Wednesday, May 20, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Students and the operations manager from Marshall University’s public radio station, WMUL-FM, received one (1) Award of Excellence and thirteen (13) Awards of Distinction in the 26th Annual Communicator Awards 2020 Audio Competition. WMUL-FM was notified May 15, 2020, by mail that its entries had won.
The Communicator Awards come from the International Academy of Visual Arts that 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 2020 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. The Communicator Awards is widely recognized as one of the largest awards of its kind in the world.
“We are extremely proud to recognize the work received in the 26th Annual Communicator Awards. This class of entries embodies the best of the ever-evolving marketing and communications industry” noted Eva McCloskey, managing director of the AIVA. She added, “On behalf of the Academy, I’d like to applaud the entrants this season for their dedication to producing outstanding content as they continue to push the envelope of creativity.”
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, “Earning one Award of Excellence is a notable accomplishment for former WMUL-FM student broadcasters Austin Creel, Sam Adkins and WMUL-FM Operations Manager Michael Stanley for their production of the radio station’s “Classroom Concert Series: College Radio Day Special” featuring Cooper Henderson. The Awards of Distinction showcased other student broadcasters’ efforts in newscasting, news and sports reporting, sports play-by-play announcing, performing as on-air talent during a musical format and creating compelling sports social media posts on both Twitter and Instagram. The Communicator Awards have a two-year window for entries. 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.”
Award of Excellence Winning Entry
Audio Podcasts – Individual Episodes: Entertainment
WMUL-FM’s Classroom Concert Series College Radio Day Special—featuring the solo artist Cooper Henderson. The live interview was conducted by host of the program Austin Creel, a graduate from Parkersburg, West Virginia. The producers of the live artist recording session were Sam Adkins, 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 Friday, October 5, 2018, and also made available online.
Award of Distinction Winning Entries
Craft Categories: On-Air Talent
“Beefcake” is the on-air name used by Landon Mitchell, a senior from Ottawa. The winning entry is a compilation of his DJ shifts broadcast from Fall Semester 2018 through Spring Semester 2019.
Audio Newscast
The “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88” broadcast Friday, April 06, 2018. The students who participated in this newscast are:
Anchor
Anchor
Weather Anchor
Sports Anchor
Adam Rogers, a graduate from Milton, West Virginia;
Makaylah Wheeler, a junior from Huntington, West Virginia;
Tristan Poston, a senior from Huntington, West Virginia;
Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania
Podcast – Individual Episodes: News
“Game Jam” written and produced by Landon Mitchell, a senior from Ottawa, West Virginia broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Monday, April 09, 2018.
Podcast – Individual Episodes: Sports
“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.
Podcast – Individual Episodes: Sports
“Ajdin Peneva Profile” written and produced by Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Tuesday, March 06, 2018.
Podcast – Individual Episodes: Sports
“Men’s Basketball Prepares for the Big Dance” written and produced by Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia, broadcast during the “5:00 p.m. Edition of Newscenter 88,” Wednesday, March 14, 2018, and also made available online.
Podcast – Individual Episodes: Sports
“Malik Thompson Feature” written and produced by Savanah Matney, a senior from South Point, Ohio, broadcast during “Herd Roundup,” Friday, October 26, 2018.
Audio Sports Program
“Herd Roundup” with host Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia, broadcast Friday, April 06, 2018.
Audio Sports Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall Football versus Florida Atlantic played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, October 20, 2018. The students calling the football game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color commentator
Sideline Reporter
Spotter
Producers
Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania;
Savanah Matney, a senior from South Point, Ohio;
Elijah Smith, a senior from Beckley, West Virginia;
Wesley Steele, a sophomore from Flatwoods, Kentucky and Matthew Moore, a graduate from Huntington, West Virginia
Audio Sports Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall men’s basketball versus University of Toledo played at the Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, December 8, 2018. The students calling the men’s basketball game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color commentator
Producer
Nick Verzolini, a junior from Stewartstown, Pennsylvania;
Austin Hinkle, a sophomore from Eleanor, West Virginia.
Audio Sports Play-by-Play Programming
WMUL-FM’s broadcast of Marshall football versus University of Texas at San Antonio played at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia, Saturday, November 17, 2018. The students calling the college football game broadcast over FM 88.1 were:
Color commentator
Producer
Andrew Rogers, a sophomore from Clarksburg, West Virginia;
Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia.
Content and Marketing: Overall Social Presence
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. The Twitter account is overseen by all members of the FM 88 Sports Staff.
Content and Marketing: Overall Social Presence
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, Pennsylvania and Spencer DuPuis, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia.
The Communicator’s prestigious Award of Excellence is presented to those entrants whose ability to communicate makes them the best in their field. In addition to the Award of Excellence, The Communicator Awards 2020 Audio Competition also gave the Award of Distinction. The Award of Distinction is awarded for projects that exceed industry standards in production or communication skills. The Award of Excellence and Award of Distinction winners are listed on the Communicator’s website https://www.communicatorawards.com/winners/.
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.
With the addition of these fourteen awards, the WMUL-FM student broadcasters have obtained their highest grand total of awards ever won during a single year with one hundred-sixty (160) awards for the 2019-2020 academic year and only the sixth time to top the century mark in awards for a single academic year. Only one contest remains to be judged for this academic year. The remaining contest is the Jim Nantz Collegiate Sportscaster of the Year Awards. Previously, the highest total number of awards won within a single academic year was one hundred forty-six (146) that was accomplished just this past academic year (2018-2019). The students’ grand total of one hundred-sixty (160) awards, so far, this year includes twenty-nine (29) first place awards, fifty-five (55) second place awards, twenty-eight (28) third place award and forty-eight (48) honorable mention awards.
Since 1985 WMUL-FM student broadcasters have won a total of two thousand one hundred-nineteen (2,119) awards that includes seven hundred forty-eight (748) first place awards, four hundred ninety-two (492) second place awards, one hundred thirty-three (133) third place awards and seven hundred forty-six (746) honorable mention awards.