2011 TENNESSEE AP BROADCAST

AWARDS PRESENTED

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sheraton Nashville Downtwon

Randall Dickerson of the AP (left) and Paul Tinkle, president of Thunderbolt Broadcasting in Martin, announce the winners at the 2011 Tennessee AP broadcast and newspapers awards May 14 in Nashville.

Freedom Sings, a music and multimedia performance by the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, entertain the crowd at the AP’s annual broadcast and newspaper awards in Nashville. First Amendment Center Executive Director Gene Policinski (standing at podium) serves as narrator for the performance, which is focused on the First Amendment freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, petition, and the press.

NASHVILLE, May 14, 2011 — WKRN-TV in Nashville and The Tennessean of Nashville were the big winners at the Tennessee broadcast and newspapers awards were announced Saturday before a crowd of more than 160 people at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown.

Both took home the most first-place awards in their respective divisions in the large market television and newspaper divisions for the Tennessee AP Broadcasters and the Tennessee AP Managing Editors organizations.

In the TAPB’s Large Market Division, WKRN claimed top honors in Best Short Hard News Story; Best Sports Feature; Best Sports Talk Show; Best TV Sportscaster; Best Videography; Best Spot News; and Best Overall.

WDEF-TV in Chattanooga won first place in seven Small Market categories: Short Light Feature; Sports Feature; Videography; Website; TV Editing; Videographer; and News Anchor.

NewsTalk 98.7 WOKI in Knoxville claimed six top honors — the most of any station in the Commercial Radio Division. The station's plaques are for; Political/Government Coverage; Enterprise; Spot News; Radio Newscast; Public Affairs and Best Overall.

In the Non-Commercial Division, Nashville Public Radio WPLN scored first-place wins for Short Light Feature; Long Light Feature; Short Hard News Story; Long Hard News Story; Public Affairs; Political/Government Coverage; Enterprise; Use of Sound; Radio Newscast; Radio Newscaster; and Best Overall.

The Tennessean and WREG-TV in Memphis each were honored with the Freedom of Information award for their investigative work.

Broadcast entries were judged by AP member stations in Mississippi.

The TAPB board of directors elected Bill Shory, news director of WBIR-TV in Knoxville, as its president for 2011-2012. Shory succeeds Matthew Hilk, news director at WSMV-TV in Nashville, who will become immediate past president. Elected to the board were Derrall Stalvey, news director at WCRB-TV in Chattanooga, and Paul Tinkle, president of Thunderbolt Broadcasting in Martin.

Please click here for complete list of winners.