Murrow awards go to three Boston stations

Three Boston area stations won top honors in the 2009 National Edward R. Murrow Awards.

The awards, presented by the Radio-Television News Directors Association, highlight excellence in journalism. Overall, 51 news outlets were recognized for their work with 79 awards.

In the large television market, NECN won in investigative reporting for its five-part documentary "The Forgotten Fire," which investigated a blaze that ravaged an office building on Route 9 in Newton in 2000.

In the news documentary category, WGBH-TV (Channel 2) won with "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story," a portrait of the Republican political strategist.

WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire won for best newscast for the station's News 9 Tonight program. WMUR is owned by Hearst Corp, which owns WCVB-TV (Channel 5.) (By Johnny Diaz, Globe staff)