issues -- Seventeen

Spanish-Language Media: KNVO Univision 48, McAllen, Texas

Community Awareness: Print -- Jaynotes, Jesuit High School, New Orleans, La.

   Community Awareness: Broadcast -- Texas Department of Transportation
            Spotlight Award -- Bob Asher, The Washington Post

Timothy Hoyt, vice president of safety for Nationwide Insurance, said, "We are honored to be a sponsor of this year's MADD Media Awards program because with more media support, drunk driving and underage drinking become even more unacceptable. The ceremony provides a venue for the lifesaving work of so many to be showcased at a time when the nation cannot ignore the facts -- drunk driving kills and injures. Nationwide Insurance values commitment, integrity and determination and MADD represents those qualities."

Marie Remboulis, director of corporate communications for Federal-Mogul, added, "As a global supplier of original automotive equipment and numerous aftermarket replacement part brands, we are particularly dedicated to keeping the nation's roadways safe for everyone's family. Reporters, editors and producers are an important part of making that goal a reality."

Each year, more than 17,000 people are killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes and half a million others are injured. As MADD tirelessly advocates for measures that are proven effective by research to reduce death and injury, the organization calls on Congressional leaders, the Administration, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, the medical community, and the public to take a personal stand and collective action to stop the needless impaired driving tragedies that continue to occur in their states and communities.

The call for entries for the 2005 MADD Media Awards will be announced this fall. Stories broadcast or published between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005 are eligible for an award. Check http://www.madd.org/media-awards for entry information later this year.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is the premiere organization working to fight drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501(c) 3 charity with approximately 600 affiliates and 2 million members nationwide. Nearly 270,000 lives have been saved since MADD's founding in 1980. For more information, visit http://www.madd.org/ .

Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $148 billion in assets. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com/ .

Federal-Mogul is a global supplier of automotive components, sub-systems, modules and systems serving the world's original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899 and today employs more than 45,000 people in 29 countries. Visit http://www.federal-mogul.com/ .