Friday, May 08, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Students from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received three (3) Platinum Awards, nine (9) Gold Awards and seven (7) Honorable Mention Awards in The Hermes Creative Awards 2019-2020 competition. Winners were notified by a post on the Hermes Creative Awards’ website.
The Hermes Creative Awards are administered and evaluated by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition 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 while at the same time promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals. There were approximately 6,000 entries in The Hermes Creative Awards 2020 Competition from throughout the United States and 22 other countries.
The Hermes Creative Awards offer three 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. The Gold Award is judged to exceed the high standards of the industry’s norm. The Honorable Mention Award is awarded to those entries that meet the expectations of the judges. The three levels of winners, which are fifteen percent for Platinum, twenty percent for Gold and ten percent of the total entries for Honorable mention, are listed on The Hermes Creative Awards 2020 website at https://enter.hermesawards.com/winners
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, “These platinum awards are outstanding accomplishments in recognizing our broadcasting students as having produced some of the best sports programs and sports play-by-play in the country. I am proud and grateful for the honor these Hermes Creative Awards bestow on WMUL-FM. The Gold Awards are further tributes to the sports packages/podcasts, sports play-by-play, social media talents and believe it or not, the video production skills of our broadcast students during a musical entertainment program in competition with professional practitioners. Overall, this tremendous effort helps to build upon another highly successful year by the volunteer student staff of WMUL-FM in garnering recognition for Marshall University, the College of Arts and Media, as well as the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications from state, regional and national broadcasting organizations that evaluate the work done at campus radio stations.”
With the addition of these nineteen awards, the WMUL-FM student broadcasters are one single award away from tying their highest grand total of awards ever won during a single year with one hundred forty-five (145) awards won during the 2019-2020 academic year and only the sixth time to top the century mark in the number of awards won during a single academic year. Two contests remain to be judged for this academic year. The remaining contests are the Communicator Awards and the Jim Nantz Collegiate Sportscaster of the Year Awards. The highest total number of awards won within a single academic year is one hundred forty-six (146) that was accomplished just this past academic year (2018-2019). The students’ grand total of one hundred-forty-five (145) awards, so far, this year includes twenty-seven (27) first place awards, forty-two (42) second place awards, twenty-eight (28) third place award and forty-eight (48) honorable mention awards.
Platinum Award Winning Entries
Audio Program
The Friday, March 08, 2019, 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, Bill Cornwell and guests provide fans with continual score updates, interviews and analysis of the evening’s games.
Audio Program
“Herd Roundup” with host Tyler Kennett, a sophomore from Rock, West Virginia broadcast Friday, April 05, 2019.
Audio Sports Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of College Insider.com Tournament Championship Marshall men’s basketball versus University of Wisconsin Green Bay played at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia, Thursday, April 4, 2019. The students calling the men’s basketball game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color Commentator
Courtside Reporter
Producer
Andrew Rogers, a sophomore from Clarksburg, West Virginia;
Savanah Matney, a senior from South Point, Ohio;
Wesley Steele, a sophomore from Flatwoods, Kentucky
Gold Award Winning Entries
Social Media Site – Twitter Overall
WMUL-FM’s Station Twitter account is recognized for its use during station events, for coverage of campus/community news and updates from the local music scene throughout the academic year. The Twitter account was overseen in 2019-2020 by Makaylah Wheeler, WMUL-FM news director and executive director, Spencer DuPuis, Contest Coordinator, Landon Mitchell, music director, and Tyler Kennett, social media coordinator.
Social Media Site – Twitter
WMUL-FM’s FM 88 Sports Twitter account is recognized for its use during sporting events and continual coverage of Marshall sports throughout the academic year. The Twitter account is overseen by all members of the FM 88 Sports Staff.
Audio / Radio Ad / Promo
“WMUL Cult” an in-house promotional announcement broadcast in WMUL-FM’s Promotion Announcement rotation Thursday, September 26, 2019, and is still in rotation was written and produced by Zane Bowles, a junior from Sandstone, West Virginia and features the primary voice talents of Zane Bowles, and the background cult chanting talents of David Adkins, a junior from Huntington, West Virginia; Derrick Bowen, a junior from Huntington, West Virginia; Haley Brown a freshman from Weirton, West Virginia; Andrew Corliss, a sophomore from Evans, West Virginia; Ashley Ross, a junior from Huntington, West Virginia; Tristan Shepard, a junior from Prichard, West Virginia; and Wesley Steele, a sophomore from Flatwoods, Kentucky.
Audio / Radio Podcast – Single Episode
“Rachel Rousseau, Conference USA Softball Player of the Week,” written and produced by Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, broadcast during Herd Roundup,” Friday, April 12, 2019, and made available online.
Audio / Radio Podcast – Single Episode
“Jon Elmore’s Legendary Career” written and produced by Tyler Kennett, a sophomore from Rock, West Virginia, broadcast during the “Herd Roundup,” Friday, March 22, 2019.
Video / Television Program
The Friday, March 08, 2019, 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, Bill Cornwell and guests provide fans with continual score updates, interviews and analysis of the evening’s games.
Video Student Program Production
WMUL-FM’s Classroom Concert Series—featuring Maggie. The live interview was conducted by host of the program Austin Creel, a recent graduate from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The producers of the playing and singing recording session were Sam Adkins, recent graduate from Huntington, West Virginia, and Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s Operations Manager from West Hamlin, West Virginia. The program was posted online Thursday, February 14, 2019.
Audio / Radio Sports Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall men’s basketball versus Western Kentucky University at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, Saturday, January 12, 2018. The students calling the men’s basketball game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color Commentator
Producers
Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania
Wesley Steele, a sophomore from Flatwoods, Kentucky and Tyler Kennett, a sophomore from Rock, West Virginia
Audio / Radio Sport Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall Football versus Virginia Military Institute (VMI) played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, August 31, 2019. The students calling the football game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color commentator
Sideline Reporter
On-site Producer
In-Studio Producers
Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania.
Savanah Matney, a senior from South Point, Ohio;
Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia;
Wesley Steele, a sophomore from Flatwoods, Kentucky and Tyler Kennett, a sophomore from Rock, West Virginia
Honorable Mention Award Winning Entries
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 for 2018-2019 was overseen by Tyler Kennett, a sophomore from Rock, West Virginia; Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Penn. and Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia.
Audio Podcast – Single Episode
“House Fire Shows Community’s Kindness” written and produced by Makaylah Wheeler, a junior from Huntington, West Virginia, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
Audio / Radio Podcast – Single Episode
“Kereon Merrell Named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week” written and produced by Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia, broadcast during “Herd Roundup,” Friday, November 01, 2019.
Audio / Radio Program
“48th Annual Memorial Fountain Ceremony” a live remote with hosts of the program Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia, and Makaylah Wheeler a junior from Huntington, West Virginia, broadcast Wednesday, November 14, 2018. The remote broadcast was produced by Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s Operations Manager from West Hamlin, West Virginia.
Audio / Radio Program
WMUL-FM’s Classroom Concert Series—featuring Maggie. The live interview was conducted by host of the program Austin Creel, a recent graduate from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The producers of the playing and singing recording session were Sam Adkins, recent graduate from Huntington, West Virginia and Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s Operations Manager from West Hamlin, West Virginia. The program was broadcast over WMUL-FM and posted online Thursday, February 14, 2019.
Video Entertainment Program
WMUL-FM’s Classroom Concert Series—featuring Maggie. The live interview was conducted by host of the program Austin Creel, a recent graduate from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The producers of the playing and singing recording session were Sam Adkins, recent graduate from Huntington, West Virginia, and Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s Operations Manager from West Hamlin, West Virginia. The program was posted online Thursday, February 14, 2019.
YouTube Video
WMUL-FM’s Classroom Concert Series—featuring Maggie. The live interview was conducted by host of the program Austin Creel, a recent graduate from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The producers of the playing and singing recording session were Sam Adkins, recent graduate from Huntington, West Virginia, and Michael Stanley, WMUL-FM’s Operations Manager from West Hamlin, West Virginia. The program was posted online Thursday, February 14, 2019.