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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 

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    WHEREAS, The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans 
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will present its
annual "Dante Award" on May 21, 2009 to Greg 
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Caputo, News Director for WGN-TV in Chicago; and

 



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    WHEREAS, Greg Caputo joined WGN-TV as News Director in 
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December 2002; he leads the news operation of consistently 
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top-ranked local newscasts: WGN Morning News, WGN Midday News, 
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WGN Evening News, and WGN News at Nine; during his time as News 
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Director, the  WGN Morning News, WGN Midday News, and WGN 
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Evening News broadcasts have all expanded; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Mr. Caputo joined WGN-TV from Tribune station 
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WLVI-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, where he served as news 
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director for seven years; during his time at  WLVI News, the 
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news program remained a consistent market leader at 10pm, 
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earning multiple local Emmys, as well as Associated Press and 
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RTNDA Awards; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Prior to WLVI, Mr. Caputo spent three years as 
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corporate director of news for Malrite Communications group in 
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Ohio; while there, he launched a news operation at their Fox 
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affiliate WXIX, Cincinnati, Ohio,  and assumed news leadership 
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at the new two station cluster of CBS affiliate WOIO and 
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independent station WUAB in Cleveland, Ohio;
and

 

 


 






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    WHEREAS, As Vice President and News Director at WFLD in 
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Chicago in 1985 and from 1987 to 1993, Mr. Caputo developed and 
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launched news broadcasts on the station; he held the same 
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position at WNYW, New York and WTTG, Washington, D.C. from 1986 
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to 1987; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Starting in 1972 and into 1985, Mr. Caputo held a 
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variety of positions at WBBM-TV, a  CBS affiliate, leading to 
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the news director position in 1983; he also worked for Group W 
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Television KDKA-TV as their assignment manager in the 
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mid-1970s;
and

 

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    WHEREAS, Mr. Caputo started in the industry as a reporter, 
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writer, producer, photographer, and editor at WNDU-TV and Radio 
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in South Bend, Indiana in 1968;
he graduated from the 
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University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 
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Communication Arts and received his MS-J from Northwestern 
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University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism;
and

 

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    WHEREAS, He has been President of the Board of Governors of 
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the Boston-New England Chapter of NATAS, a Governor of the 
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Chicago Chapter of NATAS, and a member of the RTNDA; he has 
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also been a guest lecturer at many prestigious universities 
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including Northwestern University, Columbia University in New 
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York, Boston University, Emerson College in Boston, and others; 
 


 






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and



 

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    WHEREAS, The Dante Award is given by the Joint Civic 
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Committee of Italian Americans annually; the Joint Civic 
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Committee on Italian Americans is an independent non-profit 
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association dedicated to preserving Italian-American heritage 
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and providing a unified voice for metropolitan Chicago's 
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Italian-American community; the Dante Award is given to a 
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member of the local news media who has answered Dante 
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Alighieri's call to be no timid friend to truth; therefore, be 
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it
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Greg Caputo on being named the recipient of the 
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2009 Dante Award, presented by the Joint Civic Committee of 
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Italian Americans, for his dedication, service, and 
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inspiration in the field of news; and be it further

 

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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Greg Caputo
with our respect and esteem.