The Twelfth Annual Awards for Publication Excellence provides recognition for outstanding publications in 11 major categories from newsletters and magazines to annual reports, video and Web sites and are judged based on excellence in achieving overall communications effectiveness. The awards are sponsored by the editors of Writing that Works: The Business Communications Report based in Virginia, USA.

According to John De Lellis of APEX 2000, overall, 4,900 entries were received from across North America and competition was exceptionally intense. More than 170 entries were received for the individual category of video and multimedia.

"The Island Focus team is extremely honoured by this award given the quality and scope of entries received from across the globe," said Verna Lynne Weeks, Producer, Island Focus. "The crew and hosts, as well as participating provincial government employees and community members are to be commended for their dedication to the production and promotion of the program," added Weeks.

The award nomination was submitted by Ann Stanley, former Production Coordinator of Island Focus. The production crew of the award-winning submission included Ann Stanley, Mark Lamey, Scott MacLean, Bonnie Kennedy, Karen Cumberland and Rus Melanson. The APEX 2000 Award represents the third award received for the 1999/2000 season. Island Focus was also the recipient of a national Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Award of Excellence in the audio visual category and a Gemstone Award of Merit from CPRS, Nova Scotia Chapter this year.

A summer series of encore presentations of Island Focus from the 1999/2000 season is now being featured on EastLink Community Television (Cable 10), Wednesdays at 8:00 pm.

To obtain a VHS copy of an Island Focus program, share comments or submit ideas for the program for the upcoming 2000/2001 season, please call (902) 368-6322 or send an email message to focus@gov.pe.ca. The Island Focus website is www.gov.pe.ca/focus.