Thursday, July 14, 2005
By MARCIA WHITE

Local Production Company in with an Emmy Chance

While the formal announcement of the nominees for the 57th Annual Primetime Emmys won't be announced until this morning, documentary filmmaker Lou Reda already knows his West Easton production company has reason to celebrate.

Two Reda documentaries which appeared on TV cable network The History Channel have been nominated for a total of three Emmys.

"Three nominations, that's very unusual. I was delighted. I would have been pleased to get one," Reda said Wednesday.

Reda's company has never won an Emmy and earned its first nominations (two) last year for its History Channel documentary "The Day the Towers Fell," about the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

This year's nominated shows are "The Last Day of WWI: 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour," and "Eyewitness in Iraq."

The "Last Day" program, based on the book of the same name by author Joe Persico, tells of the 1918 Armistice Day and its violent climax, Reda explained.

Reda Productions producer Sammy Jackson and head writer Norman Stahl were named in the Outstanding Historical Programming-Long Form category.

"Eyewitness" told the stories of a dozen journalists imbedded with troops during the Iraq war.

Reda editor Tracey Connor was honored in the Outstanding Editing category, and Connor and Jackson were named in the Outstanding Music and Sound category.

Reda, a Lopatcong Township resident, said the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' recognition of the "Last Day" program is especially meaningful for him. "I dedicated the show to my father. He was in World War I and got gassed up pretty bad." Reda's father, the late Anthony Reda, was in an Army ammunitions group serving in France and returned home to live with the war's aftereffects, his son explained.

Reda and his nominated staff members and family plan to attend the Emmy ceremonies Sept. 19 in New York City.

Is he optimistic Reda Productions will bring home the most coveted television honor?

"God only knows," he answered with a laugh.