Penn State Altoona grad takes home Emmy

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Penn State Altoona

ALTOONA – 2005 Penn State Altoona communications graduate and Bellefonte, PA, native Brian Smithmeyer, now a videographer with WHP-TV in Harrisburg, won an Emmy earlier this month for his work on a piece called “Harrisburg’s Hall of Shame.”

The story was about a man trying to build a National Sports Hall of Fame on City Island in Harrisburg.  The man had been working on the project since 2001 and was getting paid by the City of Harrisburg upward of $85,000 a year.  His plan for the museum was to borrow memorabilia from all major sports halls of fame throughout the country, but he had not been in contact with any of them since 2002. 

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Brian Smithmeyer, a Penn State Altoona grad and Bellefonte native won an Emmy earlier this month for his work on a piece called “Harrisburg’s Hall of Shame.”

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Since then another museum signed exclusive contracts with each of the halls of fame in the United States while Levenda was still "working" and getting paid.

The piece was entered in the continuing coverage category and was up against three other news stories. “Harrisburg’s Hall of Shame” also won a Murrow Award, which is among the most prestigious honors offered by the Radio-Television News Directors Association for news reporting.

"To win Murrow and Emmy awards at such a young age is remarkable,” states Penn State Altoona Assistant Professor of Communications, Robert Trumpbour. “Most within the industry would be happy to win one or the other, but Brian has already won both. He has always been a hard worker, and I am proud of what he has achieved in his career with WHP.”

Smithmeyer also won two Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcaster Association awards this year. He continues to be a guest speaker for Penn State Altoona communication classes, helping students learn about reporting in television markets.