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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Brian Ledford is celebrating his fifth Emmy Award for his work on “Presidential Libraries, Museums and More,” a feature that aired on KPLR-TV last year. On Saturday, Oct. 5, the award was presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Mid-American Region, which covers seven Midwestern states.

As the line editor for the program, Ledford acted as the last line of creative gatekeeping before the program aired. Along with tightening up the piece’s edits, he added graphics and music to compliment the story before reviewing the final version for on-air playback.

Ledford claims this victory with co-worker and fellow SIUE graduate Patrick Clark, who developed the show’s creative vision. Previously, Ledford has received Emmy Awards in the categories of sports feature, graphic animation, arts/entertainment feature and editing.

“It’s always a cool feeling to win an award like this and be recognized by peers from outside your region,” said Ledford. “The ones making the decisions have no clue who I am. They judge the body of work rather than the creator. To win something that involves education rather than the tragic stories that are often associated with television news is definitely a plus.”

Specializing in video production and print journalism, Ledford graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s in mass communications. Prior to enrolling at SIUE, he worked as a disc jockey for a country music station in his hometown of McLeansboro. Along with assistant teaching, he worked for various mediums throughout his college career, including volunteering in the KPLR-TV sports department.

“Even at a young age, I knew that I wanted to work in media in some capacity,” said Ledford. “I realized that media was all about creating original content and presenting it to audiences on a mass level. Perhaps to inform, but most importantly to entertain.”

Reminiscing on his time at SIUE, Ledford claims that his undergraduate courses allowed the opportunity to experiment creatively.

“I would spend hours upon hours locked inside the labs honing my skill sets and cultivating the work ethic that helped me achieve the status I’m lucky to have today,” he added.

After graduation, Ledford worked freelance jobs for various video production houses throughout St. Louis. Later, he went on to become a producer and director of local origination programming for Charter Communications of Maryville. In 1998, he returned to KPLR-TV as a news videographer and editor, and has stayed in the St. Louis market ever since.

Throughout his career in television news, Ledford has been able to experience and capture many memorable events including the St. Louis Blues’ NHL Stanley Cup championship in June and the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series title in 2006. Outside of notable sports coverage, he has shot area appearances made by the last five U.S. presidents among many other local features.

“I enjoy covering local, feel good stories, because I like to feature what’s great about our communities,” noted Ledford. “Sometimes, I even switch gears and become a reporter which produces a greater challenge as now I have to be both reporter and videographer.”

In addition to his professional career, Ledford returned to the University from 2002 to 2009 as an adjunct lecturer and instructor for the Department of Mass Communications. By teaching introductory courses about mass media and video production, he assisted students in developing their skill sets just as he did.

“Perseverance and patience always pay off,” advised Ledford. “The opportunities are quite limited when one graduates. For a freshly scrubbed face in the profession, it’s a tough hill to climb. One needs to be extremely flexible and willing to adapt to change.” He encourages aspiring media professionals to work hard, stay sharp concerning advances in technology and treat everyone with respect.

“I’ve had a pretty interesting media ride,” admitted Ledford. “It’s been filled with excitement, and I’ve personally experienced numerous happy and, conversely, tragic stories. Television news works that way, I guess. I’ve been extremely lucky to document things that other people only talk about. In the end, I wouldn’t change a thing, and I look forward to what the future holds.”

Photo: SIUE alumnus Brian Ledford, 5-time Emmy Award winner.