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Pennsylvania AP Broadcasters Association
| Board of Directors | PAPBA Contest | PAPBA Winner
Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association
PAPBA Contest Winners
AP announces 2010 broadcast news contest award winners
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News directors
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The Associated Press is pleased to announce the winning stations in the 2010 Pennsylvania Associated Press News Awards contest. Entries were judged by the Indiana AP Broadcasters Association.
The awards recognize outstanding broadcast journalism efforts by AP member radio and television stations, cable television and networks in Pennsylvania.
In addition, the judges chose stations in each broadcast market category as winners of the Joe Snyder Award for Outstanding News Service. It is the premier award given by The Pennsylvania AP and is named in memory of the late Joe Snyder, longtime chief of bureau of the Pennsylvania AP. Snyder was instrumental in founding the Pennsylvania AP Broadcasters Association.
The awards were presented on Saturday, April 9, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg/Hershey in Grantville, Pa.
In some cases, awards were not made because (1) there were not enough entries in a particular category, (2) the judges felt that entries did not fit the criteria specified in the entry rules, and/or (3) that there was such a wide gap in quality between those that did win and the other entries in the category no additional award(s) could be given.
The Associated Press is not involved in judging of the awards and assumes no responsibility for the judges' choices. The judges' results are final.
Comments or suggestions about the contest should be made in writing and e-mailed to the PAPBA Board of Directors, c/o Dick Lawyer at dlawyer45@gmail.com.
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
RADIO A - MAJOR MARKET STATIONS
ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING
Sandy Starobin Award
KYW, Philadelphia
“Ten Things You Didn't Know About Health Reform”
By: Pat Loeb, John Ostapkovich, Brad Segall & David Madden, Reporters; Dee Patel, News Director
The Entry: The new federal health reform legislation promises to please some, infuriate others, and confuse many. But hidden in those reams of new laws are some surprising tidbits. KYW Newsradio reporters uncover some of the surprises.
Judges’ Comments: Our judges gave this series of reports "all 10's" based on KYW's excellence in identifying how the new national health care bill affects local people and institutions.
2nd Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“Reinventing Your Career”
By: Mark Abrams, Pat Loeb & John McDevitt, Reporters; Dee Patel, News Director
The Entry: The recession has reduced available jobs in many industries forever. For some Philadelphia-area workers, it was the kick they needed to switch careers -- and improve their options. A team of KYW Newsradio reporters came up with a step-by-step guide to surviving the 21st century job market.
Judges’ Comments: KYW did a fine job of providing its laid-off listeners with guidance on how to make themselves marketable – and eventually re-employed.
3rd Place
WDUQ, Pittsburgh
“House of Hope”
By: Erike Bears
The Entry: When the UPMC health system closed its hospital in Braddock this year, few programs remained operating in that community. One still there is House of Hope which offers shelter to and supports homeless, drug-addicted pregnant women as well as new mothers. Now the health system might move that program out of Braddock as well. This entry by WDUQ’s Erika Beras features some of the young mothers who have benefited from the programs as well as service providers. Broadcast June 7, 2010.
Judges’ Comments: The House of Hope series is an outstanding example of investing the time it takes to help an audience appreciate grass roots heroism by a local level agency.
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
1st Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
“90 Years of Serving You”
By: KDKA Radio News Staff
The Entry: Vignettes produced for air during KDKA's 90th anniversary programming.
Judges’ Comments: A great job of touting the historic heritage of a community and national landmark.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
SPOT NEWS
1st Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“The Duck Boat Accident”
By: KYW Newsradio Staff
The Entry: KYW Newsradio reporters are first to arrive at the scene of a deadly collision between a barge and a tourist boat in the Delaware River. (July 7, 2010)
Judges’ Comments: KYW did an outstanding job of getting on a very big story immediately. There was a sense of urgency without sounding panicked, and the background sound was excellent, although not planned.
2nd Place
KQV, Pittsburgh
“Storm Coverage”
By: Bob Bartolomeo
The Entry: The winter storm that paralyzed the northeast February 6, 2010, left KQV anchor Bob Bartolomeo alone at the station with support staff unable to make it to work through the deep snow. With a weekend format of one-half hour of news at the top of the hour and a half-hour recorded program filling out the hour, Bob kept KQV listeners informed about the severity of the storm. He lined up live interviews with utilities, highway and public safety agencies, elected officials, and the bishop of the Catholic Diocese.
Judges’ Comments: The second- and third-place categories were very strong, but we're giving the nod to the man who had to fly without a staff to cover a major story affecting everyone with continually updated information.
3rd Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Severe Weather
By: KDKA Radio News Staff
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Strong job of covering severe weather and delivering timely, needed information.
CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“Disaster On The Delaware”
By: KYW Newsradio Staff
The Entry: KYW Newsradio's coverage of a deadly collision on the Delaware River between a barge and a "Ride The Ducks" tourist boat. Covers the three-day period from our first report of the mishap to the recovery of the body of a second person killed in the accident.
Judges’ Comments: The KYW staff did an excellent job of quickly responding to a disaster and advanced the story line well with latest information while recapping for new tune-ins.
2nd Place
WHYY, Philadelphia
“Crisis in Haiti”
By: Susan Phillips, Reporter; Dave Davies, Editor
The Entry: This is our comprehensive page covering the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Susan Phillips hopped a plane to cover local doctors responding to the disaster.
Judges’ Comments: A fine localization of a terrible disaster in another nation. Reports helped audience appreciate how local groups pitch in when bad things happen elsewhere.
3rd Place
(None)
REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST
1st Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
“KDKA News 6 PM”
By: KDKA Radio News Staff
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: During an extremely hectic afternoon, due to breaking weather problems, the KDKA staff rose to the occasion, professionally reporting on latest developments while also updating its audience on other major stories of the day.
2nd Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“KYW Newsradio”
By: Steve Nikazy, Anchor; Greg Orlandini, Editor; Dee Patel, News Director; KYW Newsradio Reporting Staff
The Entry: An example of KYW Newsradio's "All News. All The Time" coverage in a special "Reporters Roundup" newscast heard twice each weekday afternoon.
Judges’ Comments: KYW reporters demonstrated a firm grasp of local issues in delivering a fast-paced summary of what made this day unique and memorable.
3rd Place
(None)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA Roundtable - 12/10/10”
By: Brad Christman, Matt Paul
The Entry: An emotional first-hand recounting of the day America was thrust into war, as U.S.A.F. Major Hank Heim recalls the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Judges’ Comments: Compelling radio with a piece of rare sound from a historic event. Nice job of letting the veteran tell his story.
2nd Place
WDUQ, Pittsburgh
“Autism Through the Lifespan”
By: Erike Beras
The Entry: One of the most difficult health challenges confronting the Pittsburgh region and the nation is autism which now affects one out of every 110 children. WDUQ reporter Erika Beras explored autism, its impact on those afflicted and their family and friends from birth until death. The nine-part series looked at everything from educational practices, early childhood, and the issues of adulthood.
Judges’ Comments: Well researched piece, sound presentation, and thorough use of characters telling their stories on a wide ranging issue. Nice job.
3rd Place
(None)
FEATURE
1st Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“RLRI Voices: Illegal Immigrants, Jobs and the Fallout”
By: Tim Lambert, Reporter; Casey Houtz, Producer
The Entry: Some 110,000 illegal immigrants were estimated to have jobs in Pennsylvania last year. That's about 1.8 percent of the state's workforce, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. But who are these workers? Who hires them? Who suffers the consequences? In our Real Life-Real Issues series on immigration in central Pennsylvania, WITF's Tim Lambert reports on three stories, three voices, offering their own answers.
Judges’ Comments: Extremely well balanced first person approach to localize an important "national" issue. Effective use of nat-sound.
2nd Place
WDUQ, Pittsburgh
“PNC Artifacts”
By: Mark Nootbaar
The Entry: The New PNC building in downtown Pittsburgh as would be expected holds bank offices, a bank branch, law offices, also a coffee house, a hotel and, surprisingly, the city’s newest display of artifacts. When PNC announced plans to tear down a block full of buildings to make way for its newest skyscraper, architect and urban archeologist Christine Davis convinced the company to allow her to dig around while construction was underway. In all 25,000 artifacts from the 1840s to the 1860s were found and preserved.
Judges’ Comments: Nicely told story. Reporter elicited good sound bites from interviewees. Story held interest throughout.
3rd Place
WHYY, Philadelphia
“Port Richmond Shooting Leaves Emotions Raw”
By: Elizabeth Fiedler
The Entry: How Port Richmond struggles to regroup after a police officer shoots and kills a 21-year old neighborhood man.
Judges’ Comments: Effective lead and the story moved right along with effective sound bites.
SERIES
1st Place
WHYY, Philadelphia
“The Shale Game”
By: Kerry Grens & Susan Phillips, Reporters; Todd Vachon, Multi-Media; Chris Satullo, Executive Producer, Eugene Sonn, Editor
The Entry: Our week-long in-depth series on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation. Kerry Grens and Susan Phillips look at the science, the jobs, the money and potential impact on the environment.
Judges’ Comments: This series provides excellent insight to a complex matter. It's an excellent example of the power of in-depth radio reporting. Great use of sound and an overall conversational flow. The series helps us understand the both the technical and social aspects of a changing region.
2nd Place
WDUQ, Pittsburgh
“Addressing Behavioral Health Issues in Pittsburgh”
By: Erike Beras
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: This series gives powerful descriptions and analysis about a variety of important behavioral health issues. Excellent use of the medium of radio to tell about these people. Very conversational in approach. Highly touching presentations.
3rd Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
“90 Years of Serving You”
By: KDKA Radio News Staff
The Entry: Vignettes produced for air during KDKA's 90th anniversary programming.
Judges’ Comments: This series is characterized by solid interviewing and fine production techniques. These reports provide great insights to various periods in radio history and with a personal flavor. Very listenable and fun.
RADIO SOUND
1st Place
WHYY, Philadelphia
“Raid Shows the Horror of Dogfighting”
By: Elizabeth Fiedler
The Entry: There has been lots of attention to Michael Vick serving time for fighting dogs, but what about the officers who try to bust less famous dog-fighting rings? WHYY's Elizabeth Fiedler takes you for a ride-a-long with SPCA enforcement officers.
Judges’ Comments: Powerful use of sound right off the bat taking the listener to the scene of a raid. Well done.
2nd Place
WDUQ, Pittsburgh
“Kid Science”
By: Larkin Page-Jacobs
The Entry: National Lab Day is part of an effort to get children more interested in science. Educators, volunteers and organizations are working together to make science “kid-friendly.” This story by WDUQ’s Larkin Page-Jacobs features the sounds of kids and educators interacting and doing scientific projects.
Judges’ Comments: Nice job of capturing the feel and interaction of an exciting day for the kids.
3rd Place
WHYY, Philadelphia
“Philadelphia's Murals Need a Makeover”
By: Peter Crimmins
Description How Philadelphia is and is not keeping up with the huge job of maintaining the city's thousands of murals.
Judges’ Comments: Good job of capturing the process by which an expert determines how to keep history alive.
SPORTSCAST
1st Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“A Halladay Holiday”
By: Harry Donahue, Sports Anchor
The Entry: One of the 11 morning-drive sportscasts delivered each weekday by long-time KYW news and sports anchor Harry Donahue. (From October 7, 2010)
Judges’ Comments: Nice job of capturing a big sports day in Philly.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
(None)
SPORTS FEATURE
1st Place
KQV, Pittsburgh
“Sports Series - Sports Year in Review”
By: Bruce Sakalik
The Entry: KQV anchor Bruce Sakalik presents a year-end review of Pittsburgh's major league sports teams. The series aired the week of December 20, 2010.
Judges’ Comments: A listenable recap of the Pittsburgh sports year, even for someone who isn't a great sports fan. Good writing and inclusion of audio.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
WEATHERCAST
1st Place
KYW, Philadelphia
“A Bugged Weather Forecast”
By: Meteorologist Elliot Abrams
The Entry: One of the daily KYW Newsradio weather updates presented live by AccuWeather meteorologist Elliot Abrams, who's a bit bugged by the forecast. (From June 8, 2010)
Judges’ Comments: A unique way of spinning a forecast. Elliot knows how to make mundane weather entertaining.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM
(None)
JOE SNYDER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS SERVICE
KYW, Philadelphia
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
RADIO B - MEDIUM MARKET STATIONS
ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING
1st Place
ComRadio, State College
“Does the Internet Make It Tougher for Students to Learn?”
By: Catherine Marvin
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Well researched, good job of sound presenting both sides. Writing was clear and concise.
2nd Place
ComRadio, State College
“PSU Game Day Security”
By: Jennifer Shaab
The Entry: Big time college sports requires big time security on home football Saturdays at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. Reporter Jenny Shaab takes a close-up look at what it takes to protect 112,000 fans, visitors and game-day participants in a post 9/11 era.
Judges’ Comments: Nice behind the scenes look at massive prep for game day crowds and pre-party problems. Well written and executed for maximum impact.
3rd Place
WAEB, Allentown
“Rolling the Dice on Table Games”
By: Dan Holzman
The Entry: Bethlehem's casino welcomes table games and plenty of extra activity.
Judges’ Comments: Good use of actualities. Painted a good picture of casino opening and potential economic impact.
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
"Eerie Pennsylvania: The French Manor"
By: Brad Christman
The Entry: A one-hour examination of the history and paranormal lore of a beautiful Pocono Mountains resort.
Judges’ Comments: The historical research and individual effort to prove or disprove the haunting are what sets this entry at the top of the category.
2nd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
"Hunting the Paranormal in Northeast Pennsylvania"
By: Nancy Kman
The Entry: WILK's Nancy Kman joins two Paranormal Investigative groups from Northeast Pa. on a number of investigations. Noted skeptic Dr. Steven Novella, academic neurologist at Yale University and creator of the podcast "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe," discusses the popularity in the paranormal and the scientific explanations for many of the ghosts and other paranormal events that people claim to have experienced.
Judges’ Comments: This entry does a great job of presenting both sides of the issue of credibility of paranormal investigations.
3rd Place
(None)
SPOT NEWS
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Election Night 2010”
By: Brad Christman, Craig Rhodes, Matt Paul, Cathy Clark, Scott Detrow
The Entry: Tracking the breaking news coming out of the historic 2010 elections in Pennsylvania.
Judges’ Comments: The Radio Pennsylvania staff was the best in this category at rolling with a fluid election night situation. The multi-faceted coverage merits the special recognition of this first-place award.
2nd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“Pennsylvania Sen. Ray Musto Indicted”
By: Steve Corbett
The Entry: Steve Corbett talks with State Sen. Ray Musto shortly after his November 23 indictment. Judges’ Comments: While we don't know if WILK was the only outlet to get an interview with Sen. Musto that day, clearly the interviewer had adequate background and rapport with his subject to get an insightful interview.
3rd Place
(None)
CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Whiteout”
By: Brad Christman, Matt Paul, Cathy Clark
The Entry: Coverage of the back-to-back blizzard blasts of February 2010.
Judges’ Comments: Solid pieces that provide good information on the weather while avoiding cliche or sensationalism.
2nd Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Election 2010: Pennsylvania's Race for Governor”
By: Scott Detrow, Reporter; WITF News Staff
The Entry: Pennsylvania elected a new governor for the first time in eight years in 2010. Scott Detrow led WITF's coverage of the campaign from the primaries through the final poll results in November, breaking several stories that impacted the race. Here's a compilation of the stories that were covered.
Judges’ Comments: This is quality election reporting that, in most of the clips, avoids superficiality.
3rd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“Lackawanna County Former and Current Commissioners Indicted”
By: Sue Henry, Steve Corbett, Bud Brown, Phil Cummings, Joe Thomas
The Entry: Coverage of the March 16, 2010 indictment of Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak and former Commissioner Bob Cordaro. Includes interviews with both, one airing March 19, 2010
Judges’ Comments: This gave us good insight into the situation in Lackawanna County. Quality reporting.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST
1st Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“WILK's News with Bud Brown – November 2, 2010”
By: Bud Brown & WILK News Staff
The Entry: WILK's Bud Brown brings listeners the latest news on November 2, 2010, including the voices of many seeking office.
Judges’ Comments: Good flow, good actualities. You let the sound tell the story.
2nd Place
WHP, Harrisburg
“WHP 7AM NEWSCAST from July 8th, 2010”
By: Bill Mead, Anchor; Bob Hauer, Reporter; Dave Andrews, Traffic; Meteorologist Joe Calhoun, Weather
The Entry: Our regularly scheduled 7 AM newscast from July 8th, 2010.
Judges’ Comments: Excellent pacing, fast and informative.
3rd Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA Newscast - 7/16/10”
By: Brad Christman
The Entry: Radio PA’s 7:30 a.m. newscast from July 16, 2010. Stories included unemployment numbers, a Senate campaign ad dispute and the launch of table games in PA casinos
Judges’ Comments: Good use of sound
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA Roundtable - 3/19/10”
By: Brad Christman, Matt Paul
The Entry: A half-hour weekly wrap-up that included coverage of financial swaps, teen dating violence, CHIP, political robo-calls and the U.S. Census forms.
Judges’ Comments: This is a good discussion on an issue often covered superficially. Good use of multiple voices.
2nd Place
WPSU, State College
“PA People”
By: Patty Satalia
The Entry: These are examples from an ongoing series.
Judges’ Comments: This is a good series of well-produced pieces. They occasionally fall into all-too-common public radio storytelling techniques, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in most cases.
3rd Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA Roundtable - 7/16/10”
By: Brad Christman, Matt Paul
The Entry: A behind-the-scenes look back at a fascinating period in state history, when Gov. Robert Casey underwent a rare heart & liver transplant … part of the Radio PA@20 series, celebrating the network’s 20 years in Harrisburg.
Judges’ Comments: This is a good roundtable discussion that avoids many of the pitfalls of shows with similar formats.
FEATURE
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Ewe Light Up My Life”
By: Matt Paul
The Entry: Following the start-to-finish trials and tribulations of a Sheep-to-Shawl team at the 2010 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Judges’ Comments: Good sound and well written. We liked the humor woven in with the information. You made the experience real.
2nd Place
WPSU, State College
“A Quest to Make Marcellus Roads Environmentally Friendly”
By: Emily Reddy
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Well researched, with good word pictures. Makes a potentially boring story interesting and relevant. Good use of actualities.
3rd Place
WRKC, Wilkes-Barre
“Curtain Comes Down on the Cafe Metropolis”
By: Kaitlin Falatovich
The Entry: Hear the reaction of music fans at the Cafe Metropolis closes its doors for the last time.
Judges’ Comments: Nice use of actualities to paint picture of Cafe Metro.
SERIES
1st Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Real Life-Real Issues: Immigration”
By: Tim Lambert, Reporter; Casey Houtz, Producer
The Entry: In November 2010, WITF's monthly, multimedia series Real Life – Real Issues took a close look at immigration issues in central Pennsylvania. The effort included a two-part radio series by WITF's Tim Lambert. Part one focused on why the region's agriculture industry is keeping a close eye on efforts to overhaul immigration in the country. Part two looked at illegal immigrants in the workforce through the eyes of three people.
Judges’ Comments: Bravo! Tim Lambert uses the right combination of reporting, research, storytelling and hard work to bring light to a difficult issue.
2nd Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Election 2010: Specter vs. Sestak”
By: Scott Detrow, Reporter
The Entry: Longtime Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Arlen Specter was upset in the Democratic primary in the spring of 2010 by Congressman Joe Sestak. In the run-up to primary election, WITF's Scott Detrow spent a day on the job with each of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate.
Judges’ Comments: Scott Detrow does what every good political series should do: give the listeners good information upon which to decide their vote.
3rd Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Adoption in Central Pennsylvania”
By: Melanie Herschorn, Reporter; Casey Houtz & Joe Ulrich, Producers
The Entry: In February 2010, WITF launched a three-part series telling the stories of a trio of central Pennsylvania families and their experiences in adopting their children.
Judges’ Comments: Melanie Herschorn does a great job of personalizing this issue, using teens up for adoption rather than focusing on babies and young children.
RADIO SOUND
1st Place
WPSU, State College
“Professor Cuts Cow Methane”
By: Emily Reddy
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: This rises to the top in this category because of the way the producer used sound to advance the story and keep the listener engaged. From the feeding time to the gushy, gooey by-product and an actual cow belch, a lot of work went into this informative, interesting piece. Congratulations!
2nd Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Eerie Pennsylvania: The French Manor”
By: Brad Christman
The Entry: The eerie sounds recorded overnight in an allegedly haunted country inn.
Judges’ Comments: While this is certainly an interesting use of audio gathering capability, the sound is part of what is studied, rather than being used to advance the piece. We found ourselves wondering what the room sounded like without the special recorder.
3rd Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Beeping Gives Some Midstaters a Chance to Play Ball”
By: Scott Gilbert, Reporter
The Entry: Like other sports, baseball can be hard – if not impossible – to play for people with certain disabilities. But as WITF's Scott Gilbert reports, a different take on America's favorite pastime is helping some in the midstate to overcome such challenges.
Judges’ Comments: This story is a great feature, and won in that category. It is a solid use of sound to make an interesting piece and engage the listener.
SPORTSCAST
1st Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA Sportscast - 10/7/10”
By: Rick Becker
The Entry: A roundup of Pennsylvania sports including an historic no-hitter in the opening game of the National League Division Series by Roy Halladay.
Judges’ Comments: A good quick pace, great audio bites, well rounded.
2nd Place
ComRadio, State College
“Trevor Turner ComRadio Sportscast 09-07-2010”
By: Trevor Turner
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Good use of audio and pacing, just not as well rounded as the first place winner.
3rd Place
(None)
SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
1st Place
ComRadio, State College
“Trevor Turner Football, Basketball and Volleyball Play-By-Play”
By: Trevor Turner, Ryan Smith, Kevin Gallagher
The Entry: Play-By-Play Coverage of Penn State Football vs. Indiana, Penn State Women's Basketball vs. South Carolina and Penn State Volleyball vs. Princeton.
Judges’ Comments: Fast, clear and well-presented. The talent avoids the exasperation and exaggeration that can sometimes plague play-by-play broadcasts.
2nd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“WILK's High School Football Game of the Week: Old Forge vs Riverside”
By: Joe Thomas & Gary Ferentino; Katherine Moore, Producer
The Entry: Coverage of the Old Forge/Riverside football game of Oct. 9, 2010 featuring Joe Thomas and Gary Ferentino. Katherine Moore is the producer.
Judges’ Comments: Very good, but hard to hear at times.
3rd Place
WRKC, Wilkes-Barre
“King's vs. Widener - Oct. 9, 2010”
By: Cory Zalewski, Paul Ofcharsky
The Entry: Coverage of the King's College and Widener University Homecoming Game on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Judges’ Comments: The talent is good, but it was difficult to hear. A clearer mix would be nice.
SPORTS FEATURE
1st Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Beeping Gives Some Midstaters a Chance to Play Ball”
By: Scott Gilbert, Reporter; Casey Houtz, Producer
The Entry: Like other sports, baseball can be hard – if not impossible – to play for people with certain disabilities. But as WITF's Scott Gilbert reports, a different take on America's favorite pastime is helping some in the midstate to overcome such challenges.
Judges’ Comments: The production team puts the listener into the setting on a hot summer day and takes us on a journey of information and insight into the issue. Excellent work!
2nd Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“Radio PA's Top 10 Sports Stories of 2010”
By: Rick Becker
The Entry: Recapping the top sports stories of 2010 in a year-end countdown.
Judges’ Comments: This entry stands out as a well produced collection of sports stories.
3rd Place
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
“2010 PITT Football Preview”
By: Rick Becker
The Entry: A seven-part series previewing the 2010 PITT Panthers football team.
Judges’ Comments: The reporter did a good job of using interesting interview cuts to advance the piece.
WEATHERCAST
(None)
NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM
1st Place
WITF, Harrisburg
“Radio Smart Talk: Blizzard of 2010”
By: Craig Cohen, Host; Scott Lamar, Executive Producer; Scott Gilbert & Tim Lambert, Reporters; Mark Wallace, Producer
The Entry: This program was produced on a morning when Central Pennsylvania was in the midst of an unusually harsh snowstorm that left 12 to 18 inches of snow on the ground while high winds howled outside leaving large snow drifts and very low visibility. The storm was the second in five days that totaled up to 36 inches of snowfall. This show became “storm central” for listeners and included information on road conditions, driving in the snow, closings, emergencies and stories from the audience. The program normally runs for an hour but was extended due to the large amount of information on the program.
Judges’ Comments: Overall, a great, helpful piece. Some of the banter is a bit excessive, but small doses of levity are nice.
2nd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“WILK's Morning News with Webster & Nancy”
By: John Webster, Nancy Kman, Joe Thomas, Mark Sokolski
The Entry: WILK's Webster and Nancy have a contentious interview with an indicted former county commissioner about his controversial decision to sell the area's minor league ball team to the Yankees. Also on our entry, discussion of senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's alleged dabbling in witchcraft, the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Department's spying on gas drilling opponents, and Webster and Nancy interview a psychic during Halloween week. Producer Joe Thomas also takes part in the discussion.
Judges’ Comments: Overall, this is a good entry and a well-done program. A bit more focus from the hosts would've made it top-notch.
3rd Place
WILK, Wilkes-Barre Scranton
“WILK Steve Corbett Show”
By: Steve Corbett, John Lucas
The Entry: Steve Corbett talks to the controversial founder of the Westboro Baptist Church and the ACLU about a possible protest at the military funeral of Staff Sgt. Dale Kridlow.
Judges’ Comments: While these interviews are difficult to do, the host too often makes points that come from personal opinion, which, in turn, weakens the debate. The times when the host focuses on the tangible and factual, rather than the subjective with the WBC rep are excellent.
JOE SNYDER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS SERVICE
Radio Pennsylvania Network, Harrisburg
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
RADIO C - SMALL MARKET STATIONS
ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Needy Family Fund”
By: Sara Bartlett & Matt Farrand, Reporters
The Entry: These are four of forty stories reported in November and December during our Needy Family Fund. The stories highlights local families who need extra help during the holidays, and bring to light struggles right here in our own community.
Judges’ Comments: An excellent idea handled in a very dignified way. This type of reporting helps cement the relationship between a station and community.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
(None)
SPOT NEWS
1st Place
WJPA, Washington
“A Soldier's Body Is Returned Home”
By: Randy Gore, Reporter
The Entry: The body of Army Sgt. Nathan Kennedy is returned home to the small borough of Claysville on May 7, 2010. Kennedy was killed in Afghanistan in a skirmish with enemy forces on April 27. Reporter Randy Gore spoke with onlookers honoring Kennedy along the motorcade route from the Washington County Airport to Claysville.
Judges’ Comments: The reporter does a great job of helping the audience understand and envision the setting. The overall tone of the report is quite appropriate for the story content. Excellent use of sound bites to provide reflections on the fallen soldier. Good use of the medium to tell an important story.
2nd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Smokestack Down”
By: Mark Lawrence, Reporter
The Entry: The tallest structure in Sunbury is brought down after the shutdown of a large manufacturing plant in the city.
Judges’ Comments: This report makes effective use of raw sound. The story provides important background and context for the audience. The reporter helped us feel as if we were on location. The story is wrapped up nicely with a sense of how this location will be used in the future.
3rd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Salvation Army Distribution”
By: Mark Lawrence, Reporter
The Entry: Mark Lawrence helped to distribute toys, food and clothing as the Salvation Army gave to families in need over the holiday season.
Judges’ Comments: This report is well-backgrounded and provides lots of information. The imbedded interview provides a nice touch. Good overall flow on a topic of importance.
CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Lewisburg Schools”
By: Matt Farrand, Reporter
The Entry: To build or not to build? That was the question for months in the Lewisburg Area School District. Matt Farrand follows the sometimes heated process of the district and community deciding whether to renovate the old high school or build a new one. Here are three of many stories following the issue.
Judges’ Comments: Definitely not a winner by default. This was one of the best written, best edited, and best presented pieces we judged in the competition. Excellent pacing and transitions. Someone who knows how to edit for effect.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“WKOK Midday News Roundup”
By: Ali Stevens, Anchor; Sara Bartlett, Reporter; Rob Senter, Sports
The Entry: This is our noon newscast, with a comprehensive look at the top news stories. It includes a spot news report, along with weather and sports news.
Judges’ Comments: A top quality production, with very good production values, excellent reporting, and all at a pace that keeps things moving. Very deserving of first place.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Roundtable – Gulf Oil Spill”
By: Mark Lawrence, Host; Katie Kirchner, Intern
The Entry: This is a portion of our hour-long Roundtable program and is centered on the Gulf oil spill which was underway. The panel of guests included oceanographers, geologists and biologists.
Judges’ Comments: This program provides an in-depth look at a major news event with insight from area experts. The discussion provides key analysis in a highly conversational manner. The interviewer provides helpful background on the multiple guests and effectively manages an enlightening discussion.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
FEATURE
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Santa Cam”
By: Ali Stevens, Reporter
The Entry: Patients at the Janet Weis Children's Hospital can't make it to sit on Santa's lap during Christmas, so Santa comes to them thanks to the Santa Cam.
Judges’ Comments: Great use of audio in conveying the reactions of the children. We can tell Ali enjoyed the interaction with the children.
2nd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Log Cabin Restoration”
By: Sara Bartlett, Reporter
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: A very close call between first- and second-place. Well written and presented. Used sound right at the beginning to convey the scene.
3rd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“A True Thanksgiving”
By: Ali Stevens, Reporter
The Entry: A local woman with a rough childhood now hosts a free Thanksgiving meal for the community. Dozens volunteer to make sure everyone gets a hot meal during the holiday.
Judges’ Comments: Interesting and timely topic. Powerful feelings conveyed by the hostess.
SERIES
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“New Healthcare Law: What's In It For Me?”
By: Sara Bartlett, Reporter
The Entry: With passage of the new healthcare law, many asked 'what's in it for me?' This four-part series looked at what changes are most noticeable immediately, what changes are coming in 2014, what employers and employees should know and an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Judges’ Comments: Sara did an excellent job of covering many bases in this complex topic. Well written and edited. First rate!
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
RADIO SOUND
1st Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Santa Cam”
By: Ali Stevens, Reporter
The Entry: Patients at the Janet Weis Children's Hospital can't make it to sit on Santa's lap during Christmas, so Santa comes to them thanks to the Santa Cam.
Judges’ Comments: All the entries in this category had a good use of natural/location sound. This entry rose above the others on the strength of the story, and exposing us to something new. We were taken somewhere to listen in on something that most of us will never experience. A nice Christmas story with good audio value.
2nd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Pineknotter of the Year”
By: Sara Bartlett, Producer
The Entry: Pineknotter of the Year is the most prestigious award given to a member of the Northumberland community. This is how it sounded on award night.
Judges’ Comments: This entry showed good use of location sound, location interview sound and narration. Lots of individual pieces that ended up telling the story without much reporter input. Nice job!
3rd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Bridge Repair”
By: Sara Bartlett, Reporter
The Entry: A busy bridge in Snyder County is getting a major makeover.
Judges’ Comments; Good use of location sound and on-location narration. A good example of a textbook radio on-location report. Slightly less non-interview audio than the other entries. Nice work in all category entries overall, WKOK!
SPORTSCAST
(None)
SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
1st Place
WQSU, Selinsgrove
“Susquehanna University Basketball 2010”
By: Jack Burns, Play-by-Play; Bob Healy, Color Analyst; Drew Champney & Parker Weston, Engineers
The Entry: WQSU-FM 88.9, Selinsgrove is proud to serve the community in providing live play-by-play coverage of Susquehanna University Crusader athletics. This excerpt is from a key Landmark Conference men’s basketball game with Susquehanna University visiting Moravian College on February 13, 2010.
Judges’ Comments: The play-by-play is described in fine detail and with good energy. Lots of good background inserted into the flow of the broadcast. A great example of the fun that is college sports.
2nd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“Shikellamy Sports on WKOK”
By: Kevin Herr, Play-by-Play; Dick Hort, Football Color; Dave Ritchie, Basketball Color; Matt Farrand, Football Producer; Avery Watts, Basketball Producer
The Entry: This highlights WKOK's coverage of Shikellamy Football and Basketball. It includes the broadcast of Shikellamy's first District Four title in football, and coverage of Shikellamy - Lourdes basketball.
Judges’ Comments: A great pregame setup of the context of the game. The play-by-play is done with great energy and excitement. Solid analysis provided with the game action. Clearly, these are announcers who enjoy bringing us the excitement of high school sports and it shows.
3rd Place
(None)
SPORTS FEATURE
1st Place
WJPA, Washington
“The 2010 Wild Things: Life Off the Diamond”
By: Randy Gore, Reporter & Wild Things Play-By-Play Broadcaster
The Entry: This feature, aired on 9/5/10, takes you behind the scenes to see what life was like for the 2010 Washington Wild Things baseball team off of the diamond. Reporter and Play-By-Play Broadcaster Randy Gore sits down with the players who display some of their off-the-field talents and how they spend time together on the road. The Wild Things are a minor league baseball team located in Washington, Pa.
Judges’ Comments: A worthwhile topic presented in a well-done package. Kept listener interest throughout. (Would benefit from tighter mixing to keep the pace moving, but it was a fun topic, so have fun with it!)
2nd Place
WPPA, Pottsville
“Bowen on the Birds”
By: JZ, Les Bowen
The Entry: Bowen on the Birds is a 20-minute weekly sports feature that runs prior to Eagles pregame and Eagles football. Les Bowen, the beat writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, takes an in-depth look at the Birds with a recap of last week's game, a look ahead to the game at hand, the injury report, predictions and more. The entry is an excerpt from Sunday, January 9th when the Eagles were about to play the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round of the NFL Playoffs.
Judges’ Comments: Interviewer and interviewee do a good job of conveying their knowledge of the topic.
3rd Place
WPPA, Pottsville
“Fantastic Friday of Football”
By: JZ
The Entry: WPPA's Fantastic Friday of Football is a two-hour interactive sports feature that runs Friday mornings during the high school football season. The show features interviews with coaches from around the region. 11/5/10 – Mount Carmel coach Carmen DeFrancesco; 10/29/10 – Minersville head coach Pat Mason; 10/1/10 – Wally Hall of Mahanoy Area; and 9/17/10 – Blue Mountain head coach Mike Brennan. The show features the big games across the region and schedules.
Judges’ Comments: The interviewer obviously has a passion for the topic. Leaves no doubt Pennsylvania takes its high school football seriously.
WEATHERCAST
(None)
NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM
1st Place
WPPA, Pottsville
“Step Up to the Mic”
By: Brittany, JZ, Deb Dougherty, Brandie Meng
The Entry: Step Up to the Mic is a live two-hour interactive radio talk show that covers local and national news. On 10/14/10 we had two high school volleyball coaches in-studio discussing a fundraising event; recorded sound from the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Debates; and both a reporter and attorney called into the show to discuss events unfolding in the courtroom of a high profile trial. Listeners are always encouraged to call in and Step Up to the Mic to voice their opinion on the topics.
Judges’ Comments: This is an example of a radio station taking its local-interest/public affairs duties seriously. On the strength of this entry, WPPA comes across as an excellent local radio resource for their community. So many "talk" stations are short-changing their communities with a preponderance of syndicated programming and underfunding their news departments. This program features a number of good, local stories covered in detail. It seems as if the hosts/producers in the call-in segment did a good job getting a representative sample of callers to exemplify their audience, although we did think there was a little too much bias shown at the end for a show that, up to that point, was very strong journalistically. Overall an excellent entry and a good example of how radio can still work when people work hard to do it right!
2nd Place
WKOK, Sunbury
“On The Mark”
By: Mark Lawrence & Than Mitchell, Co-hosts; Kevin Herr, Producer
The Entry: On The Mark, our daily telephone talk show, featuring U.S. Rep. Chris Carney. He was seeking reelection at the time and made a live appearance on OTM. He took numerous calls and explained his controversial views on several key issues. It was his last live appearance on OTM, as voters ousted him about two weeks later.
Judges’ Comments: High-caliber example of a good guest/call-in talk show. Good production quality, nice handling of guests and callers. We liked that the studio anchors followed-up on evasive and "non-answer" answers from the guest. Sometimes we felt like maybe one too-many people were asking questions of the congressman, but they were all good questions. The hosts managed to stay mostly neutral compared to guests and callers, and let their audience shine through. That's an accomplishment in today's pundit-heavy environment. It's nice to hear you understand what your job is for a show like this.
3rd Place
(None)
JOE SNYDER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS SERVICE
WKOK, Sunbury
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
TELEVISION A - MAJOR MARKET STATIONS
ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING
1st Place
WTXF-TV, Philadelphia
“Sleeping City Workers”
By: Jeff Cole, Investigative Reporter; Gary Scurka, Senior Investigative Reporter; Mark LaValla, Investigative Photographer/Editor
The Entry: City workers sleeping on the taxpayer's dime? That's what Fox 29 News found over and over again this summer in a city park in Philadelphia. As a result of our story, every worker we showed in our story was disciplined.
Judges’ Comments: Good enterprise reporting. Photographer worked hard to get all those shots. Demonstrated true commitment to resources.
2nd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Dead in Snow”
By: Reporter Marty Griffin; with KDKA-TV Staff; Anne Linaberger, News Director
The Entry: KDKA Investigative Reporter Marty Griffin uncovered the death of a Pittsburgh area man during the massive February snowstorm. Despite repeated calls to 911, paramedics never came, and he died after three days. Our story led to the suspension and/or firing of city emergency workers, a review of 911 operations, and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim's children.
Judges’ Comments: Great 911 tapes. Compelling story. Makes people wonder what could happen if they call 911.
3rd Place
(None)
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
1st Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“A Stand For Hope: The Story of Alex Scott”
By: Pat Ciarrocchi, Host & Writer; Jonelle Fabian, Producer; Mike Henry, Editor; Rich Edwards, Executive Producer
The Entry: This documentary produced by CBS3 tells the story of the lemonade girl, Alex Scott, and the beginning of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
Judges’ Comments: A powerful, emotional story about a little girl who left a big legacy. The documentary gave a complete story about Alex, how she started the Lemonade Stand, what the money does, and how Alex's mission continues after her death. Visually appealing and well crafted.
2nd Place
WTXF-TV, Philadelphia
“Wrongful Conviction”
By: Jeff Cole, Investigative Reporter; Gary Scurka, Senior Investigative Producer; Mark LaValla, Investigative Photographer/Editor
The Entry: Imagine spending 21 years in prison for a crime that you did not commit? That is the nightmare scenario Gerald Washington lives with every day. Our Fox 29 Investigates Special offered compelling evidence that Washington did not commit the sexual abuse crimes he was convicted off. After Washington's accusers, his three sons, recanted their testimony, Fox 29 gave each of the young men lie detector tests. They all passed. The polygraph expert told us that it would be nearly impossible for all three men to be lying and pass the test. Fox 29 and the Philadelphia Innocence Project are continuing to investigate the case. We hope to have the three young men testify at Washington's next parole hearing.
Judges’ Comments: A very in-depth look at one case and the efforts to clear a father of child abuse. The producers/reporter here clearly put in hours of work researching and interviewing for this report.
3rd Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“15 Who Dared To Dream”
By: Mark Barash, Jonas Chaney, Steve Fogle, Brian Leopold
The Entry: Who are the 15 greatest African Americans with ties to the Pittsburgh area? That question was answered in WPXI’s presentation of “15 Who Dared To Dream.”
Judges’ Comments: An excellent, well-researched documentary about people who had a tremendous impact on the viewing area. We also liked the graphics for the documentary.
SPOT NEWS
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“Swap Meet Shootout”
By: Channel Eleven News Staff; Mike Goldrick, News Director
The Entry: Channel Eleven News coverage of a shootout at a north side store that involved running over a police officer with a carjacked vehicle. Coverage began during the noon news as it was unfolding. Channel Eleven News covered the breaking news event throughout the day and evening.
Judges’ Comments: Coverage had a real sense of what was happening right now. It was clear and concise. The reporter did a great job bringing viewers to the location and had compelling live interviews.
2nd Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“Ride the Ducks Accident”
By: Eyewitness News Team; Susan Schiller, News Director
The Entry: CBS3's coverage of the tragic accident when a tourist "Duck Boat" was run-over by a barge in the Delaware River. Exclusive chopper rescue footage, exclusive still photos, and live field anchoring highlight the coverage which went on the air moments after the crash.
Judges’ Comments: Anchor and helicopter camera operator did a great job of showing a hectic scene with good descriptions of what viewers were seeing. It was obvious your teams worked well to report quickly on a lot of angles to this big, breaking news story.
3rd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Officer Down”
By: KDKA-TV Staff; Anne Linaberger, News Director
The Entry: KDKA-TV presents live team coverage of a violent carjacking and shootout on a busy Pittsburgh street in broad daylight.
Judges’ Comments: Good opening coverage but some key elements of the story seemed too low in the show. Could have been more concise.
CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“Ride the Ducks Continuing Coverage”
By: Eyewitness News Team; Susan Schiller, News Director
The Entry: CBS3's coverage of the tragic accident when a tourist "Duck Boat" was run over by a barge in the Delaware River. Exclusive chopper rescue footage, exclusive still photos, and live field anchoring highlight the coverage which went on the air moments after the crash and continued through our 11 PM newscast.
Judges’ Comments: Compelling coverage from start to finish, beginning with the interruption of programming to bring viewers the dramatic rescues live as they happened. Then, it is evident the station used every resource possible to cover every angle, creating compelling and thorough coverage.
2nd Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“Ben Roethlisberger: A Night in Millidgeville”
By: Rick Earle, Reporter; Tim Holoman, Photographer/Editor
The Entry: Channel Eleven News coverage of a sexual assault investigation against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle uncovers exclusive details, interviews and video of this four month investigation in Millidgeville, Georgia.
Judges’ Comment: Well executed, in-depth coverage over months. It is clear the station was out in front with many new developments and specific details in the investigation. High production values throughout as well to help make it easy on viewers to track the latest as it developed.
3rd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Big Ben's Big Problem”
By: KDKA-TV Staff; Anne Linaberger, News Director
The Entry: This is KDKA-TV's continuing coverage of the Ben Roethlisberger sex assault investigation in Georgia.
Judges’ Comments: Good team reporting on every development as each came to light, over the course of several months.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“WPXI Channel Eleven News at 5”
By: Mike Oliviera, Managing Editor; Kerry McQuone, Multi-Media Content Director; Tricia Drzal & Steve Colwell, Producers; Mike Goldrick, News Director
The Entry: Channel Eleven News covers a major explosion at a steel plant during the 90 minutes of coverage on July 14th, 2010.
Judges’ Comment: Great open, good process language, good in-show teases. Lots of urgency.
2nd Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“CBS3 11PM newscast 7.7.2010: Ride the Ducks Accident”
By: Jonelle Fabian, Producer; Steve Lindsey, Executive Producer; Susan Schiller, News Director; Chris May & Susan Barnett, Anchors
The Entry: Exclusive pictures and chopper video as well as on-site anchoring highlight our Ride the Ducks Boat accident coverage.
Judges’ Comments: The angles of this huge story were well planned and well executed. We would have liked to see better setup of the team coverage. It felt buried.
3rd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Best Newscast (Feb. 8, 2010, 11pm)”
By: Producer Michelle Rodgers; Anchors Patrice King Brown & Ken Rice; Reporters Ralph Iannotti, David Highfield & Stephanie Watson; Anne Linaberger, News Director
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: The content was good with different angles being covered, but the show lacked urgency and could have benefited from better set-up of the angles. If there was really outrage about the lack of plowing, it didn't come through in this newscast.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“15 Who Dared To Dream”
By: Mark Barash, Jonas Chaney, Steve Fogle, Brian Leopold
The Entry: Who are the 15 greatest African Americans with ties to the Pittsburgh area? That question was answered in WPXI’s presentation of “15 Who Dared To Dream.”
Judges’ Comments: “15 Who Dared to Dream” is an in-depth and well-researched historical account of some local movers and shakers. It was timely, well-produced and extremely interesting. Cool custom graphics package with a nice bonus. The judges think this was a great educational way to celebrate Black History Month.
2nd Place
The Comcast Network, Philadelphia
“It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle: Bullying!”
By: Steve Raymond, Janet Tegley & Chrissy White, Producers; Lynn Doyle, Host/Executive Producer
The Entry: Facing the schoolyard bully has been considered a 'rite of passage' for generations, but in the age of the Internet bullies can target their victims in a whole new way. More and more, the devastating effects of bullying can even drive victims to commit suicide. A mother shares her crusade to vanquish bullying after her daughter took her life. A young woman shares her experience as a teen victim and experts offer advice for parents and children.
Judges’ Comments: “It's Your Call” was topical and contained much good information, but the report did not contain any particularly new or out-of-the box information.
3rd Place
The Comcast Network, Philadelphia
“It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle: Have Bedbugs, Will Travel!”
By: Lynn Doyle, Executive Producer/Host; Steve Raymond, Janet Tegley & Chrissy (Stanojev) White, Producers
The Entry: As an epidemic of bedbugs afflicts the nation, Lynn speaks with guests who share how it has personally affected, and even "altered" their lives. Experts share sound advice on how to avoid infestation while travelling this holiday season.
Judges’ Comments: The bedbugs show was informative, but seemed particularly repetitive. Too many talking heads with much of the same video repeated.
FEATURE
1st Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Toddler's New Fingers”
By: Dr. Maria Simbra, Reporter; Dave Colabine, Photographer; Marty Rodgers, Editor
The Entry: A boy born without fingers is given a functional hand using bones from his toes, special surgery, lengthening techniques, and therapy.
Judges’ Comment: This report thoroughly and visually told the story of a little boy and his new fingers. The piece never dragged, in spite of the length. It answered our questions and was unique and memorable.
2nd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Tax or No Tax?”
By: Reporter David Highfield; Photographers Ian Smith & Chris Kunicki; Editor Marty Rodgers
The Entry: Ever wonder why you pay sales tax on your shampoo but not your dog's? With the help of a local consumer advocate, KDKA reporter David Highfield takes a look at some of Pennsylvania's more bizarre tax laws.
Judges’ Comments: A high interest story with wide appeal. Very useful information for viewers, with a few moments to make them say "hmmm." A little confusing in some places.
3rd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Dangers of Fireworks”
By: Ralph Iannotti, Reporter; Jeff Roupe, Photographer/Editor; Rich Miller, Editor
The Entry: A teenage boy who nearly lost both of his arms in a fireworks accident shares his story, with hopes of preventing similar accidents.
Judges’ Comments: A terrible injury with a good lesson just before the holiday. We wish the story had gone a bit deeper.
SERIES
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“Sex Offenders: Who is living next door?”
By: Rick Earle, Reporter; Tim Holoman, Ward Hobbs & Scott Dobson, Photographer/Editors; Johnny Green Jr., Executive Producer
The Entry: A yearlong Target 11 investigation into the ongoing problem of sex offenders and where they live. Target eleven talks to offenders and victims and the problem of registration. We ride along with the police as they monitor sex offenders and their programs for rehabilitation. We also go with the Greater Pittsburgh Fugitive task force as they capture wanted sex offenders. This in-depth series looks into this problem for 2010.
Judges’ Comments: This story grabs your attention. Compelling. Thorough, well written, high production value.
2nd Place
WTXF-TV, Philadelphia
“City Workers Caught on Tape”
By: Jeff Cole, Investigative Reporter; Gary Scurka, Senior Investigative Producer; Mark LaValla, Investigative Photographer/Editor
The Entry: Fox 29 Investigates caught city workers sleeping on the job and a Philadelphia School District employee running his own remodeling business while on the clock for the District. All the sleeping workers were disciplined and the school worker resigned. The Inspector General's Office is investigating.
Judges’ Comments: Entertaining "gotcha journalism."
3rd Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“Brotherly Love”
By: Dave Huddleston, Reporter; Teresa Nazario, Produer; Andrea Korff, Manuel Norguera & Terence Brownley, Photographers; Randall Scott & Russell Booth, Editors
The Entry: For two years, Dave Huddleston has introduced our viewers to some amazing people helping others in our weekly Brotherly Love segment. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Judges’ Comments: Positive community stories are a great touch to a newscast. Nice, short pieces that are long on feel good touches.
SPORTSCAST
1st Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Best Sportscast”
By: Bob Pompeani, Reporter/Producer/Editor; Fred Williams, Photographer
The Entry: New Years Eve was an exciting day for Pittsburgh sports fans. KDKA-TV Sports Director Bob Pompeani heads to Heinz Field for the Winter Classic Alumni Game.
Judges’ Comments: Good face-paced producing. Aggressive coverage of breaking news. Good energy.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
(None)
SPORTS FEATURE
1st Place
KYW-TV, Philadelphia
“I Saw Roy Halladay's No-Hitter”
By: Andrew Wheeler & Paul Pozniak, Producers; Michael Henry, Editor/Producer; Manuel Noguera, Videographer
The Entry: CBS3 weaves together a series of first person accounts of a magical day in baseball: Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter.
Judges’ Comments: A fantastic feature that makes you feel like you were at the game, even if you were hundreds of miles away. Very creatively done. This piece shows the power that television has to make the viewer feel inside a story.
2nd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“From RMU to USA”
By: Jory Rand, Reporter/Editor; Michael Challik, Photographer
The Entry: Sports Reporter Jory Rand profiles a local college ice hockey goaltender as she gets ready to represent the country on the women's U.S. Olympic Team.
Judges’ Comments: (None provided)
3rd Place
(None)
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“Memorial Day”
By: Tim Holoman, Photographer/Editor
The Entry: WPXI Photojournalist Tim Holoman captures a special memorial day and a tribute to four slain officers in the Pittsburgh region. A composite of his work in general news, investigative news, spot news and sports coverage is included.
Judges’ Comments: Great use of natural sound to go along with outstanding shooting and editing, accompanied nicely by music helping to keep the piece moving without taking away from it.
2nd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Pilot's Last Flight”
By: Scott Danka, Photographer/Editor; Ross Guidotti, Reporter
The Entry: After 29 years of service, a United States Air Force colonel takes us on his last flight inside a mammoth C-130.
Judges’ Comments: (None provided)
3rd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Medicine Woman”
By: Dave Colabine, Photographer; Mary Robb Jackson, Reporter; Marty Rodgers, Editor
The Entry: KDKA-TV photojournalist Dave Colabine and reporter Mary Robb Jackson profiled a woman whose herbal supplements and natural cures draw customers from hundreds of miles away.
Judges’ Comments: (None provided)
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Steeler Monday”
By: Michael Challik, Photographer/Editor; Jory Rand, Reporter
The Entry: KDKA-TV's weekly segment "Steeler Monday" chief photographer Michael Challik and sports reporter Jory Rand compile the memorable moments of a Sunday Steelers game.
Judges’ Comments: Very creatively done to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to start the piece and rhyming throughout the piece. Good use of nat sound and well edited. Nice Christmas finish in the end.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
WEATHERCAST
1st Place
WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh
“Severe Weather Team Eleven June 2nd, 2010”
By: Julie Bologna, Chief Meteorologist
The Entry: Severe Weather Team Eleven coverage of tornado warnings during the June 2nd, 2010 newscast at 5:00 pm. Chief Meteorologist Julie Bologna headed the severe weather coverage.
Judges’ Comments: Very thorough presentation. Good to clarify "Doppler-indicated" tornado warning.
2nd Place
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
“Best Weathercast”
By: Meteorologist Dennis Bowman
The Entry: KDKA-TV Morning Meteorologist Dennis Bowman tracks what would become a record-breaking month of snowfall in December in western Pennsylvania.
Judges’ Comments: Wonderful delivery. Solid talent; likeable. 3-shot too long.
3rd Place
(None)
NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM
1st Place
The Comcast Network, Philadelphia
“It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle: Jerry Blavat – 50 Years of Radio Memories”
By: Lynn Doyle, Executive Producer/Host; Steve Raymond, Janet Tegley & Chrissy (Stanojev) White, Producers
The Entry: A walk down memory lane with Philly favorite Jerry Blavat, "The Geator with the Heater," as he celebrates 50 years in the radio biz. Jerry shares insight into his life that lent to music history and his personal rapport with rock-n-roll legends.
Judges’ Comments: Very entertaining. Great old footage, great live interview, and just an overall interesting program to watch!
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
JOE SNYDER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS SERVICE
KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
TELEVISION B - MEDIUM MARKET STATIONS
ENTERPRISE/INDIVIDUAL REPORTING
1st Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“What Is Best For My Daughter”
By: Kendra Nichols, Kyle Cooper
The Entry: A young girl's parents try to resolve a conflict.
Judges’ Comments: Nicely crafted story. Combined sound and visuals to bring us to the emotion of the story. Compelling.
2nd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Knight in Shining Armor”
By: Photojournalist Joe O’Neill; Reporter Ali Lanyon
The Entry: A Cumberland County man reflects on his decision to save his fiancee's life by stepping in front of her during an armed home invasion. He was shot and paralyzed and dubbed a "knight in shining armor" by his town's mayor.
Judges’ Comments: Another entry built on emotion. Good sound and videography.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Repeat Offenders”
By: Porcha Johnson, Reporter; Jim Romeo, Photographer
The Entry: Eight out of ten inmates in a local prison are repeat offenders. News 8 looked at the problem and what it takes to break the cycle through the eyes of a man who was in and out of prison for years.
Judges’ Comments: Very nice introduction to the story through the subject. Immediately engaging.
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
1st Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“Humanity in Bloom”
By: Brad Rinehart, Executive Producer; Jaccii Farris, Docujournalist; Lee Jenkins, Photojournalist
The Entry: An earthquake rocked the island nation of Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. Days later, 69 News followed a group of doctors and church volunteers to Haiti to rescue a group of orphans in Port-au-Prince and set up what would become the UN earthquake clinic at a mission in Fond Parisien. The crew had only a BlackBerry and a camera, but managed to capture humanity at its best in this 30 minute documentary.
Judges’ Comments: Very real and gritty. Filled with emotion. Great watch.
2nd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Growing Season”
By: Jere Gish, Producer/Reporter; Dan Maddox, Photographer/Editor
"Growing Season" follows the life and work of one farming family from spring to harvest. Through the story the viewer learns about the challenges facing farm families in the 21st century.
Judges’ Comments: This was a great story, it did a great job of putting you in the farmers shoes, seeing what they go through.
3rd Place
(None)
SPOT NEWS
1st Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Bad Blaze”
By: Joseph O’Neill, Albert J. Gnoza
The Entry: A fire breaks out on a York City block.
Judges’ Comments: Great pictures. Way to get the camera in there to tell the story.
2nd Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“Low Pax Fire”
By: Jim Stanton, Ewa Roman
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Great definition of spot news. Got there early and you can tell. Good emotional pics.
3rd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Daisy”
By: Eric Heisler, Photojournalist; Dennis Buterbaugh, Reporter
The Entry: A dog escapes from home, and finds herself stuck on a semi-frozen pond.
Judges’ Comment: Cute story. Well shot. On the edge of our seats.
CONTINUING COVERAGE
1st Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Commitment 2010”
By: News 8 Team
The Entry: Commitment 2010 is WGAL's promise to bring voters at least 10 minutes a day of candidate centered political coverage. These are just a few of dozens of reports prepared for the series.
Judges’ Comments: The WGAL news team was committed to the 2010 election. It looked like a well thought out plan was set in place. Great ideas and variety of stories to covering the election in 2010. A lot of time and effort went into producing, reporting and shooting the multiple stories leading up to the election. The viewers were well informed after these reports. A variety of reporters and story angles. We will take some good ideas from these reports as we cover our next election.
2nd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Forrest Street Fire”
By: Kendra Nichols; Chris Cekot
The Entry: Following the story of a fatal fire in Harrisburg that claimed the lives of four children and one adult.
Judges’ Comments: The initial fire story was covered well. Clear and organized thoughts by the live reporters. The WHTM news team covered a variety of angles during the investigation, family reaction with pictures, leading to the funeral. They also did a nice follow-up story looking into the money being raised for the family.
3rd Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“Local Family Treated To Extreme Makeover”
By: Brad Rinehart, 69 News; Staff
The Entry: The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show came to town over the summer. We followed the process from start to finish, showing not only the progress on the new home during the week, but also profiling the chosen family and sharing their emotional story that drew the attention of the show. We also reported on the outpouring of help from hundreds of volunteers who worked around the clock to achieve the show's goal.
Judges’ Comments: The WFMZ news team committed itself to showing a variety of angles to this heartwarming story. The story ideas were diverse and followed the timeline of the makeover process. It was a great community story. Refreshing to see the dedication and time given to a positive story that affected the entire community.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSCAST
1st Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“69 News: Berks Edition”
By: Brad Rinehart, News Director; Matthew Roth, Assistant News Director; Chad Blimline, Supervising Producer; Kevin Fitzsimmons, Producer; Brian Murphy, Director; Rob Vaughn & Wendy Davis, Anchors; Staff
The Entry: We began this newscast with team coverage of a fire that gutted an apartment building, critically injured a woman trapped inside (her rescue was caught on video), and displaced 45 of her neighbors just three days before Christmas. Our other big story this night was the shooting death of a high school student. He became the fifth teenager to be murdered in our city in just two months.
Judges’ Comments: This is a great newscast. Great fire video, viewer video, sound bites and showcasing.
2nd Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“11pm Newscast”
By: Julie Kupchella, Rob Hanrahan, Tanya Foster, Tom Russell, Jason Bristol
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: (None provided)
3rd Place
Centre County Report, State College
“The Centre County Report 12/3/2010”
By: Kara Warr, Dan Lauric, Staff
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: (None provided)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1st Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Pennsylvania Piggy Bank”
By: Matt Belanger, Reporter; Joe Mitton, Photographer
The Entry: State spending was THE issue in many local legislative races in 2010. News 8 convinced to the candidates in the 48th Pennsylvania Senate district to try a new way to show voters how they would spend taxpayer money.
Judges’ Comments: The piggy bank was a creative way to break down a confusing topic and spur conversation.
2nd Place
WITF-TV, Harrisburg
“WITF-TV Smart Talk #1110 School Bullying”
By: Nell McCormack Aborn, Host; Mark Wallace, Managing Producer; Cara Williams Fry, Executive Producer
The Entry: An increasing number of teens and young adults have chosen to take their lives when they could no longer tolerate the bullying they experienced. Smart Talk spoke to Tammy Simpson, the mother of a local teen who ended his life rather than live with bullies. Other guests included: Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D., a professor of Humanities in the College of Medicine and a professor of Women's Studies at the Penn State University; Harvey Edwards, a Humanities and English teacher at Selinsgrove Area High School, is the founder and director of the award-winning Tolerance Troupe; Jason A. Pedersen, Ph.D., a school psychologist at the Derry Township School District and president of the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania.
Judges’ Comments: Good, in-depth coverage of an important issue.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“News 8 Ad-Watch”
By: Matt Belanger, Reporter; Joe Mitton, Photographer
The Entry: In a heated election year, political candidates were hurling lots of claims around in their advertising. News 8 continued its series of "Ad-Watch" reports investigating the claims so viewers would know what was true and what was not.
Judges’ Comments: Good political coverage. Could have used more production value.
FEATURE
1st Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“A Friend in Need”
By: Sherry Christian; Alex Heider
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: This was a good story from start to finish. It told the whole story, and didn't leave us asking any questions. It was great to get both parties involved. It was well shot and edited with all the different elements. It was obvious this story took a lot of time to put together, but it was worth it in the end.
2nd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“The Giving Tree”
By: Matt Belanger, Reporter; Greg Berkey, Photographer
The Entry: A simple tree carving story takes on much greater meaning. The artist’s chainsaw reveals more than an eagle in the tree.
Judges’ Comments: This story featured great writing. It was well-shot with emotional sound bites. We would have liked to have seen a little more of the eagle. We got a lot of artsy shots, but it left us wanting to see what it looked like a little more clearly.
3rd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“The Cure”
By: Photojournalist Eric Heisler; Producer Dara Rees
The Entry: A look at Haiti relief through the eyes of one man documenting the disaster. Natural sound package.
Judges’ Comments: It was a great perspective to tell this story from. Without an anchor intro, it was a little confusing as to who this person was talking to us, but we could look beyond that to judge the story on its stand-alone value.
SERIES
1st Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“You Only Need One”
By: Photojournalists Eric Heisler & Dave Tristan; Reporter Dennis Owens
The Entry: "Familiar strangers" grow closer through the gift of life.
Judges’ Comments: A well told story. Nice tease into second piece. Very heartwarming.
2nd Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“Operation Save-A-Life”
By: Melissa Fullerton, Reporter; Bill Seiders, Photographer
The Entry: This was 69 News' first time participating in the "Operation Save-A-Life" program. We teamed up with dozens of area fire departments and handed out hundreds of smoke detectors. On air, we offered a series of reports that reiterated basic fire safety through unique personal stories.
Judges’ Comments: The judging panel was impressed with the amount of information that we did not know. A piece everyone should see.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Growing Season”
By: Jere Gish, Reporter; Dan Maddox, Photographer
The Entry: News 8 follows the life of a farming family through from planting to harvest.
Judges’ Comments: It was nice to see this crew follow this family around. It felt like we were a part of them and that is a credit to the storytellers.
SPORTSCAST
1st Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“CBS 21 Sports with Jason Bristol”
By: Jason Bristol, Justin Raub, Chris Fischer
The Entry: On the night of the big state semifinal high school football game, not to mention the opening of the high school basketball season, CBS 21 News Sports Director Jason Bristol delivers a compelling sportscast incorporating the use of natural sound, demonstrative story-telling, and his award-winning, energetic style.
Judges’ Comments: Great energy and flow. Very good use of material, sound and video.
2nd Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“69 Sports”
By: Troy Hein, Sports Director; Jim Vaughn & Dave Lesko, Reporters
The Entry: This live sportscast is from July 2010 at the AAA All-Star baseball game hosted by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. It features team coverage of the local players in the game and the work done by the field crew after several days of rain prior to the game.
Judges’ Comments: Solid "special coverage" of the AAA All-Star game. Obviously took some thought and attention to execute.
3rd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Penn State Primetime”
By: Photojournalist Eric Heisler; Reporter Josh Reed; Anchor Gregg Mace
The Entry: A special sportscast dedicated to Penn State’s appearance in the Outback Bowl. The show includes live shots from Tampa, as well as Outback Bowl stories shot throughout the week.
Judges’ Comments: While this was more a sports special, there was a lot of work and effort put into it. And it came together well.
SPORTS PLAY-BY-PLAY
1st Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Football Friday: Week 4”
By: News 8 Team
The Entry: Football Friday captures the spirit of high school football in the Susquehanna Valley with the highlights, fans, bands, and cheerleaders.
Judges’ Comments: We loved all of the live elements. Great energy from the sports anchors as well.
2nd Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“First Score Friday”
By: Jason Bristol, Chris Fischer, Justin Raub; CBS 21 News Staff
The Entry: CBS 21 Sports First Score Friday continues to be a leader in high school coverage: delivering the best game highlights; post-game reaction; and unique and exclusive content, including Helmets Off.
Judges’ Comments: Great energy from the sports anchor, he does a good job keeping you into the games.
3rd Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“The Big Ticket”
By: Troy Hein, Sports Director; Jim Vaughn, Anchor; Dave Lesko & Neille Giffune, Reporters
The Entry: The Big Ticket is a one-hour high school football show that recaps the night's action in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, the entire coverage area of WFMZ. The show consists of highlights, interviews, scores, and live interactions with teams that played earlier that night.
Judges’ Comments: We liked the way the two anchors worked together. They seemed to have great chemistry.
SPORTS FEATURE
1st Place
Centre County Report, State College
“Powder-Puff Football”
By: Andrew Clay
The Entry: When you think of football players, you don't normally think of pink shirts, ribbons, and pony-tails, but in Philipsburg, they're already changing that.
Judges’ Comments: We loved the sound in this story.
2nd Place
Centre County Report, State College
“Basketball Brothers”
By: Pete Jensen
The Entry: Pete Jensen tells us how this dynamic duo is taking Happy Valley by storm.
Judges’ Comments: Great find in this story. It was interesting seeing the story of two brothers working together.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Beaver Stadium Anniversary”
By: Mike Straub, Reporter; Tom Knier, Photographer
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: We love hearing about history, and this story comes though. Very interesting.
NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“News Photographer: Eric Heisler”
By: Photojournalist Eric Heisler
The Entry: This is a compilation of stories, ranging from feature, to spot, to a natural sound piece to exemplify my work as a photojournalist. The first story is a feature piece on a violin maker. The second is a spot news story about a dog stuck on a frozen pond. And the third one is a natural sound piece about a photographer documenting Haiti relief.
Judges’ Comments: Great lighting, sound, composition, and editing. Photographer made the story exceptional. Clearly a lot of time and effort went into producing the story. Enjoyable to watch. The story showed all your creative photojournalism talent.
2nd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Roadside Artist”
By: Greg Berkey, Photographer
The Entry: News 8 photographer Gregg Berkey finds a great character working toward a dream.
Judges’ Comments: A variety of shots in a confined situation. Story brought out a great, loveable character. The story held our interest and wished we had more.
3rd Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“For The Birds”
By: Joseph O'Neill
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Wonderful, creative shots. Beautiful! Great narration by the park ranger. Enjoyed the sound by the bird watchers. They drew us in and made us feel like we were part of the experience. Nice framing and active interviews. Way to work it.
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg
“Hope In Handball”
By: Joseph O'Neill
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Great open to the story. Artistic interviews. Well shot and composed video. Nice job shooting in a box.
2nd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Beep Ball”
By: Mike Straub, Reporter; Tom Knier, Photographer
The Entry: Baseball is the American pastime, which means everyone should get a chance to play. With beep baseball, the visually impaired get a chance to have fun on the diamond. We connected with the players in the game.
Judges’ Comments: Good natural sound of the game and excitement of the players. The reporter and photographer made the stand up work.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“Luge Ride”
By: Mike Straub, Reporter; Tom Knier, Photographer
The Entry: This is part of a series of reports shot at the Olympic training center in Lake Placid, NY.
Judges’ Comments: Nice job shooting a fast sport. Variety of shots. Nice point of view shots and angles
WEATHERCAST
1st Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“Weathercast”
By: Tom Russell
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Tom gives us a detailed forecast, but makes it easy to understand. The way he takes his maps into the viewers' backyards is one of the things that separates him from the rest.
2nd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“News 8 Storm Team Forecast with Doug Allen, 2/22/10”
By: Doug Allen
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: Doug is conversational with good-looking graphics. We think Doug stays too wide on his maps, though, and his weather story is a little hard to follow.
3rd Place
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
“News 8 Storm Team Forecast with Joe Calhoun, 2/15/10”
By: Joe Calhoun
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: It's not good when the first thing we notice is that Joe's shirt keys out on the chroma wall. Joe is also conversational, but is a little all over the place with his weather story. His maps are also too wide.
NEWS OR SPORTS TALK PROGRAM
1st Place
WHP-TV, Harrisburg
“Face the State with Robb Hanrahan”
By: Robb Hanrahan, Torrey Smith, Stacey Hanrahan
The Entry: A weekly show featuring prominent political movers and shakers.
Judges’ Comments: Well produced and informative. A lot of insight and information. Crisp and clean.
2nd Place
WITF-TV, Harrisburg
“WITF-TV Special Election 2010 Debate: The Democratic Candidates For Governor”
By: Nell McCormack Abom, Host; Scott Lamar, Producer; Mark Wallace, Managing Producer; Cara Williams Fry, Executive Producer
The Entry: Moderator Nell McCormack Abom, the award-winning host of WITF’s Smart Talk public affairs program, leads an Election 2010 primary discussion with all four Democratic candidates for governor. Joe Hoeffel, Dan Onorato, Jack Wagner, and Anthony Williams participate in the debate. The program is presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. WITF's Election 2010 coverage is supported by the Harrisburg office of the law firm of Saul Ewing LLP.
Judges’ Comments: This as a pleasant debate to watch. Informative but also "relaxed" and comfortable.
3rd Place
WFMZ-TV, Allentown
“The Big Ticket”
By: Troy Hein, Sports Director; Jim Vaughn, Anchor; Neille Giffune & Dave Lesko, Reporters
The Entry: The Big Ticket is a one-hour high school football show that recaps the night's action in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, the entire coverage area of WFMZ. The show consists of highlights, interviews, scores, and live interactions with teams that have played earlier that night.
Judges’ Comments: This is a big commitment and a lot of material. Nicely put together and showcased.
JOE SNYDER AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEWS SERVICE
WGAL-TV, Lancaster
WINNERS - 2010 CONTEST
EDITORIAL
RADIO
1st Place
KQV, Pittsburgh
“Earmarks and Pork Barrel Spending”
By: Robert W. Dickey, Sr.
The Entry: One of the hallmarks of KQV is the editorials presented by President and General Manager Robert W. Dickey. This entry aired December 19, 20, and 21 of 2010.
Judges’ Comments: First and second places were on similar topics by two different stations. Both were very good and engaged the topic in a conversational way that holds listener interest. This entry showed research and delivered its point without trashing someone. These Midwestern listeners enjoyed the folksy delivery.
2nd Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
“KDKA Editorial Nov. 12, 2010”
By: Michael Young
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: A very close second place if ever there was one. The writer's style of presenting information followed by a point or question to the listener is very engaging. Short, powerful sentences. Very easy to follow the argument.
3rd Place
KDKA, Pittsburgh
“KDKA Editorial Dec. 31, 2010”
By: Michael Young
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: It was perhaps the most hard-hitting of the top three entries. This editorial shares many of the same qualities as the station's second place entry, with powerful sentences that flow easily from one thought to the next. The middle section about the state legislature was perfection!
TELEVISION
(None)
STUDENT RADIO & TELEVISION
RADIO
1st Place
Anthony Brino
“Man Blames Salty Well Water on Marcellus Gas Drilling”
The Entry: Anthony Brino is a student at the University of Pittsburgh. He produced this story about a man near Somerset, who believes his well water is contaminated from Marcellus Shale gas drilling for the weekly environmental radio program, The Allegheny Front, produced at WYEP, a public radio station in Pittsburgh. Judges’ Comments: Very good balance and research. Solid, but dry delivery. Good approach to a significant topic. Would like to have heard alternate theories on the cause of the water problem.
2nd Place
(None)
3rd Place
(None)
TELEVISION
1st Place
Matthew Goetz, Jeffrey McDevitt
“Cherry Confusion”
The Entry: (No description provided)
Judges’ Comments: An odd topic creatively presented. We liked the visual with the sweatshirts and the various shades of cherry. Background music should have been faded out instead of allowed to run throughout. The befuddled students made us laugh.
2nd Place
Sarah Burton, Keith Aiello
“Public Drunkeness: Community Impact”
The Entry: Reporter Sarah Burton and photographer Keith Aiello examine the many negative and financial impacts of public drunkenness on the college community of State College.
Judges’ Comments: Use of nighttime street shots was effective. Impactful story well told. Some audio issues hurt the entry (overmodulated in some cuts). Delivery should be more conversational, less dramatic.
3rd Place
Kara Warr
“Marcellus Shale”
The Entry: Natural gas companies are moving into local towns, taking advantage of all that the shale-rich regions have to offer. Reporter Kara Warr saw firsthand how the drilling is changing communities.
Judges’ Comments: Third place in a very competitive category. Well researched. Appreciated the travel to the site but needed a first-person voice to discuss the negative impacts of drilling.
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