FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2005
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications, (304) 696-7153
 

WMUL students win seven awards in national competition

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Students from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received three first-place awards and four finalist awards in the 84th annual National College Media Convention/2005 Collegiate Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) National Student Radio Production Awards Ceremony. The event took place Friday, Oct. 28 in  Kansas City, Mo.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of electronic media management in the William Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said the students competed with broadcasting students from colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Bailey said the contest is in its fourth year and is sponsored by the CBI, which administers it in cooperation with College Media Advisers Inc. (CMA), the nation’s oldest and largest college media organization.

“It is an honor to win three out of the 12 first-place awards granted by these prestigious organizations,” Bailey said. “Our radio students have established a tradition at WMUL-FM of being able to successfully compete at the national, regional, or state level with other student-operated college radio stations.  This performance is further evidence of the quality of the work performed by our talented broadcasting students.”

Bailey said he is proud of the broadcasting students,  whom he said continue to provide quality broadcast performances to Tri-State listeners and to be excellent representatives for the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and Marshall University in competitions against nationally known colleges and universities.  

The first-place award-winning entries were:

Best Public Service Announcement

“Didn’t You See?” an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation from Wednesday, April 13, 2005 through the present time, written and produced by Jen Smith, a senior from Huntington.

Best Radio Sports Reporting

“Pruett Retires,” written and produced by Vince Payne, a graduate student from Hansford, W.Va., broadcast during the sports segment of the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” Wednesday, March 9, 2005.

Best Sports Play-By-Play

WMUL-FM’s broadcast of the Marshall University versus The Ohio State University football game played at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2004.  The students calling the game over 88.1 were football play-by-play announcer Vince Payne, a graduate student from Hansford, W.Va.; color commentator Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Va., and engineer Brandon Millman, a junior from Huntington.

The finalist award-winning entries were:

Best Public Service Announcement

“Listen to Your Car,” an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation from Wednesday, April 13, 2005 through the present time, written and produced by Brandon Millman, a junior from Huntington.

Best News Reporting

“Appalachian Music,” written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a senior from McConnell, W.Va., broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” Friday, Nov. 26, 2004.

Best Radio Sports Reporting

“MU Swimming and Diving Beats In-State Rival,” written and produced by Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Va., broadcast during the sports segment of the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004.

Best Sports Play-By-Play

WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall University versus Bowling Green State University played at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005.  The students calling the basketball game broadcast over 88.1 were basketball play-by-play announcer Vince Payne, a graduate student from Hansford, W.Va.; color commentator Robert Harper, a graduate student from Hurricane, W.Va.; statistician Clark Davis, a graduate student from Huntington, and engineer Jen Smith, a senior from Huntington.

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