For the first time in its 40-year history, the station's news division -- which is made up of only one full-time employee, news director Keith Goldstein, and students majoring in broadcast -- won an Edward R. Murrow Award for overall excellence. KCSN was one of only five public radio outlets across the country to win such an honor.

"We are very honored because this is among the most prestigious awards that a news department can get in broadcast journalism," Goldstein said. Having won regional awards, KCSN's entries will now go on for consideration for national honors this fall by the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

RTNDA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow's pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the electronic news profession.

The regional award for overall excellence was given for a compilation of work by KCSN's news team that included an "Evening Update" broadcast, coverage of the war in Iraq, breaking news, continuing coverage and features and investigative reports on such subjects as the immigrant drivers license laws.

Senior Karen Apostolina also won a Murrow Award in feature reporting for a story she did on recycling.

Goldstein won a Murrow for best use of sound for a story he did on model airplanes.

These more recent honors by the Radio and Television News Directors Association bring the total number of Edward R. Murrow Awards won by KCSN over the years to 12.

KCSN News has won more than 400 awards in national and state competitions against professional broadcasters and other university students.

In January, the station's news team won two "Golden Mikes" and a special merit award from the Radio-Television News Association of Southern California. Last month, KCSN received four first place awards from the Associated Press Television-Radio Association.

There are more than 400 students from a variety of backgrounds enrolled in Cal State Northridge's journalism program, which offers training in several fields--newspapers, radio and television broadcasting, on-line media, magazines, public relations and photojournalism.

CSUN's Journalism Department is one of only 100 accredited programs in the Western Hemisphere, and is considered by professionals in the field as one of the top departments in the nation.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.