BOSTON, MA – Tuesday, December 15, 2020 – Award-winning political journalist and co-host of WCVB Channel 5’s On the Record (OTR), Janet Wu, and the station’s former longtime News Operations Manager, Mike Fernandez, will both be inducted into The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Boston/New England Chapter’s Silver Circle on Wednesday, December 16. In addition to co-hosting OTR, Wu formerly served as NewsCenter 5’s lead political reporter for over three decades. Fernandez retired in July 2016 from his position as the station’s News Operations Manager after a career spanning over four decades at Channel 5. Induction into the prestigious Silver Circle honors individuals with twenty-five years or more of outstanding contributions to the television industry. “Janet and Mike have both left indelible marks of excellence on Boston’s local broadcast industry and have made outstanding contributions to the success of WCVB throughout their respective careers. On behalf of their entire WCVB family, I congratulate them both on this incredible achievement and well-deserved honor,” said Kyle Grimes, WCVB President and General Manager. Fernandez and Wu, along with four fellow New England television pioneers, will be honored for their lasting contributions to the industry at this year’s Gold and Silver Circle gala celebration that will be held virtually this year. Fellow inductees into the Silver Circle include: Patrick Callaghan, News Anchor/Reporter at WCSH Newscenter Maine; Kim Carrigan, The Boston.com Morning Show Co-Host, Bloomberg News Anchor and former Anchor at WHDH, WBZ, WFXT; and Ken Tucci, Special Projects Producer at WBZ CBS 4 Boston. The Gold Circle inductee for 50 years or more of service is Lawrence Silva, Audio Engineer at WJAR, Providence.Janet WuJanet Wu, Emmy-winning political and investigative reporter, has been a reporter in Boston for 47 years, covering politics for 45 years. She is the co-host of WCVB’s On The Record, along with longtime co-host Ed Harding. OTR is a weekly roundtable discussion of Massachusetts politics which airs on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. Wu previously served as NewsCenter 5’s Massachusetts lead State House reporter for over 30 years. She was a key member of WCVB’s political unit and received a prestigious Emmy at the 2015 Emmy Awards presented by the NATAS Boston/New England chapter. The award, in the Continuing Coverage – No Time Limit category, recognized Wu’s work on the station's political coverage during the 2014 campaign season, an ongoing initiative entitled “Commitment 2014.” In 2015, she received the “Inspiration Award” from the Asian Community Development Corporation for her consummate work as a political reporter. Among other notable accolades, Wu was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Emerson College at the 2011 commencement, and in 2010, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.Before coming to Channel 5, Wu was the State House reporter for WGBH-TV, Boston’s public television station. She also worked as a reporter for United Press International. Wu, a native of Bridgewater, New Jersey, received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She is fluent in the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Mike FernandezMike Fernandez served as WCVB’s longtime Operations Manager, retiring from the position in 2016. Fernandez spent 46 years working in the Boston television news market, beginning with two years as a Northeastern University Co-Operative Education Employee at WHDH-TV. This position was followed by two tours of duty at WCVB Channel 5, totaling 41 years with the station as a Sports Producer, then Sports Director, and finally the station’s News Operations Manager. Those two tours of duty were braced around a 3-year stint at WHDH 7News as a Special Projects Producer. During Fernandez’ distinguished career, he was involved in planning, staffing, and executing the coverage of multiple championships won by the Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins, and Patriots, the annual running of the Boston Marathon, the Blizzard of 78, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the election of Harold Washington as the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, plus numerous local and Presidential elections. Born and raised in Hanson on the South Shore of Massachusetts, Fernandez is a graduate of Northeastern University with a B.S. in English/Journalism. NATAS Boston/New England ChapterThe National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television, the fostering of creative leadership in the television industry, and the encouragement of excellence in artistic, educational, cultural and technical progress.About WCVB Channel 5WCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. The station has been honored with numerous prestigious national broadcasting honors including the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards for “Best Newscast” and National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation’s “Service to the Community” award. Additional top honors include the National Headliner Awards, Gracie Awards, Gabriel Awards, the regional Emmy’s, Associated Press Awards, Walter Cronkite Award, and duPont Awards. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 34 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and Twitter (@wcvb).About Hearst TelevisionHearst Television owns and operates 34 television and two radio stations serving 26 media markets across 39 states reaching over 21 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all of the major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over nearly 70 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, This TV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry's premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.