Students from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received four Awards of Excellence and six Awards of Distinction in the 24th Annual Communicator Awards 2018 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. The 2018 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.
“Earning four Awards of Excellence is a notable accomplishment,” 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 University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM.. “WMUL-FM student broadcasters were acknowledged for their sports writing and reporting, as well as their production skills on two promotional announcements and a public service 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 Communicator Awards’ 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 Communicator’s website at www.communicator-awards.com.
The Award of Excellence winning entries by WMUL-FM were in the following categories:
AUDIO PROMO
“Better than Excalibur” is an in-house promotional announcement broadcast from WMUL-FM’s promotion announcement rotation on Monday, May 29, 2017, through the present time. The promo was written and produced by Brian Leonard, a recent graduate from Huntington, and features the voice talent of Seth Payne, a senior from Winfield.
AUDIO PROMO
“WMUL-FM Allergies” is an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s promotion announcement rotation Monday, May 29, 2017, through the present time, written and produced by Bryce Smith, a freshman from Huntington, technical assistance by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton, and featuring the additional voice talent of Brian Leonard, a recent graduate from Huntington.
RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
“Huntington the Opioid Center” is an in-house public service announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s public service announcement rotation starting Friday, May 12, 2017, and still in rotation, written and produced by Adam Rogers, a graduate student from Milton. Production assistance was given 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.
In addition to the Award of Excellence, The Communicator Awards 2018 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. The Award of Distinction winning entries by WMUL-FM were in the following categories:
AUDIO NEWSCAST
The “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” broadcast Monday, November 14, 2016. The students who participated in this newscast were:
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 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, December 2, 2016, and also made available online.
AUDIO SPORTS PROGRAM
The Friday, February 24, 2017, edition of a collaborative high school sports radio program between WMUL-FM and WFGH-FM in Fort Gay, West Virginia, which 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 including 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, Bill Cornwell and guests provide fans with continual score updates, interviews and analysis of the evening’s games.
RADIO SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY PROGRAMMING
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall football versus University of Pittsburgh played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saturday, October 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.
SOCIAL MEDIA SITE/TWITTER OVERALL
WMUL’s FM 88 Sports Twitter account is recognized for its use during sporting events and continual coverage of Marshall sports 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.
BEST TRAINING MANUAL
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.
With the addition of these 10 awards, the WMUL-FM student broadcasters have won 110 awards for the 2017-2018 academic year, with one contest still to be determined. Since 1985, WMUL-FM student broadcasters have won a total of 1,791 awards.