Students from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received five Platinum Awards, seven Gold Awards and six Honorable Mention Awards in the MarCom Creative Awards 2017 Competition. The winners were posted on MarCom’s website Nov. 9.
The MarCom Creative Awards contest is an international competition that recognizes achievement by marketing and communication practitioners. Entries are judged by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals, which looks for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark for the industry. There were more than 6,000 entries in the MarCom Creative Awards 2017 Competition. Approximately 18 percent of the entries won platinum awards, another 18 percent won gold awards and about 10 percent received honorable mention awards.
Winners of the MarCom Creative Awards 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 United States, Canada and several foreign countries.
“I am proud and grateful for the honor these MarCom Creative platinum, gold and honorable mention awards bestow on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the College of Arts and Media and Marshall University,” 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. “These MarCom Awards are a tribute to the continual quality and commitment of the radio station’s student volunteer staff to news and sports coverage, promotional creativity/production and maintaining a mobile and online presence, where our FM 88 Sports Staff updates scores of Marshall athletic contests and promotes its coverage of Thundering Herd sports news and events.”
The Platinum Award winning entries by WMUL-FM are in the following categories:
RADIO PSA
“Huntington the Opioid Center” an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Public Service Announcement rotation starting Friday, May 12, 2017, and is still in rotation, written and produced by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton. Production assistance by Franklin Norton, a junior from Huntington; Lilly Dyer, a junior from Huntington; and Sadie Helmick, a junior from Paden City.
RADIO SPORTS PROGRAM
“Herd Roundup” with hosts Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton, and Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington, broadcast Friday, April 14, 2017.
RADIO NEWS FEATURE PACKAGE
“West Virginia Makes Festival” written and produced by Rebecca Turnbull, a senior from Bridgeport, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.
RADIO SPORTS FEATURE PACKAGE
“A Changed Chase Litton,” written and produced by Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington, broadcast during the “Cutting Edge Sports Radio Network Pregame Show” prior to kickoff of the Marshall and Miami (Ohio) football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, and also made available online.
PRINT MEDIA: MANUAL/TRAINING
The three volume “WMUL-FM Operations Manual,” originally written by Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, WMUL-FM’s faculty manager, was thoroughly updated during the summer of 2016 by Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s operations manager, who is a WMUL-FM alum and is currently a Marshall University staff employee from West Hamlin. The “WMUL-FM Operations Manual” was written for the student and community volunteer staff members of the campus radio station.
The Gold Award winning entries are in the following categories:
RADIO SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY PROGRAMMING
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of the Marshall University versus Ohio State University college men’s basketball game played at the Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. The students calling the men’s basketball broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Play-by-play announcer— Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton;
Color commentator— Dylan Stone, a senior from Henderson;
Color Commentator— Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington;
Engineer— James Collier, a recent graduate from Worthington, Kentucky.
PRINT CREATIVITY: LOGO CATEGORY
“WMUL-FM 55th Anniversary Logo” designed by former promotions director Krystle Davis for WMUL-FM’s 55th Anniversary picnic at Barboursville Park on Saturday, July 30, 2016.
RADIO SPORTS PROGRAM
The Friday, Feb. 24, 2017, edition of a collaborative high school sports radio program between WMUL-FM and WFGH-FM in Fort Gay, West Virginia that is broadcast to a statewide audience. “Basketball Friday Night in West Virginia” runs from 9 p.m. to midnight each Friday night during the high school basketball season with its audio signal originating from the studios of WMUL-FM, but includes a high definition video signal coming from the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Television Studio A. Volunteer hosts Ryan Epling, Ric Morrone, Joe Linville and guests provide fans with continual score updates, interviews and analysis of the evening’s games.
RADIO SPORTS PACKAGE
“Vedvik Named Player of the Week” written and produced by Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington, broadcast during Herd Roundup, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016.
RADIO SPORTS PACKAGE/PODCAST
“McKenzie Akers Returns,” written and produced by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of NewsCenter 88,” Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, and also made available online.
RADIO PROMOS
“Better than Excalibur,” an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Promotion Announcement rotation Monday, May 29, 2017, and is still in rotation, written and produced by Brian Leonard, a recent graduate from Huntington, and featuring the voice talents of Seth Payne, a senior from Winfield.
SOCIAL MEDIA: TWITTER SITE
WMUL’s FM 88 Sports Twitter account is recognized for its use during sporting events and continual coverage of Marshall Athletics throughout the academic year. One may follow it at @WMUL_Sports. The Twitter account is overseen by all members of the FM 88 Sports Staff.
The Honorable Mention Award winning entries are in the following categories:
AUDIO PODCAST
“Ryan Yurachek Houston Flood Relief,” written and produced by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton, broadcast during the “Cutting Edge Sports Radio Network Pregame Show” prior to kickoff of the Marshall and Miami (Ohio) football game Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, and also made available online.
RADIO NEWSCAST
The “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” broadcast Monday, Nov. 14, 2016. The students who participated in this newscast are:
Austin Creel, a senior from Parkersburg (Producer);
Rebecca Turnbull, a senior from Bridgeport (Anchor);
Kyra Biscarner, junior from Marysville, Michigan (Anchor);
Nathan Thomas, a senior from Charleston (Weather);
Jacob Queen, a freshman from Huntington (Sports Anchor).
RADIO MAGAZINE PROGRAM
“Marking Out” is a weekly wrestling magazine program with hosts Alexis Stewart, a senior from Huntington, and Matt Bellville, a community volunteer, broadcast Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, and also made available online.
RADIO SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY PROGRAMMING
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall football versus University of Pittsburgh played at the Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2016. The students calling the football game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Play-by-Play announcer — Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton;
Color Commentator – James Collier, a recent graduate from Worthington, Kentucky;
Statistician— Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington;|
Spotter— Dylan Stone, a senior from Henderson;
Engineer— Sage Shavers, a recent graduate from Charleston.
BEST NEWS FEATURE STORY
“One-Room School House” written and produced by Rebecca Turnbull, a senior from Bridgeport, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Thursday, March 17, 2016, and also made available online.
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE: INSTAGRAM
WMUL’s FM 88 Sports Instagram account is recognized for its use during sporting events and continual coverage of Marshall sports throughout the academic year. The Sports Instagram account is overseen by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton, and Luke Creasy, a senior from Huntington. One may find it at http://www.instagram.com/wmul_sports/.
For more information on the MarCom Creative Awards, media members may contact:
The MarCom Creative Awards
127 Pittsburg Street
Dallas, Texas 75207
214-377-3524
E-mail: info@marcomawards.com