FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Nov. 12, 2007
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications, (304) 696-7153
 

WMUL students receive five CBI National Student Production Awards

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Students from WMUL-FM, Marshall University’s public radio station, received one first-place award and four finalist awards at the 86th annual National College Media Convention/2007 Collegiate Broadcasters Inc. (CBI) National Student Radio Production Awards Ceremony.

The event took place late last month in the Jefferson Room at the Hilton Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.

“The students competed with broadcasting students from colleges and universities throughout the United States,” said Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of Radio-Television Production and Management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall and faculty manager of WMUL-FM.

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

“I am proud of our broadcasting students who 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,” Bailey said.

The first-place award-winning entry was in the Best Radio News Reporting category. “Hollywood Comes to Huntington” was written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a recent master’s graduate from McConnell, W.Va. It was broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006.

The finalist award-winning entries were:

Best Radio Sports Play-By-Play: WMUL-FM’s broadcast of the Marshall University versus Tulane University football game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W. Va., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006. Students calling the game were football play-by-play announcer Alex Reed, a recent master’s graduate from Virginia Beach, Va.; color commentator Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys, W.Va., and Melanie Chapman, who was the sideline reporter.

Best Radio Public Service Announcement: “Intolerance,” an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation from Monday, April 16, 2007 through the present time, written and produced by Terry Bartley, a senior from Foster, W.Va.

Best Radio Promotion: “Eighty-eight Hours on 88.1,” an on-air promotional event to highlight WMUL-FM’s format changes.  The music-announcing marathon was broadcast three days, 16 hours, from Tuesday, Aug. 29 through Friday, Sept. 1, 2006.  The feat was accomplished by Terry Bartley.

Best Radio Newscast:  “The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” broadcast Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007. The students who participated in the newscast were producer Ryan Vance, a junior from Culloden, W.Va.; news anchor Melanie Chapman; news anchor Deven Swartz, a senior from Phillipi, W.Va.; and sports anchor Bobby Iddings, a sophomore from St. Albans, W.Va.

In all, 445 entries were submitted for judging in the 2007 CBI National Student Production Awards, Bailey said.

###