Harry Cicma wins reporting award for WNBC team news coverage of Hurricane Sandy

He first saw the news announced on Twitter. Alumnus Harry Cicma was away from home covering a sports event when he noticed colleagues in the TV industry started tweeting the names of Emmy Award winners. Suddenly there it was – a tweet from the WNBC executive producer. Cicma’s team won for their coverage of Hurricane Sandy.

Rutgers graduate Harry Cicma with his Emmy for breaking new coverage of Hurricane Sandy.
Photo: Courtesy of Harry Cicma

This is a first Emmy for Cicma – a sports reporter, anchor and news weather reporter for WNBC 4 in New York – and he is dedicating the award to Rutgers University as well as to family and friends.

“Rutgers gave me priceless opportunities, such as announcing top-level D1 sports events on WRSU 88.7 Radio, or on RU-tv, being part of the student government and playing on the tennis team,” said Cicma, who graduated from the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I) in 2004 with a B.A. in journalism and media studies. He minored in political science, and was a member of the Rutgers Cap & Skull Honorary Society, as well as a varsity athlete on the RU Scarlet Knight Division 1 tennis team. Along with WRSU, a major advantage of Rutgers is its proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, two of the top television markets in the world, Cicma said.

“While at Rutgers, I interned at WNBC, which helped lead to my first job as an anchor in Sioux City, Iowa, and eventually back to WNBC New York. I am positive that Rutgers is the main reason I have been able to succeed in New York City.”

He also credits the courses he took at SC&I as a critical part of his preparation for his career and role as reporter on the award-winning team. Cicma and the rest of the WNBC team won the Emmy for outstanding team breaking news story. The award was for their overall WNBC Team coverage of Hurricane Sandy, not for one particular report.

Cicma on-air
Harry Cicma on-air for WNBC in November 2012 covering Sandy at the Jersey shore.

“What makes it so special is that I wasn't originally scheduled to cover the storm,” Cicma said. “But just a few hours before it hit the New Jersey shore, I emailed my managers and said ‘I am available.’ I remember having no fear, and doing my reporting completely for the community and the viewers. During Hurricane Sandy, it was all about helping to inform people of the conditions and trying to keep them away from danger.”

Steve Miller, coordinator of undergraduate studies in journalism and media studies, recalls Cicma’s professionalism while a student at SC&I: “He set goals for himself and was able to reach them, doing his research and learning his craft. Nothing was ever handed to him. Harry is a great example for all Rutgers students.”