Students from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received one Award of Excellence and seven Awards of Distinction in the 22nd Annual Communicator Awards 2016 Audio Competition. WMUL-FM was notified by mail that its entries had won.
The Communicator Awards come from the International Academy of Visual Arts, which recognizes outstanding work in the communications field. Entries are judged by industry professionals who seek out companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. The 2016 contest had more than 6,000 entries from radio stations, ad agencies, interactive agencies, production firms, in-house creative professionals, graphic designers, design firms, public relations firms, corporate communications departments and government entities.
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 a noteworthy accomplishment to earn one Award of Excellence and seven Awards of Distinction. WMUL-FM student broadcasters were acknowledged for their writing and reporting on sports magazine programs, a weekly news program, a news package, a sports package, a feature package and the station’s website, as well as, their production skills on a promotional announcement. I am proud and grateful for the honor these Communicator Awards bestow on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the College of Arts and Media, and Marshall University.”
The Award of Excellence-winning entry by WMUL-FM was in the following category:
SPORTS MAGAZINE PROGRAM
“The Conference USA Report: Week 9 – Halloween” broadcast Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. The students who participated in this broadcast/podcast were Scott Hall, a community volunteer from Huntington, host; and reporters Alec Hildebeidel, a senior from Bel Air, Maryland; Akira Uchida, a recent graduate from Fujimi City, Japan; Adam Polsky, a junior from Manchester, New Jersey; Adam Rogers, a senior from Charleston, West Virginia; Braxton Crisp, a senior from Huntington; and Mark Hess, a sophomore from Charlton Heights, West Virginia.
The Award of Distinction-winning entries by WMUL-FM were in the following categories:
FEATURE PACKAGE
“Hole in One,” written and produced by Aundrea Horsley, a senior from Lucasville, Ohio, made available online Sunday, July 3, 2015.
NEWS PROGRAM
“In the Know: Marshall This Week, The Fountain Ceremony” with hosts of the program Aundrea Horsley, a senior from Lucasville, Ohio, and Gabi Warwick, a senior from Martinsburg, West Virginia, broadcast Friday, Nov. 20, 2015.
WEBSITE
WMUL-FM’s website is located at www.marshall.edu/wmul. The Spring Semester 2015 webmaster for WMUL-FM Online was Braxton Crisp, a senior from Huntington, and the Fall Semester 2015 webmaster was Nancy Peyton, a junior from Pecks Mill, West Virginia.
SPORTS MAGAZINE PROGRAM
“The Conference USA Report: Week 6 – One Hit Wonders of the 90’s” broadcast Friday, Oct. 8, 2015. The students who participated in this broadcast/podcast were James Collier, a graduate student from Worthington, Kentucky, host, and reporters Alec Hildebeidel, a senior from Bel Air, Maryland; Nathan Thomas, a junior from Charleston, West Virginia; Andrew Harrison, a senior from Toms River, New Jersey; Luke Creasy, a community volunteer from Huntington; Braxton Crisp, a senior from Huntington; and Marquez Davila, a junior from Sterling, Virginia.
NEWS PACKAGE
“The Big Pink Volleyball,” written and produced by Rebecca Turnbull, a sophomore from Bridgeport, West Virginia, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Monday, Oct. 12, 2015, and also made available online.
SPORTS PACKAGE
“Bob Gray Inducted into WVSA Hall of Fame,” written and produced by Braxton Crisp, a senior from Huntington, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Tuesday, March 10, 2015, and also made available online.
RADIO PROMOTION
“Monty Python WMUL Promo,” an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s promotion announcement rotation beginning Friday, May 8, 2015, and still in rotation, written and produced by Braxton Crisp, a senior from Huntington and Alec Hildebeidel, a senior from Bel Air, Maryland, and voiced by Luke Creasy, a community volunteer from Huntington.
The program’s prestigious Award of Excellence is presented to those entrants whose ability to communicate makes them the best in their field. The Award of Excellence winners are listed on the program’s website www.communicator-awards.com.
In addition to the Award of Excellence, The Communicator Awards 2016 Audio Competition also gave the Award of Distinction and the Honorable Mention Award. 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.