{"id":3731,"date":"2025-04-15T20:10:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T00:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/wmul\/?p=3731"},"modified":"2025-04-16T20:27:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T00:27:23","slug":"2025-ava-digital-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/wmul\/2025\/04\/15\/2025-ava-digital-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 AVA Digital Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, April 15, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WMUL-FM) \u2014 Students, a faculty member and a community volunteer from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received three Platinum Awards, six Gold Awards, and four Honorable Mention Awards in the International AVA Digital Awards 2025 Competition. The winners were released recently on the organization\u2019s website. This year marks WMUL-FM\u2019s thirteenth time competing in this particular contest.<\/p>\n

Dr. Chuck G. Bailey, professor of radio\u2013television production and management in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University and faculty manager of WMUL-FM, said, “All thirteen of WMUL-FM\u2019s entries won awards in the International AVA Digital Awards. This is a wonderful accomplishment to be recognized with three platinum awards for producing two exceptional racing programs and a campus commentary podcast.<\/p>\n

In addition, WMUL-FM\u2019s Newscenter 88 Team was acknowledged with a gold award for its solid thirty-minute newscast, the FM 88 Sports Staff with gold awards for a discerning sports talk program and a blog about the local minor league baseball team. Other gold awards were for a convincing station promo, making an exciting musical feature video program featuring an Appalachian indie rock solo artist, producing an album analysis blog, and a community volunteer producing an enjoyable specialty music program. Plus, other WMUL-FM student broadcasters received four honorable mention awards for their notable efforts. I am proud and grateful for the honor these AVA Platinum, Gold, and Honorable Mention Awards bestow on WMUL-FM, the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and Marshall University. These AVA Awards are a tribute to the continual quality and commitment of the radio station\u2019s student and community volunteer staff to its news\/sports coverage by both our Newscenter 88 Team and our FM 88 Sports Staff, the promotional abilities of our production staff, the entertainment value of our musical offerings by the disc jockeys, and the online presence that our broadcast students exhibited in direct competition with professional practitioners.”<\/p>\n

The AVA Digital Awards contest is an international competition that recognizes outstanding creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication. Work ranges from audio and video productions \u2013 to websites that present interactive components such as animation, blogs and podcasts \u2013<\/p>\n

to interactive social media sites \u2013 to other forms of user-generated communication. Entries are judged by members of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). There were approximately 2,500 entries from throughout the United States, Canada and 30 other countries in the International AVA Digital Awards 2025 Competition.<\/p>\n

The AVA’s prestigious Platinum Award is presented to those entries judged to be among the most outstanding submissions in the competition. Platinum Winners are recognized for their excellence in terms of quality, creativity and resourcefulness. About 16 percent of the entries won this award with a score between 90-100. Platinum and Gold Winners are listed on the International AVA Awards website at https:\/\/enter.amcpros.com\/ava\/winners\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The Gold Award is presented to those entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry. Approximately 21 percent of the entries received this award with a score between 80-89. Honorable Mention certificates are granted to those entries that meet the expectations of the judges. About eight percent of the entries received this award with scores between 70-79.<\/p>\n

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Platinum Award Winning Entries<\/h2>\n

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BEST AUDIO PODCAST<\/h2>\n

\u201cYik the Yak Program 4 \u2013 SPECIAL EDITION – Election Advice,\u201d written and produced by Makaylah Wheeler, a graduate student from Huntington and Dr. Clinton Brown, a Communications Studies professor, broadcast and made available online Monday, November 4, 2024.<\/p>\n