ALABAMA ASSOCIATED PRESS BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION
1999 CONTEST WINNERS

Awards were presented at the AAPBA annual meeting at Gulf Shores in April 2000.
Four of the AAPBA contest winners were chosen by the board as entries in the national AP broadcasters contest. The national entries from Alabama:

* Radio spot news -- WERC's "Pelham shootings"
* Radio enterprise -- WUAL's "Vietnam letters"
* TV spot news -- WBMA-TV's "Jasmine Moore Search"
* TV enterprise -- WBRC-TV's "Shadow Lawn cemetery"

Here is the complete list of winners in the AAPBA contest, judged by AP member TV and radio stations in Wisconsin for broadcast news in 1999.

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Class AA Radio

BEST REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST: WOOF-FM.

BEST EXTRAORDINARY COVERAGE OF A PLANNED EVENT: WOOF-FM, John Daniel and Deborah Pearson, "County Jail Controversy."

BEST GENERAL SPORTS: WOOF-AM, Phil Paramore.

BEST FEATURE STORY: WOOF-FM, Deborah Pearson, "Daffy Duck Camp."

BEST REPORTER: WOOF-FM, John Daniel.

BEST ANCHOR: WOOF-FM, Deborah Pearson

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Class A Radio

BEST REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST: WZZK, Don Dailey, Laurie Mundy.

BEST EXTRAORDINARY COVERAGE OF A PLANNED EVENT: WBHM-FM, Steve Chiotakis, Ben Philpott, Mike Morgan, Melanie Peeples and Patrick Dorriety, "The Lottery 1999."

BEST COVERAGE OF A SPOT NEWS STORY: 960 WERC, Ray Steele, "The Pelham Shootings."

BEST GENERAL SPORTS: 960 WERC, Paul Finebaum and Patrick Smith, "Finebaum."

BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OR DOCUMENTARY: WBHM-FM, Steve Chiotakis, "Y2K OK?"

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: Alabama Public Radio, Brett Tannehill, "Historic Resources in Danger."

BEST FEATURE STORY: Alabama Public Raddio, Keri Gentine, "Vietnam Letters."

BEST REPORTER: WBHM, Ben Philpott, "Pelham shooting, Election Night, Y2K Survival Show."

BEST ANCHOR: WZZK, Don Dailey.

BEST COMMENTATOR OR EDITORIALIST: 960-WERC, Kevin Miller, "Too Good To Be True."

BEST SPORTS REPORTER: Alabama Public Radio, Brett Tannehill, "DuBose Wins Back Favor," "Iron Bowl Hysteria," and "Bama SEC Champs."

BEST SPORTS ANCHOR: Sportsradio 690 WJOX, Herb Winches.

BEST SPECIALIZED REPORTER: WBHM Ben Philpot, "Science of Sport," "Townsend Tech," and "Litchfield High."

BEST USE OF TAPE: Alabama Public Radio, Keri Gentine, "Vietnam Letters."

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Class AAA TV

BEST REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST: NewsChannel 49, David Lamb, Rebekah Caldwell, Melanie Kearns, Jon Mason, Gary Harris, Claire Kelly and Ken Gaddis, "NewsChannel 49 at 6, NewsChannel 49 at 10."

BEST DOCUMENTARY: NewsChannel 49, "The Inside Story: Betting On Alabama's Future."

BEST SERIES: NewsChannel 49, Amy Bailey and John Mark Green, "Female Wrestlers."

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: NewsChannel 49, Melanie Kearns, Amy Bailey and Kristy Brackley, "D.A. Indicted."

BEST SPOT NEWS STORY: NewsChannel 49, Carson Clark, "Police Standoff."

BEST FEATURE STORY: WTVY-TV, Brad Sherwood, "Amazing Cabbage."

BEST SPORTS STORY: WTVY-TV, Brad Sherwood, "Alabama vs. Arkansas."

BEST SPORTS FEATURE: NewsChannel 49, Shawn Ratliff, "Rama Jama Roll Tide."

BEST SPORTS PROGRAM: WTVY-TV, Al Roberts, Marc Hall, Brad Sherwood, Mike Gurspan, Mike Doherty, Nicole Foershler, Lisa Park, Shelly Weiss, Marty Timmel, Jeff Sanders, "Friday Night Football."

VICTOR IRVING BEST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY: WTVY-TV, Brad Sherwood, Lynsley Smith, Mike Gurspan, Wayne May and David Youngstrom.

BEST REPORTER: WDHN-TV, Jennifer Perry.

STAN TARILTON BEST PHOTOGRAPHER: NewsChannel 49, Alan Baker.

BEST NEWS ANCHOR: WTVY-TV, John Williams.

BEST WEATHER ANCHOR: NEWSCHANNEL 49, Jon Mason.

BEST SPORTS ANCHOR: WTVY-TV, Al Roberts.

BEST SPECIALIZED REPORTER: WDHN-TV, Andrea Boutwell.

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Class AA TV

BEST REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST: WAAY-TV.

BEST DOCUMENTARY: (tie) WHNT-TV 19, "Ten Years After the Airport Tornado;" WAAY-TV, "Taming of the River."

BEST SERIES: WAFF-TV, "The Way We Were."

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: WAFF-TV, Rudy Koski and Jeff Gray, "Postmarked Trouble."

BEST SPOT NEWS STORY: WSFA-TV, Debbie Williams and Jeff Harrison, "Six Missing Found."

BEST FEATURE STORY: WSFA-TV, Todd Rossnagel and Jeff Harrison, "Coon Dog Graveyard."

BEST SPORTS STORY: WHNT-TV 19, Rob Perry and Tom Perkins, "Wednesday Winner: Channel Cat Champs."

BEST SPORTS FEATURE: WSFA-TV, Jeff Shearer and Lee Zurik, "Big Oak Bear."

BEST SPORTS PROGRAM: WAFF-TV, Craig Rickett, Will Kennedy, Matt Mitchell, J.D. Byars, Clint Moore, Jim Heinrich, Chris Chapman and Scott Theisen.

BEST EXTRAORINDARY COVERAGE OF A PLANNED EVENT: WSFA-TV, "1999 Alabama Gubernatorial Inauguration."

VICTOR IRVING BEST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY: WAAY-TV, Robert Ballard, Kevin Athow, Fred Harris, Tim Norment, Joe Rogers, Dennis Tugman, BJ Cowles, Gregg Moore, Kieth Rumph and Joe Kemner.

BEST REPORTER: WAAY-TV, Al Whitaker.

STAN TARILTON BEST PHOTOGRAPHER: WSFA-TV, Jeff Harrison.

BEST NEWS ANCHOR: WSFA-TV, Barry Davis.

BEST WEATHER ANCHOR: WAFF-TV, Jay Prater.

BEST SPORTS ANCHOR: WAFF-TV, Craig Rickert.

BEST SPECIALIZED REPORTER: WSFA-TV, Todd Rossnagel, "Fred the Dog," "Running Mayor."

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Class A TV

BEST REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST: Fox 6 WBRC, Art Franklin, Janet Hall, David Neal, Rick Karle, Kacinda Crump, James Finch, Scott Hollowell, James Warner and Mike McClain.

BEST DOCUMENTARY: ABC 33/40, Christine Riser, Bill Castle and Pam Huff, "Y2K: Should You Worry."

BEST SERIES: Fox 6 WBRC, Shelia Smoot and Anderson Williams, "Shadow Lawn."

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: Fox 6 WBRC, Shelia Smoot and Anderson Williams, "Shadow Lawn."

BEST SPOT NEWS STORY: ABC 33/40, "Jasmine Moore Search."

BEST FEATURE STORY: WALA-TV, Carol Hunter and Al Tuggle, "Huck's Revenge."

BEST SPORTS STORY: NBC 15 News WPMI, Pat Greenwood, "NCAA Violations - South Alabama."

BEST SPORTS FEATURE: Fox 6 WBRC, Mike Dubberly and Mike Tucker, "Brotherly Love."

BEST SPORTS PROGRAM: Fox 6 WBRC, Mike Dubberly, Sheldon Haygood, Rick Karle, Mike Tucker, Randy Mize, Blake Stallings and Brad Radice, "Sideline '99."

BEST EXTRAORINDARY COVERAGE OF A PLANNED EVENT: ABC 33/40, Dan Cates, Bill Castle, Chandra Clark, Brenda Ladun, Josh Thomas, Keith Poss, Pam Huff, Tiffani Taylor, Dave Baird, Linda Mays, Jerry Wade, Teddy Tarver and Chris Osborne, "Clinic Bombing: One Year Later."

VICTOR IRVING BEST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY: ABC 33/40, Bill Castle, Teddy Tarver, Jerry Wade, Stew Jones, Chris Osborne, Tim Jones, Jerome Davis, Jerome Mabry, Marc Waird, Asa Allen, Chris Lupenski, Todd Dewey, Jason Cancel, David Willis, Lester Williams, and Stephanie Brooks.

BEST REPORTER: WPMI-TV, Jodi Brooks.

STAN TARILTON BEST PHOTOGRAPHER: ABC 33/40, Dave Wills.

BEST NEWS ANCHOR: ABC 33/40, Brenda Ladun.

BEST WEATHER ANCHOR: ABC33/40, James Spann.

BEST SPORTS ANCHOR: Fox 6 WBRC, Rick Karle.

BEST SPECIALIZED REPORTER: Fox 6 WBRC, Shelia Smoot.

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MOST OUTSTANDING NEWS OPERATION:

Class AA Radio: WOOF-FM
Class A Radio: 960 WERC
Class AAA TV: NewsChannel 49, David Lamb, Rebekah Caldwell, Melanie Kearns, Jon Mason, Greg Harris, Claire Kelley and Ken Gaddis.
Class AA TV: WHNT-TV
Class A TV: Fox 6 WBRC, Dennis Leonard Station Manager and Scott Hollowell News Director.

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ALABAMA AP NEWS COOPERATION AWARDS:

Radio small market: WVNN in Athens
Radio large market: WERC in Birmingham
Television small market: NewsChannel 49 in Tuscaloosa
Television large market: ABC33/40 in Birmingham

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