Students from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received four first-place awards and five honorable mentionsduring the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association's2004 broadcast journalism awards ceremony April 23 at the CanaanValley State Park in Davis.
Dr. Chuck Bailey, professor of electronic media management inMarshall's William Page Pitt School of Journalism and MassCommunications and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said the universitycompeted with commercial and noncommercial radio stations fromthroughout the state.
'Winning four first-place awards is quite an accomplishment initself, but one of the first-place awards being for Outstanding NewsOperation is a signature statement for a college radio stationconsidering that the students are competing with broadcastingprofessionals across West Virginia,' Bailey said.
Bailey said the effort caps a successful year by the volunteerstudent staff of WMUL-FM in garnering recognition for Marshall fromstate, regional and national broadcasting organizations that evaluatethe work done at campus radio stations.
The student broadcasters have won 50 awards for the 2004-2005academic year, including 28 first-place awards. That total is thesecond highest number of first-place awards since 1985-1986, theacademic year Bailey became the faculty manager of WMUL-FM.
The highest number of first-place awards is 30, won in 2003-2004when WMUL-FM student broadcasters won 60 awards in all. In the pasttwo years, the student broadcasters have won 110 awards with 58 ofthe awards being (53 percent) for first place.
The four first-place individual award-winning entries in the WestVirginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association's 2004 broadcastjournalism awards were:
Outstanding News Operation
The Newscenter 88 Team; News directors were Kristin Houghton, asenior from Inwood, for spring semester 2004 and Melanie P. Chapman,a senior from McConnell, for fall semester 2004.
Judges' comments: 'Really, really good news organization. Greatproduction of news block; knowledge and implementation of the use ofsound bites is perfect; content and writing is exceptional; anchoris, of course, young ... but is headed in the right direction.Reporting is the way it should be. This station's news department isimpressive. Someone has taught this staff well.'
Best Breaking News Coverage
'Dan Angel Retires,' written and produced by Melanie P. Chapman, asenior from McConnell, broadcast during the '5:00 p.m. Edition ofNewscenter 88' Wednesday, Nov. 10.
Judges' comments: 'Great use of sound; bites are the perfectlength and content; writing is excellent; reporter needs to smoothout delivery a bit ... but that will come with maturity. Great job!'
Best Documentary
'The Fight for Right: Same-Gender Marriage in America,' writtenand produced by Christina Riffle, a recent graduate from Dunbar,broadcast during 'Aircheck' Tuesday, May 4, 2004.
Judges' comments: 'Good organization of the story with great useof sound; reporter needs work on smoothing out delivery ...otherwise, nice job!'
Best Sports Play-by-Play
WMUL-FM's broadcast of the '2004 MAC Men's Basketball TournamentFirst-Round Game: Marshall University versus Eastern MichiganUniversity' played at Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, Monday,March 8, 2004. The students calling the game were: basketball play-by-play announcer Vince Payne, a graduate student form Hansford;color commentator Robert Harper, a graduate student from Hurricaneand engineer Mike Stanley, a junior from West Hamlin.
Judges' comments: 'Without a doubt, one of the best play-by-playsthe judges have ever heard; GREAT pacing, EXCITING deliveries,FANTASTIC recall of stats ... it put us in the game. PERFECT SCORE!'
The five honorable mention award-winning entries were:
Best News Reporter
'A Complication of Work,' written and produced by Melanie Chapman,a senior for McConnell, broadcast during the '5:00 p.m. Edition ofNewscenter 88' during 2004.
Best Feature
'Appalachian Music,' written and produced by Melanie Chapman,broadcast during the '5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88' Friday,Nov. 26, 2004.
Best Interview
'The Tripton/Murphy Report,' with hosts of the program RichardTripton, a senior from Ona, and Seth Murphy, a junior fromFlemington, and producer Michael Stanley, a junior from West Hamlin,that was broadcast Thursday, Oct. 7.
Best Sportscaster
'A Complication of Work,' written and produced by graduate studentVince Payne from Hansford, for the FM 88 Sports Team and broadcastduring 2004.
Sports Play-by-Play
WMUL-FM's broadcast of the 2004 Capital Classic: MarshallUniversity versus West Virginia University men's contest in the gameplayed at Charleston Civic Center Coliseum in Charleston, Jan. 21,2004. The students calling the game were:
Basketball play-by-play announcer Vince Payne,; color commentatorTravis Smith, a recent graduate from Charles Town; statisticianHeather Berry, a sophomore from St. Albans; statistician AngelaBradley, a senior from Scott Depot and engineer Michael Stanley, ajunior from West Hamlin.
The judges of the West Virginia Associated Press BroadcastersAssociation radio contest for 2004 were members of the ArkansasAssociated Press Broadcasters Association.
