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Links are press releases written by WMUL-FM, unless otherwise noted. Headlines and summaries on this page come directly from the Online Director.

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WMUL student one of 13 nationally to win $5,000 scholarship
Staff earns five more national awards
"88 Hours" promotion named a finalist in national competition
It’s 10 O’Clock, Do You Care Where Your Parents Are?
Former WMULer keeps winning awards
Student found dead in home
WMUL wins award in brand new contest
Station achieves in Media Achievement Awards
WMUL has huge night at AP awards in Huntington
MU-Tulane football game broadcast named Best of Festival in Las Vegas
Web site earns SPJ regional award for second straight year
Station hits 200-award mark all-time in NBS competition
In The Hall of Fame: WMULers visit "We Are Marshall" exhibit
WMUL's '07 begins with seven...awards that is

WMUL student one of 13 nationally to win $5,000 scholarship

Dec. 3 - Adam Cavalier, a Marshall University junior from Montgomery, W.Va., recently won a $5,000 scholarship in the Broadcast Education Association’s 2008-2009 competition.

Cavalier, production director with WMUL-FM, Marshall’s public radio station, was among 13 students from 12 different campuses who were awarded scholarships in the competition. The winners were selected by the BEA Scholarship Committee at its fall meeting in Washington, D.C., according to Pete Orlik, committee chair.

Cavalier won the Abe Voron Scholarship, which goes to a person who is planning a career in radio. Dr. Corley Dennison, dean of Marshall’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, said Cavalier has a perfect 4.0 grade point average at MU.

“This scholarship is tremendous recognition of the hard work Adam has performed for the student media in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and for maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA,” Dennison said. “I can speak for all of the faculty members in congratulating Adam as the winner of the 2008-2009 Abe Voron Scholarship.”

Cavalier said he hopes to pursue a career doing radio play-by-play after he graduates from Marshall. He does a variety of sports broadcasts for WMUL-FM.

“Winning this scholarship is a true honor,” Cavalier said. “Getting the award only validates what I am doing to prepare myself for my future and what I am doing as a student of Marshall University and the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications.”

To qualify for the scholarship, Cavalier submitted an essay and letters of recommendation from Dennison, Dr. Chuck Bailey, professor of Radio-Television Production and Management in the School of Journalism and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, and Dan Hollis, professor of broadcast journalism at Marshall.

BEA scholarships are awarded to outstanding students for study on campuses that are institutional members of the organization. The BEA is the professional association for professors, industry professionals, graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in teaching and research related to electronic media and multimedia enterprises. Currently, there are more than 1,600 individual and institutional members.

Official recognition of Cavalier’s award will take place during the annual meeting of the BEA, which runs April 17-19, 2008 in Las Vegas.

For more information, contact Cavalier at (304) 552-4519.

Staff earns five more national awards

Nov. 20 - Students from WMUL-FM, Marshall University’s public radio station, recently were presented awards in two different national competitions, according to Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of electronic media management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at MU and faculty manager of WMUL-FM.

WMUL-FM received a third-place Podcast Best of Show award at the 86th annual National College Media Convention/2007 Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) annual College Competition ceremony at the Hilton Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 28.

The station’s award was for a 30-minute sports program called “Herd Roundup,” which ran Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. The students who participated in the program were co-host and producer Adam Cavalier, a junior from Montgomery, W.Va.; co-host and producer Andrew Ramspacher, a sophomore from Dublin, Ohio; reporter Brian Dalek, a junior from McMechen, W.Va., and reporter Cathleen Moxley, a senior from Chapmanville, W.Va.

Bailey said the station competed with other media outlets with an online Web site from colleges and universities throughout the country whose staffs attended the 86th annual National College Media Convention.

WMUL students also received one Platinum award, two Gold awards and one Honorable Mention award in the MarCom Creative Awards 2007 Competition. The winners were named in a letter dated Tuesday, Nov. 13 from Arlington, Texas.

The MarCom Creative Awards is an international competition that recognizes achievement by marketing and communication practitioners. Entries are judged by industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. More than 5,000 entries were submitted in the MarCom Creative Awards 2007 Competition.

The MarCom’s prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding entries in the competition. Platinum Winners are recognized for their excellence in terms of quality, creativity and resourcefulness. The Gold Award is presented to those entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry. Honorable Mention certificates are granted to those entries that meet the expectations of the judges.

Platinum and Gold Winners come from radio stations, advertising and public relations agencies, corporate communication departments, educational institutions, government entities, designers, writers, video production professionals, broadcast and cable operations and other business and individuals throughout the country and several foreign countries.

The Platinum Award-winning entry by WMUL-FM was in the Writing/Radio Script category. The script for the documentary program “Lasting Perfection: The Tenth Anniversary of the 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd Football National Championship Season” was written by Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys, W.Va. The script was completed Friday, Nov. 3, 2006.

Each of the Gold Award-winning entries was in the Public Service Announcement category. “Cabell-Wayne Adopt-A-Pet” is an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation from Monday, May 1, 2006 through the present time. It was written and produced by Adam Cavalier.

“Intolerance” is 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.

The Honorable Mention Award-winning entry also was in the Public Service Announcement category. “Sleep Deprivation,” an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation from Monday, April 30, 2007, through the present time, was written and produced by Alexis Stewart, a senior from Cyclone, W.Va.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment to be recognized as having produced one of the best documentary scripts in the country as well as highly regarded radio production of three public service announcements,” Bailey said. “The scriptwriting skill honored by the Platinum Award demonstrates the research and storytelling ability of our motivated students. The Gold and Honorable Mention Awards are a tribute to production quality and public service commitment of our broadcast students in competition with professional practitioners.”

"88 Hours" promotion named a finalist in national competition

Nov. 12 - 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.

It’s 10 O’Clock, Do You Care Where Your Parents Are?

by Taylor Kuykendall of Graffiti--and WMUL, too (Michael and Taylor Show)

Nov. 7 - Sitting at the “edge” of your radio dial in Huntington is 88.1 WMUL, Marshall’s Broadcast Radio Station. Broadcasting since 1961, WMUL has some considerable experience and community value. The station is run entirely by students with a faculty member serving as an adviser/manager of the station.

What will you hear on WMUL? The answer is everything that you will not hear everywhere else. Of course, the news and sports coverage is there just as at most local stations. The truly unique area of WMUL lies in the variety of programming. Marshall serves a market in Huntington that is often ignored by commercial stations in Huntington.

That is not to say they are avoiding competition. The news and sports programming that runs somewhat parallel to other stations is often praised for its depth and precision. WMUL stands as more than just a novelty or instructional function at Marshall. It truly is a community station run by students who will be the future of radio.

When you run a station that does not aim to turn a profit, you have to measure your success by means other than the bottom line. If you were to ask Marshall University’s station about their success, they have plenty of ways to prove their worth. The Huntington local media is riddled with the success stories of Marshall students attending radio award shows.

The radio program has been at Marshall for over 45 years, and since 1985 has been under the direction of Charles “Chuck” G. Bailey. In the years since 1985, WMUL students have turned out over 700 national and regional awards, more than 300 of which were first place. Some of the awards even include AP awards — meaning that they go up against commercial stations too.

According to Dr. Bailey, “The awards represent that incoming students are entering a successful program. Marshall is not as abrasive and competitive as some other universities. If you come here and love radio, you will get the same opportunities as everyone else.” The staff at WMUL is not full of employed radio station veterans, but instead hungry young radio fans who want to be on the edge of their field. All of that talent and energy, and the listeners are not subjected to one commercial.

A lot of attention at WMUL is often directed toward the award winning sports coverage at Marshall. The staff is a knowledgeable group of sports fans who dish out scores, live announcements and in-depth interviews with players and coaches. The sports department covers everything from Marshall Sports to high school athletics in a timely and in depth report every Wednesday on WMUL’s Sport Night.

Some of the most interesting programming from WMUL comes from the music lovers of Marshall University taking the microphone. DJ shifts revolve from jazz to alternative to religious, but what stands out is some of the specialty music programming. Production Director Adam Cavelier said, “Music is what keeps us on the air, it’s our groundwork.”

Shows such as the Mixtape Fantastic, Slice of Heaven, Rude Bwoys, Up All Night, The Metal Guy and the Michael and Taylor show produce shows with talk that entertains in between presentations of music you don’t hear on mainstream radio. One show that has generated a lot of buzz on campus has been Snob Rock Live.

Snob Rock Live is fronted by Terry Bartley and brings in local musicians to perform live material or be interviewed alongside of their album material. The show is streamed on Thursday’s from 6-7 p.m. If you are not in the Huntington area, you can catch the WMUL live stream at http://www.marshall.edu/wmul.

The live stream is on for most original content. The license for online streaming does not currently allow all of Marshall’s programming to be streamed live due to copyright issues, but all of the talk shows, sports, news and original entertainment are streamed daily.

Podcasts are also available for up to four weeks after broadcast to viewers who could not catch some of their favorite programming. Online Director Deven Swartz says, “I’m currently working on adding a level of interactivity to our Web presence that will be more in line with WMUL’s cutting edge image.”

Dr. Bailey claims that what makes WMUL unique is that “we offer what is not available anywhere else. It is the student’s point of view coming from kids representing their school, and that can’t be duplicated. It gives the listeners a different perspective then a commercial broadcast would. I mean, some of the reporters talk to the players before the game, but here you get to hear the reactions, of their classmates, their roommates, their friends or even their girlfriends and boyfriends.”

Former WMULer keeps winning awards

Oct. 17 - Melanie Chapman, a former student broadcaster with WMUL-FM, Marshall University’s public radio station, won a national finalist award in the 2006 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) National Mark of Excellence Contest in the Radio News Reporting category.

The award was presented during the SPJ National Convention Friday, Oct. 5 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of radio-television production and management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said the former student news director/reporter competed with other broadcasting students from colleges and universities across the nation representing the SPJ’s 12 regions.

“Our radio students have established a tradition at WMUL-FM of being able to successfully compete at the national level with other student-operated college radio stations,” Bailey said. “This recognition for WMUL-FM’s former news director Melanie Chapman in SPJ’s National Mark of Excellence Contest is further evidence of the quality of the work performed by our talented broadcasting students.”

The national finalist award-winning entry in radio was:

Best News Reporting, Category 19: “We Are Marshall Movie Premiere,” written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a recent master’s degree graduate from McConnell, W.Va., broadcast during “The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006.

Overall, there are 45 categories for print, radio, television and online journalism in the SPJ National Mark of Excellence contest. There were more than 3,300 entries from schools across SPJ’s 12 regions in the Mark of Excellence contest. SPJ has been presenting the Mark of Excellence Awards since 1972.

Student found dead in home

Diana Calle, The Parthenon

Sept. 26 - A Marshall University freshman and lifelong musician was found dead in his home Monday morning.

Adam Tyler Johnson, 22, undecided major from Huntington, was a disc jockey at WMUL, Marshall's radio station. Johnson had a show on WMUL called The Oscillating Zoo, which was on primetime Monday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Adam Cavalier, junior broadcast journalism major from Montgomery, W.Va., worked with Johnson at WMUL. He said Johnson was one of the more reliable disc jockeys the radio station had.

"He had a passion for what he did," Cavalier said. "He wanted to have a good DJ shift, and he wanted to make it special and unique."

Johnson began playing instruments at a young age. At 15, he was part of a band, the Blaine Brothers. The band played at small venues around the community. Johnson played many instruments including the keyboard, guitar and drums.

"Adam loved his radio show, and he loved music," Teddy Johnson, Adam Johnson's father, said. "He was so proud of his show because it was on primetime."

Teddy said they would laugh all day long when they were together, and his son was a loving, cheerful and witty person. Adam Johnson had told his father he decided to major in history, but had not officially declared his major.

"He knew more about history than anyone I ever knew," Teddy said. "He was the smartest kid ever."

Adam Johnson worked at Johnson T.R. & Son Inc., his father's heating and cooling business.

Huntington Police Department received the call about Adam Johnson around 9:30 a.m. Monday Sgt. John Williams of the Huntington Police Department, said. Adam Johnson was found by his father and uncle at his home on 737 Seventh St. after they went over to check on him when he did not show up for work Monday morning.

Williams said Johnson's body was transferred to the state medical examiner's office in Charleston, and autopsy results could take up to six weeks to return.

"We don't know if it was a natural death, but we don't suspect any foul play," Williams said.

Adam Johnson's family will have visitation hours from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Reger Funeral Home, and graveside funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday at Spring Hill Cemetery.

The Adam Johnson Scholarship for WMUL radio has been started in memory of Adam Johnson. Teddy Johnson said anyone interested can make donations to the scholarship fund at Marshall or can make donations to the Greater Blue Ridge Chapter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 3959 Electric Rd. Suite 222, Roanoke, Va., 24018.

Diana Calle can be contacted at calle@marshall.edu.

WMUL wins award in brand new contest

July 3 - A former student from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received a Gold Award in The Hermes Creative Awards 2007 Competition. The winners were named in a letter dated Saturday, June 30, 2007, from Arlington, Texas.

The Hermes Creative Awards were created to honor outstanding creativity, skill, craft and talent in the concept, writing and design of traditional and emerging media. All entries are judged on a point system in areas including creativity, design, innovation, presentation and technical merit. There were over 3,000 entries in The Hermes Creative Awards 2007 Competition.

The Hermes Creative Awards offer two levels of award recognition. The Platinum Award is received by those entries that exceed a high standard of excellence while serving as a benchmark for the industry and the Gold Award. The two levels of winners, which are fifteen percent of the total entries, are listed on The Hermes Creative Awards 2007 web site at http://www.hermesawards.com.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of radio-television production and management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said, "This is an noteworthy accomplishment for WMUL-FM to be recognized for writing and producing an effective media self-promotional announcement. I am proud for the honor this Hermes Creative Gold Award bestows on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and Marshall University. This award indicates the respect the judges have for the writing and production skills of the motivated student staff of WMUL-FM during a competition against professional practitioners."

The Gold Award winning entry by WMUL-FM was in the following category:

Radio Spot
"Addicted" an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM's Promotional Announcement rotation from Wednesday, May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington.

Station Achieves in Media Achievement Awards

May 9 - Students from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received three (3) Awards of Distinction in The Media Achievement Awards 2007 Competition. The winners were named in a letter dated Saturday, May 5, 2007, from Kirkland, Washington.

The Media Achievement Awards were created to honor outstanding creativity, skill, craft and talent in television/film/video/ commercials, print, advertising, web design, audio and radio. All entries are judged on a point system in areas including creativity, design, innovation, presentation and technical merit. There were over 1,600 entries in The Media Achievement Awards 2007 Competition.

The Media Achievement Awards offer two levels of award recognition. The Diamond Statue of Excellence is received by those entries that earn an excellent score between 90-100 points and the Diamond Award of Distinction scoring between 80-89 points. The two levels of winners, which are five percent of the total entries, are listed on The Media Achievement Awards 2007 web site at http://www.mediaachievementawards.com.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of electronic media management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said, "This is an noteworthy accomplishment for WMUL-FM to be recognized as having broadcast two of the best play-by-play calls of college football games in the country. Marshall fans are treated to superb coverage of Thundering Herd sports by the FM 88 Sports Team. Also it is gratifying to be identified for writing and producing an effective media self-promotional announcement. I am proud for the honor these three Diamond Awards of Distinction bestow on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and Marshall University. These awards indicate the respect the judges have for the play-by-play announcing abilities, writing skills, and production skills of our motivated students while they are in competition with professional practitioners."

With the addition of these three awards, the student broadcasters have won a grand total of 62 awards for the 2006-2007 school year. This year's grand total includes 23 first-place awards, 17 second-place awards, two third-place awards and 20 honorable mention awards.

The Diamond Award of Distinction winning entries by WMUL-FM were in the following categories:

RADIO PROMO
"Addicted," an in-house promotional announcement braodcast in WMUL-FM's Promotional Announcement rotation from Wednesday, May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington.

RADIO SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
WMUL-FM's broadcast of Marshall University versus Tulane University played at Joan c. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, November 4, 2006. The students calling the football game broadcast over 88.1 were as follows:
Football play-by-play announcer: Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Va.; Color commentator: Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys; Sideline reporter: Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell.

RADIO SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
WMUL-FM's broadcast of Marshall University versus East Carolina University played at Dowdley-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, Saturday, November 11, 2006. The students calling the football game broadcast over 88.1 were: Football play-by-play announcer: Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys; Color commentator: Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Va.

WMUL has huge night at AP awards in Huntington

by Deven Swartz; portions taken from station press release

May 4 - Maybe it was the home field advantage, but the the first West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association convention to be held in Huntington in 20 years was very good to WMUL-FM. The station picked up 15 awards, five of them for first place and 10 for honorable mention. Among the highlights, Alex Reed was named Best Sportscaster for the second year in a row, and Ryan Epling edged out his part-time employer, Clear Channel's Paul Swann, for Best Host. A complete listing of the winners will wrap up this article.

While those awards alone would usually result in a good night, two WMUL staffers received special awards this year. Graduate student Alex Reed was named Broadcast Journalist of the Year in Radio and received a $250 check. It marked the first time the recently started award was given to a college student. The second special award was given to faculty manager Dr. Charles G. Bailey. Former WMULer Jason Philyaw had the honor to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Bailey at the AP banquet. WMUL staffers had managed to get interviews and complete a nomination package for Dr. Bailey without him having any knowledge about it. While Dr. Bailey did not give a formal acceptance speech, he did briefly remark that he couldn't have received the award if it weren't for the efforts of his students.

The five first place individual award winning entries in the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association's 2006 broadcast journalism awards were as follows:

BEST SPORTSCASTER
"A Compilation of Work" written and produced by Alex Reed, a graduate student, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the FM 88 Sports Team and broadcast during 2006.

BEST HOST
"A Compilation of Work" written and produced by Ryan Epling, a senior, from Wayne, West Virginia, for the FM 88 Sports Team and broadcast during 2006.

BEST TALK SHOW
"On the Table," a call-in talk program, with hosts Chris Anastasia, a master's graduate from Huntington; John Griffith, a sophomore from Huntington; and James Roach, a freshman from Richwood. The program, produced by Deven Swartz, a junior from Philippi, West Virginia, was broadcast Tuesday, November 14, 2006.

BEST SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
WMUL-FM's broadcast of Marshall University versus Tulane University played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, November 4, 2006. The students calling the football game broadcast over 88.1 were as follows:

football play-by-play announcer--Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Virginia
color commentator--Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys
sideline reporter--Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell;

BEST SPORTS SPECIAL
"Review of the 2005-2006 Women's basketball Season" written and produced by Clark Davis, a graduate student from Huntington. The sports special program was broadcast before the "Fifth Third Classic" tournament Friday, November 17, 2006.

The ten (10) honorable mention award winning entries were as follows:

OUTSTANDING NEWS OPERATION
The Newscenter 88 Team; News Director for Spring Semester and Fall Semester 2006 Melanie P. Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell. (listen to montage)

BEST BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE
"Prayer in Public Schools" written and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Friday, April 28, 2006.

BEST CONTINUING NEWS COVERAGE
"We Are Marshall: The Movie" written and produced by staff members of the Newscenter 88 Team, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" throughout the 2006 calendar year.

BEST FEATURE
"The Pumpkin House" written and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Tuesday, October 31, 2006

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The documentary was broadcast during "Aircheck" Thursday, September 21, 2006.

BEST INTERVIEW
"Tri-State High School Football Report: Championship Edition" where Wayne High School players were interviewed during the call-in talk program by Ryan Epling, a senior from Wayne, and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery, broadcast Wednesday, December 6, 2006.

BEST SPORTS SPECIAL
"A Season of Change: 2005 Football Season in Review" anchored by Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Virginia, broadcast Saturday, September 9, 2006.

BEST NEWS ANCHOR TEAM
"The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, and Deven Swartz, a junior from Philippi, West Virginia, broadcast Thursday, February 6, 2006.

BEST NEWS REPORTER
"A Compilation of Work" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, broadcast during the " 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" during 2006.

BEST SPORTSCASTER
"A Compilation of Work" written and produced by Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys, for the FM 88 Sports Team and broadcast during 2006.

The judges of the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association radio contest for 2006 were members of the South Carolina Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

MU-Tulane football game broadcast named Best of Festival in Las Vegas

Apr. 28 - Students from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received one (1) Best of Festival award, one (1) first place award and two (2) second place awards during the Fifth Annual Broadcast Educators Association Festival of Media Arts Student Audio Competition ceremony Friday, April 20, 2007, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

"Alex Reed, Dave Wilson and Melanie Chapman have received the ultimate compliment for their on-air sportscasting at WMUL-FM by being presented the Best of Festival award (watch award presentation video - 7m 15s) for their first place winning call of the 2006 Marshall versus Tulane football game. In addition, the significant accomplishments of Jen Smith and Scott Hall were rewarded as evidenced by their runner-up finishes in the documentary and the drama categories respectively. Winning never comes easy, but for Marshall University, the student broadcasters of WMUL-FM consistently earn top honors in direct competition with nationally recognized colleges and universities. These acknowledgements are validations of the quality broadcasting program available through the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications. This highest of honors bestowed by BEA upon Alex, Dave and Melanie is well-deserved. I am excited about the prospects for all three of their professional futures," Bailey said.

Broadcast Educators Association (BEA) has more than 1,400 academic and professional members. The Broadcast Educators Association (BEA) has 250 academic institutional members. The Broadcast Educators Association (BEA) was founded in 1955, and its mission is to prepare college students to enter the radio and television business. Its members share a diversity of interests involving all aspects of telecommunication and electronic media.

The Broadcast Education Association and the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation's (http://www.kingfoundation.org) 2007 Best of Festival award for audio was WMUL-FM's broadcast of the football game between Marshall University and Tulane University played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, November 4, 2006. The students calling the football game broadcast over 88.1 were as follows:

football play-by-play announcer--Alex Reed, a graduate student from Virginia Beach, Virginia;
color commentator--Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys;
sideline reporter--Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell

The first place award winning entry in audio was:

Sports Play-By-Play
WMUL-FM's broadcast of the football game between Marshall University and Tulane University played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, November 4, 2006. (Participants listed above.)

The second place award winning entries in audio were as follows:

Audio Educational Program
"Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The documentary was broadcast during "Aircheck" Thursday, September 21, 2006.

Audio Drama
"The Return of the Ghost," a drama program, was written and produced by Scott Hall, a graduate student from Stephens City, Virginia. The drama was broadcast Friday, December 16, 2005.

Web site earns SPJ regional award for second straight year

Apr. 22 - Students from WMUL-FM, Marshall University's public radio station, won five (5) first place awards and four (4) second place awards in the 2006 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Contest for Region 4 in four radio categories and one online category. The awards were presented at the Region 4 SPJ Convention Saturday, April 14, 2007, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of electronic media management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said that the students competed with other broadcasting students from colleges and universities in SPJ's Region 4, consisting of West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, and western Pennsylvania.

"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. WMUL-FM student broadcasters won nine (9) of the twelve (12) radio awards presented in the five radio categories, and the online category. This solid performance in SPJ's Mark of Excellence Contest is further evidence of the quality of the work performed by our talented broadcasting students," said Dr. Bailey.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and to educate the next generation of journalists; and protects the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

The first place award winning entries in radio were:

Best News Reporting Category
"We Are Marshall Movie Premiere" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Wednesday, December 13, 2006.

Best Feature Category
"The Pumpkin House" written and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Tuesday, October 31, 2006.

Radio Indepth Reporting Category
"Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The documentary was broadcast during "Aircheck" Thursday, September 21, 2006.

Radio Sports Reporting Category
"The Keyes Brothers" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, broadcast during the pregame of the Marshall vs. Tulane football Saturday, November 4, 2006.

Radio Newscast Category

The three required newscasts used to enter this category were:

"The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" broadcast Tuesday, February 2, 2006. The students who participated in the newscast were:

Patrick Western, senior, Nitro (Producer)
Melanie Chapman, graduate student, McConnell (News Anchor)
Deven Swartz, junior, Philippi (News Anchor)
Adam Cavalier, sophomore, Montgomery (Sports Anchor)

"The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" broadcast Friday, April 28, 2006.
The students who participated in the newscast were:

Adam Cavalier, sophomore, Montgomery, (Producer)
Jen Smith, a recent graduate, Huntington (News Anchor)
Brandon Millman, senior, Huntington (News Anchor)
Alex Reed, graduate student, Virginia Beach, Va., (Sports Anchor)

"The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" broadcast Friday, October 30, 2006. The students who participated in the newscast were:

Alexis Stewart, junior, Cyclone, (Producer)
Whitney Thomas, sophomore, Wheeling, (News Anchor)
Adam Cavalier, sophomore, Montgomery (News Anchor)
Alex Reed, graduate student, Virginia Beach, Va. (Sports Anchor)

The second place award winning entries in radio were:

Best News Reporting Category
"Prayer in Public Schools" written and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Friday, April 28, 2006.

Best Feature Category
"Third House" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, broadcast during "The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Friday, April 28, 2006.

Radio Indepth Reporting Category
"Lasting Perfection: The Tenth Anniversary of the 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd Football National Championship Season" written and produced by Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys, broadcast Monday, December 11, 2006.

Best Affiliated Web Site
"www.marshall.edu/wmul" created and maintained by online director Deven Swartz, a junior from Philippi, during the 2006 calendar year.

Overall there were more than 3,300 entries from schools across SPJ's 12 Regions in the Mark of Excellence contest.

Station hits 200-award mark all-time in NBS competition

Apr. 6 - Students from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received four (4) grand prize awards and two (2) honorable mention awards during the National Broadcasting Society/Alpha Epsilon Rho (NBS/AERho) 16th Annual National Student Audio/Video Scriptwriting and 44th Annual Audio/Video Production Awards Competition ceremony at the Chicago Mart Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, Saturday, March 31, 2007.

“No other school won more grand prizes than WMUL-FM's student broadcasters and only one (West Texas A&M University) as many. Winning speaks well for Marshall University and the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, as the student broadcasters of WMUL-FM consistently earn top honors in direct competition with nationally recognized colleges and universities," said Bailey.

National Broadcasting Society-Alpha Epsilon Rho (NBS/AERho) has more than 1,500 student and professional members and has chapters on eighty-six (86) college campuses. The National Broadcasting Society (NBS) was founded in 1943, and its mission is to enhance the development of college and university students in telecommunication, broadcasting, cable and other electronic media. Past and present members of the society number more than 35,000. Alpha Epsilon Rho is the national honorary society composed of members selected from National Broadcasting Society (NBS) Chapters.

The grand prize award winning entry in scriptwriting was the following:

Audio Documentary Script
The script for the documentary program "Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" was written by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The script was completed Friday, April 14, 2006.

The grand prize award winning entries in production were as follows:

Audio Documentary Program
"Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The documentary was broadcast during "Aircheck" Thursday, September 21, 2006.

Audio Promo
"Addicted" an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM's Promotional Announcement rotation from Wednesday, May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington.

Audio Public Service Announcement
"Cabell-Wayne Adopt-A-Pet" an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM's Public Service Announcement rotation from Monday, May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Adam Cavalier, a sophomore from Montgomery.

The honorable mention awards in production went to:

Audio Magazine Program
"The Tri-State High School Football Report" with host of the program Ryan Epling, a senior from Wayne, that was broadcast Wednesday, November 1, 2006.

Audio Sports Program
"Lasting Perfection: The Tenth Anniversary of the 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd Football National Championship Season" written and produced by Dave Wilson, a recent graduate from St. Marys, broadcast Monday, December 11, 2006.

In The Hall of Fame: WMULers visit "We Are Marshall" exhibit

By Adam Cavalier for The Parthenon

Apr. 5 - The "We Are Marshall" exhibit's time at the College Football Hall of Fame is drawing to a close, so some WMUL staffers took the opportunity to stop by the exhibit on their way back from a broadcasting convention in Chicago, Sunday.

Six of my fellow WMULers, two journalism professors and I made our way through the spotlight-illuminated halls of the South Bend, Ind., shrine to see the largest exhibit the hall has to offer before "We Are Marshall's" May 15 closing date.

Upon entering the hall of fame, we saw the helmets of the schools in the final USA Today Top 25 poll hanging from the rafters.

Dr. Chuck Bailey, one of the journalism professors on the trip and the faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said those helmets were the only prominent recognition any school received and if you wanted to find your favorite team, you would have to search for it.

"When you went downstairs, WVU had a big logo on the wall, but you had to look for (anything associated with a school that is not a traditional power)," Bailey said. "If you were a casual person who had no West Virginia connection, it would be difficult to find anything related to the Mountain State.

"The Michigans and Notre Dames were there, the Conference USA schools were there, but you had to look for them. You could not miss Marshall. That's special. It's special for this university, the image of this university and how people perceive it."

Aside from the "We Are Marshall" exhibit, the only other mentions of the Herd in the hall are a plaque dedicated to tragedy (the Herd shares it with the plane crash victims of Wichita State and Cal Poly SLO), the busts of inductees Mike Barber and Jackie Hunt, the 2001 GMAC Bowl with ECU and Jack Lengyel.

Rick Walls, the executive director for the College Football Hall of Fame, said the hall took out a locker room exhibit to make room for Marshall's.

"We've never paid more attention to one particular school," Walls said. "No one has gotten as much attention as Marshall has and that is because the story deserves it."

Even though the exhibit's run at the hall has little over a month left, Marshall may still factor prominently into the hall's future.

Walls said preliminary talks are under way that would put a small-scale replica of the Memorial Student Center Fountain outside of the hall of fame. Plus, Walls said he hopes to continue to use much of the memorabilia featured in the exhibit because of the emotional response that it has elicited from people all over the nation.

"I've seen people from Huntington in tears," Walls said. "And from what I have read in the guestbook, there has been a great emotional response from people outside the Huntington area who appreciate the story."

The exhibit showcased Marshall in stages on the wall to the left of the entrance, going from the movie, to the university, to the tragedy, to the rebirth.

Along the two walls opposite the entryway were lockers that contained Marshall memorabilia from the movie, the past and the present. Marshall's Hall of Famers, Hunt and Barber, had a locker, as did Marshall's trio of Heisman trophy candidates, Randy Moss, Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich.

A short film about the seasons that sandwiched the plane crash was shown on a projection screen between the two walls with the lockers.

The wall to the right of the entrance contained paraphernalia from the Young Thundering Herd's 1971 season. Among the items was a small picture of a poster schedule from the 1971 season that Bailey saved as a sophomore at Marshall. The original poster now hangs prominently in his office.

Alex Reed, WMUL's station manager, said it was surreal for to see the miniature replica poster because he had seen it so many times before while sitting in Bailey's office.

"The exhibit was already interesting and personalized (because I attend Marshall)," Reed said. "But then it was personalized even more because of that poster."

"Anyone that goes there is going to find something that would connect with them in some other way than just the tragedy," he said.

Bailey said everyone associated with Marshall should now take even more pride in being a member of the Herd because of the national connection that the hall has helped Marshall establish.

"(The Marshall story) was one of the best-kept secrets in America, but now it has become a known story," Bailey said. "For students who attend here now, that can't help but make them proud.

"For college students at any school, if they come in and say, 'I'm from Barton (the winners of the Division II men's basketball championship).' And you go, 'Where is that?' It is somewhat hurtful and you feel less than the typical college student (does about their school).

"If we can walk around big cities and be recognized as someone from Marshall, then that puts us on par with schools that we haven't been on par with in our history, (other than during the Cam Henderson era)."

On three different occasions in Chicago, I had people stop me to ask what it was like to have a movie made about my school or to ask what I was doing so far from Huntington.

Walls, an Ohio University graduate, said Marshall should enjoy the national knowledge of the school.

"People didn't know about Marshall - now they do," Walls said. "That should give Marshall alums, Marshall students and anyone associated with the Huntington community even more pride in their school."

Anyone interested in seeing the exhibit before its six-month stay runs out can make the seven-hour trek from Huntington to South Bend, Ind., and 111 South St. Joseph St., to the College Football Hall of Fame.

WMUL's '07 begins with seven...awards that is

Jan. 25 - Students from Marshall University's public radio station, WMUL-FM, received seven (7) awards: two (2) Crystal Awards of Excellence, four (4) Awards of Distinction and one (1) honorable mention award, in The Communicator Awards 2006 Audio Competition. The winners were named Wednesday, January 17, 2007, in Ashland, Kentucky. WMUL-FM was notified by mail that some of its entries had won. This is the ninth year for this competition to include an audio component for judging.

The Communicator Awards come from a national awards organization that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field. Entries are judged by industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry.

The Communicator's prestigious Crystal Award of Excellence is presented to those entrants whose ability to communicate makes them the best in their field. About 10 percent of the entries won this award. The Crystal Award of Excellence winners are listed on The Communicator's web site www.communicator-awards.com.
In addition to the Award of Excellence, The Communicator Awards 2006 Audio Competition also give The Award of Distinction and Honorable Mention Awards. The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects that exceed industry standards in production or communication skills. An Honorable Mention certificate was granted to those entries that meet the high standards of the industry.

Winners of The Communicator Awards come from radio stations, production facilities, advertising and public relations agencies, corporate communications departments, government entities, technicians, narrators, writers, and other professionals associated with the production of audio broadcasts and materials.

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of electronic media management in the
W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said, "This is an outstanding accomplishment to be recognized as having produced some of the best newscasts, sports programming, PSAs, promo productions, documentaries and scripts in the country. I am proud of the honor these Awards of Excellence, Awards of Distinction and the honorable mentions award bestow on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications and Marshall University. This success demonstrates to our student staff that dedication and hard work does pay off in the end."

The Crystal Awards of Excellence winning entry by WMUL-FM were in the following categories:

Newscast
"The 5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" for Monday, February 6, 2006.
The students who participated in the newscast were:

Patrick Western, senior, Nitro, W.Va., (Producer)
Deven Swartz, junior, Philippi, W.Va., (Anchor)
Melanie Chapman, graduate student, McConnell, W.Va., (Anchor)
Adam Cavalier, sophomore, Montgomery, W.Va. (Sports)

Radio Station Promotional Announcement
"Addicted" an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM's Promotional Announcement rotation from Wednesday, May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington.

The Awards of Distinction winning entry by WMUL-FM were in the following categories.

Feature Story
"Appalachian Music" written and produced by Melanie Chapman, a graduate student from McConnell, broadcast during the "5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88" Thursday, December 1, 2005.

Public Service Announcement
"Cabell-Wayne Adopt-A-Pet" an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM's Public Service Announcement rotation from Monday,
May 1, 2006 through the present time, written and produced by Adam Cavalier,
a sophomore from Montgomery.

Writing/Radio Script
The script for the documentary program "Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" was written by Jen Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington. The script was completed Friday, April 14, 2006.

Documentary Production
"Before the Bench: The Formative Years of Chief Justice John Marshall" written and produced by Jennifer Smith, a recent graduate from Huntington.
The documentary was broadcast during "Aircheck" Thursday, September 21, 2006.

The honorable mention award winning entry by WMUL-FM was in the following category:

Radio Drama
"The Return of the Ghost," a drama program, was written by Scott Hall,
a graduate student from Stephens City, Virginia. The drama was broadcast Friday, December 16, 2005.


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