Heather Vitale
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File:Heather Breeders Crown.jpg
Heather Vitale is a television journalist for the sport of Standardbred horse racing (harness racing).{{cite news|title=The Dan Patch Awards: Harness Racing's Night Of Stars|url=http://www.goodtimenation.com/the-dan-patch-awards-harness-racings-night-of-stars/|accessdate=16 March 2016|work=GoodTime Nation}}{{cite news|title=Irish Harness Racing Industry Profiled|url=http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/10-22-14/vitale-profiles-irish-racing.html|work=StandardBred Canada}}
Education
A graduate of Monmouth University (New Jersey) in 1994, Vitale graduated cum laude with Bachelor of Arts. She had major in Public Relations and a minor in Journalism.{{cite news|title=A conversation with Heather Vitale|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/News/A-conversation-with-Heather-Vitale-105344|accessdate=16 March 2016|work=Harness Link}}
Career
Vitale is the host of POST TIME, which airs on the CBS affiliate WBOC-TV in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. She has been a part of the weekly half-hour show about harness racing since its inception (July 1998).{{cite news|title=Heather Vitale documentary on Delaney Memorial|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/News/Heather-Vitale-documentary-on-Delaney-Memorial-|work=HarnessLink}} From 2008 until 2015 she has co-hosted PA HARNESS WEEK, a weekly Comcast Philadelphia program.{{cite news|title=A conversation with Heather Vitale|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/News/A-conversation-with-Heather-Vitale-105344|work=HarnessLink}} Vitale has continued to host PA Harness Week when it revised the program on NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2018.{{Cite web |title=Harness: 'PA HarnessWeek' TV show rebooted for Summer 2018 |url=https://www.drf.com/news/harness-pa-harnessweek-tv-show-rebooted-summer-2018 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=www.drf.com |language=en}}
Vitale has covered harness racing nationally. In 1997, she was part of the espn2 broadcasting team for The American Championship Harness Racing Series.{{cite news|title=The Dan Patch Awards: Harness Racing's Night Of Stars|url=http://www.goodtimenation.com/the-dan-patch-awards-harness-racings-night-of-stars/|accessdate=16 March 2016|work=GoodTime Nation}} In 2010, Vitale was the paddock correspondent on MAV-TV during the live Breeders Crown event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.{{cite book|title=Harness Racing Update|date=July 12, 2013|url=http://www.harnessracingupdate.com/pdf/hru/hru071213.pdf|location=Harness Racing Update|accessdate=16 March 2016}}{{cite news|title=Harness: Meadowlands Pace, Little Brown Jug to be televised|url=http://www.drf.com/news/harness-meadowlands-pace-little-brown-jug-be-televised|accessdate=16 March 2016|work=Racing Daily Form}} In 2011, she was on the live Breeders Crown broadcast team for MAV-TV and The Score (Canadian sports channel).
Vitale also covers harness racing outside of the United States. Years 2014 through 2018, she was an on-air reporter for The Vincent Delaney Memorial at Portmarnock Raceway in Ireland. She also traveled to Perth, Australia in December 2014 to report on the Inter Dominion at Gloucester Park. On Inter Dominion Day she reported from the paddock during the live national broadcast across Australia.{{cite news|title=Heather Heads Downunder|url=http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/2-5-16/heather-heads-downunder.html|accessdate=16 March 2016}}{{Cite web |date=2015-12-12 |title=American writer tips sole mare to fire up |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/horse-racing/american-writer-tips-sole-mare-to-fire-up-ng-ya-133908 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=The West Australian |language=en}}
She was part of the broadcast team for the national Little Brown Jug shows airing on CBS Sports in 2014 and 2015.{{cite news|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/International/Looney-Family-heading-to-Ireland-in-August|accessdate=14 May 2016|work=Harness Link |title=Looney Family heading to Ireland in August}}
Vitale visited New Zealand to cover the New Zealand Cup in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Kaikoura Trotting Cup in 2019 to report on harness racing.{{Cite web |date=2018-11-01 |title=Heather's headed for New Zealand - Harnesslink |url=https://harnesslink.com/usa/heather-vitale-headed-for-new/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |language=en-NZ}}{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=David |date=2019-10-28 |title=Trotting showpiece to be on world stage |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/star-racing/trotting-showpiece-be-world-stage |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=Otago Daily Times |language=en}} She made appearances on the national television show Seven Sharp and the local news broadcast 1News for the Christchurch and Canterbury area of New Zealand.{{Citation |title=Seven Sharp at Kaikoura Trotting Club |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc7jBCnZjPY |language=en |access-date=2023-01-13}}{{Citation |title=Heather Vitale on One News |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjRmCwkK7xg |language=en |access-date=2023-01-13}}
Vitale also covered Standardbred racing in Paris during the 2020 Prix d'Amerique.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-16 |title=Harnesslink team heading to Paris - Harnesslink |url=https://harnesslink.com/usa/harnesslink-team-heading-to-paris/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |language=en-NZ}}
In recent years Vitale has been a social media correspondent for Harness Racing Update and many events including The International Trot in New York and race meets at Shenandoah Downs in Virginia.{{Cite web |title=Harness: Profile of Heather Vitale |url=https://www.drf.com/news/harness-profile-heather-vitale |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=www.drf.com |language=en}}
Awards
2001 - Hervey Broadcasting Excellence Award for best Harness Racing Television Show (Post Time)
2004 - Clyde Hirt Memorial Media Award from Harness Horsemen International{{Cite web |title=HHI Concludes Annual Meeting – U.S. Trotting News |url=https://ustrottingnews.com/hhi-concludes-annual-meeting/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |language=en-US}}
2014 - Double winner at the U.S. Harness Writers Association's (USHWA) Dan Patch Awards{{cite news|title=Dover Downs 46th season highlights|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/News/DOVER-DOWNS-46TH-SEASON-HIGHLIGHTS|accessdate=16 March 2016|work=HarnessLink}}
2018 - Alan Prince United States Harness Writers Association Member of the Year Award{{Cite web |title=Harrington's Vitale honored for harness racing coverage |url=https://baytobaynews.com/delaware/stories/harringtons-vitale-honored-for-harness-racing-coverage,14580 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=Bay to Bay News |date=16 March 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Fernandes |first=Doug |title=Former Ram Vitale an award winner |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/columns/2019/02/25/column-former-ram-vitale-award-winner/5833159007/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}
References
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