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Associated Press Awards 2008
Here's a list of the recent awards:
Radio Class One
Best Special/Documentary First Place: Dan Modlin for The Continuing Cost, Part1; Part2 Part 1: Law enforcement officials in Kentucky say meth abuse continues to be a costly problem for many communities. One narcotics task force in Hopkinsville, for example, says illegal meth labs have been found in several motel rooms. For somecommunities in the region, there high costs of policing and treating meth.
Best Hard News Feature First Place: Kevin Willis for HIV Testing in Jail
Inmates at the Daviess County Detention
Center are being offered free HIV testing. The program is a new
Best Public Affairs Reporting First Place: Lisa Autry for ATV Deaths
A recent study ranked Kentucky first in the
nation in deaths related to the use of ATVs. In rural parts
Second Place: Kevin Willis for Email Scams A scam targeting Kentuckians who sell animals over the internet is gaining the attention of law enforcement. In Allen County, Jerry and Alice Wade receive the scam emails every week. The Wades breed puppies and alerted WKU Public Radio about the scam.
Best Enterprise/Investigative Reporting Second Place: Dan Modlin for Big Business This is the time of year when many Americans make charitable contributions to their favorite causes. But charitable experts say in many cases, those who solicit funds for charities keep the vast majority of dollars given. Dan Modlin speaks with Sandra Miniutti of Charity Navigator, and Todd Leatherman with the Consumer Protection Division of the Kentucky Attorney General's office.
Best Sports Feature Second Place: Dan Modlin for 1-A Football The WKU football team is moving to the 1A level this year, and will be the last program allowed to make that move for the next four years. The NCAA has decided to enact a moratorium on 1AA teams making the switch.
Best Light News Feature Honorable Mention: Lisa Autry for WW1 Vet There are only four living American World War I veterans. One of them is 106 year-old Robely Rex, who lives in Louisville. Lisa Autry met Mr. Rex and had the rare chance to hear first-hand accounts of life during "The Great War."
Radio Class Two
Best Special/Documentary First Place: Joe Corcoran for The Creation Museum In northern Kentucky, a museum dedicated to the Biblical belief of Creationism has opened to a great deal of controversy. The museum's backers say they have the right to publicize their religious beliefs, while critics say the effort promotes bad science.
Best Public Affairs Reporting First Place: Dan Modlin for On the Job, Part 1; Part 2 Part 1: Law enforcement officials in Kentucky say it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain personnel for police departments. Relatively low salaries are prompting some to leave the state for departments that pay better. Dan Modlin has the first of a two-part series. Part 2: Officer salaries are listed as a primary reason why many police departments in Kentucky are unable to retain officers. Some funds originally collected to fund law enforcement agencies have been diverted to other causes.
Best Use of Sound Second Place: Lisa Autry for Dogfighting The Michael Vick dogfighting case has put the spotlight on a crime that exists in the shadows. But animal shelter workers and prosecutors in the listening area of WKU Public Radio say the crime is more common than most believe.
Best Radio Reporter Honorable Mention: Lisa Autry
Best Continuing Coverage Honorable Mention: Dan Modlin and Lisa Autry for The Odd Year in Weather The farmers in our listening area are contending with a one-two weather-related punch: last April's unexpected freeze, and the current drought. Lisa Autry has this update on how some in the agriculture business are doing in the face of such challenges.
2007 Awards
Radio Class One
Best Special/Documentary First Place: Kevin Willis for Deployment
This special documentary produced
and reported by Kevin Willis explored the year-long deployment
of the 623rd
National Guard units based in Glasgow and other towns in southern Kentucky.
We talked
Best Enterprise/Investigative Reporting First Place: Dan Modlin for Battling Child Pornography in Kentucky, Part 1; Part 2
Dan Modlin's two-part series brought us the
disturbing story of the prevalence of online child porn in the
Commonwealth.
We hear from those who have prosecuted such cases in our listening area.
Best Public Service Reporting First Place: Dan Modlin for Rising Tuition, Part 1; Part 2 Dan Modlin produced this series of stories that revealed how tuition increases in Kentucky are impacting current and future college students.
Best Use of Sound First Place: Lisa Autry for Drug Round-Up Lisa Autry witnessed first-hand a collaborative law enforcement effort in Warren County that targeted indicted drug dealers.
Best Light News Feature Second Place: Kevin Willis for African Children's Choir Kevin Willis met this amazing group of young people from Kenya and Uganda when they made a visit last year to Elizabethtown. Most of the children in the traveling choir are orphans who have lost parents to AIDS, poverty, and warfare.
Best Hard News Feature Honorable Mention: Joe Corcoran for Ginseng Poaching Joe Corcoran's story on the growing popularity of ginseng poaching around Mammoth Cave appeared last year on NPR's All Things Considered.
Radio Class Two
Best Public Service Reporting First Place: Lisa Autry for Choking Game
In this special report, Lisa Autry explored
the tragic death of a northern Tennessee boy who died while playing
what's known as "'the choking game." Lisa followed efforts by law
enforcement and education officials to inform parents about the deadly
activity. Second Place: Dan Modlin for Child Abuse Prevention Part 1; Part 2 Dan Modlin's two-part series explored efforts to better educate medical officials about the tell-tale signs of child abuse.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Willis for Every Child Succeeds In this report by Kevin Willis, we learned about a nationally-recognized program in northern Kentucky that identifies at-risk mothers and attempts to intervene before their children fall into a cycle of poverty.
Best Special/Documentary First Place: Kevin Willis for Autism in Kentucky, Part 1; Part 2 Kevin Willis brought us this two-part series that looked at the ways autism treatment has evolved. It also spotlighted the Kelly Autism Project at WKU, a groundbreaking effort that helps children with autism prepare for lives after high school.
Second Place: Dan Modlin for Raising the Minimum, Part 1; Part 2 Dan Modlin produced this two-part series that explored the arguments for and against raising the minimum wage in Kentucky and the nation.
Best Newscast Second Place: The Midday Edition
Best Political Coverage Second Place: Lisa Autry for Casino Gambling Series, Part 1; Part 2 Lisa Autry's two-part series explored the pros and cons of allowing this controversial form of gambling in Kentucky.
Best Hard News Feature Second Place: Lisa Autry for Soldier's Homecoming
Lisa Autry brought us this story of the
return of members of Fort Campbell's 101st Airborne Division from
Iraq. We heard from soldiers and their loved ones. Best Enterprise/Investigative Reporting Honorable Mention: Lisa Autry for Elderly Drug Dealers Lisa Autry's special report on Kentucky seniors who have been arrested for selling prescription drugs.
Best Reporter Honorable Mention: Lisa Autry
Best Sports Reporting First Place: Kevin Willis for Kentucky vs. Indiana All-Star Game Kevin Willis provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the 2006 Kentucky Boy's All-Star team prepared to take on their heavily-favored counterparts from Indiana.
Best Sports Special First Place: Dan Modlin for 1-A Football Vote
Dan Modlin's report told the story of WKU's decision
to move its football program from 1-AA to 1-A.
2006 Associated Press Awards
Radio Class One
Best Series/Documentary: First Place: Dan Modlin for “A Matter of Resources” This report explored the lack of public defenders available to Kentuckians Second Place: Joe Corcoran for “Kentucky Katrina Relief” This award went to a series of reports Joe produced after traveling to the Gulf Coast region, where he saw the efforts of Kentucky volunteers in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Best Public Service Reporting: First Place: Kevin Willis for “The Effects of Workout Supplements” This report detailed the growing popularity of over-the-counter muscle building supplements. Second Place: Dan Modlin for “Suicide Prevention” Dan spotlighted efforts in several parts of the Commonwealth aimed at increasing education about awareness of suicide related issues.
Best Feature: Honorable Mention: Kevin Willis for “Bosnians in Bowling Green” This story explored the prominent Bosnian community in and around Bowling Green, and the challenges the group faces in making homes in a new country.
Radio Class Two
Best Newcast: First Place: Western’s Public Radio for the Midday Edition
Best Reporter: First Place: Lisa Autry
Best Enterprise/Investigative Report: First Place: Dan Modlin for “Interview with a Meth Addict” For this report, Dan traveled to Owensboro to meet a recovering meth addict who explained how addiction to the drug had ruined her life and family.
Best Public Service Reporting: First Place: Lisa Autry for “Avian Flu” Lisa reported on regional efforts to educate the public about a possible avian flu outbreak. Second Place: Dan Modlin for “Skin Cancer in Kentucky” This award went to a piece Dan produced on high rates of skin cancer in the Commonwealth.
Best Feature: First Place: Kevin Willis for “Hurricane Evacuees in Elizabethtown” In this report, Kevin went to Hardin County to meet several Gulf Coast evacuees who had relocated to the area following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Best Series/Documentary: First Place (tie): Kevin Willis for Saddam on Trial” and Dan Modlin for “Suffer the Children” Kevin’s 30-minute documentary explored the legal process used for the historic trial of the former Iraqi dictator. Dan’s series of reports explored the ways meth addiction is impacting the children of users and dealers.
Best Use of Sound: First Place: Kevin Willis for “Communication with Iraq”This report brought listeners the stories of two families in the region who used new technology to stay in touch with loved ones serving with the US military in Iraq.
National Award for "The Midday Edition"
The Public Radio Service of Western Kentucky
University, has earned a major journalism award from the Public Radio
News Directors, Incorporated. The station's newscast, "The Mid-Day
Edition," has won first place in national competition for the best
public radio newscast in the country. The award was announced at the
annual PRNDI meeting in Chicago on July 16th, 2005. Western's Public Radio
competes in Division B, which includes stations across the country which
have three or four full-time news staff members. Associated Press Awards for 2005
The Public Radio Service of Western Kentucky
University has earned top honors in four categories from the Kentucky
Associated Press.
2004 Awards
Western's Public Radio has been honored by the National Associated Press Managing Editor's Association. The national organization issued a citation of appreciation which states that the station "consistently shares breaking news stories throughout the year with AP. The contributions are an important part of AP's coverage of the region." Western's Public Radio was the leading contributor to the Kentucky Associated Press for 2004. The station submitted more stories to the news cooperative than any other radio or television station in the state. Associated Press Awards for 2004
The Public
Radio Service of Western Kentucky University earned a number of awards,
including seven
first-place awards, in this year's statewide Associated Press broadcast
competition. The awards were announced at an awards
banquet in Louisville.
Our news team was also recognized this year
as the state's Top Contributor of Stories to the Associated
Press. Congratulations to our news team for another fine showing, and thanks to our members and underwriters for making it possible!
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© 2007 The Public Radio Service of Western Kentucky University |
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WKU
Public Radio recently received 12 awards from the Kentucky
Associated Press in statewide competition, more than any public station
in the state. This included five
First Place awards and four Second Place awards. Congratulations to
our news team (pictured left), Lisa Autry, Dan Modlin, Kevin Willis, and
Joe Corcoran, for another great showing this year. 
