BOSTON – Cranston-based WJAR-TV NBC 10 and Providence-based WPRI-TV CBS 12, news and talk radio 630 WPRO-AM, talk radio 920 WHJJ-AM, and public radio 1290 WRNI-AM and 102.7 WRNI-FM are among the winners in this year’s Massachusetts and Rhode Island Associated Press Broadcasters awards.
The annual competition honors member stations for excellence in a variety of categories. Last year, WPRI-TV Channel 12 and its “Eyewitness News” took the region’s top honor of News Station of the Year, for the fifth year in a row. (READ MORE) This year’s radio or TV winner will not be announced until the awards banquet in May, according to Bob Salsberg, broadcast editor for the AP’s Boston bureau.
Local winners this year in the TV division include:
• TV Newscast: Media General’s WJAR-TV NBC 10 for its “NBC 10 News at 6”
Judging in this category was based on overall presentation and production values.
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“NBC 10 is grateful for the recognition and appreciation by our peers and viewers,” Betty Jo Cugini, vice president of NBC 10 News, said in a statement today. “We will continue to work to provide our viewers with quality news coverage across all platforms.”
In years past, their peers at AP stations across the region have honored the WJAR news team for best newscast, breaking news coverage, continuing coverage and investigative reporting.
• TV Web Site: WJAR, for its turnto10.com
Judging in the category is based on timely dissemination of news and information, which must include local content as well as syndicated material.
“I am so proud of the entire WJAR newsroom,” said Kim Reis, the station’s general manager for Internet and multimedia development (IMD). “WJAR has a ‘Web-first’ initiative in all that we do – and we don’t limit ourselves to the Web. We provide mobile alerts, e-mail alerts and constantly update turnto10.com to make sure that we are serving the people of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. It’s a wonderful team effort, and everyone should be very proud of this accomplishment.”
• Feature Reporting: LIN TV Corp.’s WPRI-TV CBS 12
Local winners in the radio division include:
• Documentary: Rhode Island Public Radio 102.7 WRNI-FM and 1290 AM, the local National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, for Flo Jonic’s three-part series entitled “America’s Deadliest Month: 1918 Influenza Pandemic.”
• Continuing Coverage: Citadel Broadcasting Providence’s 630 WPRO-AM, for its coverage of the economy.
• Talk Show: Clear Channel’s WHJJ’s “Helen Glover Show,” a two-time winner.
“We’re all very proud of Helen,” said Bill George, the station’s news and program director. “This is further proof of her talent and her commitment to her listeners. With so many big-name talk shows on the dial in Southern New England,” he added, “it’s extremely impressive that she has won this award twice in four years.” Glover previously won the award in 2006, shortly after her show went on the air.
In the separate college division, Brown University-based 95.5 WBRU-FM “won in a number of categories,” Salsberg said, taking a total of six regional awards. Kaitlyn Labs, senior reporter at WBRU, told PBN the station won best-of honors in:
• Newscast: For its WBRU “95-Second Update”
• Continuing Coverage: For the 2008 elections
• Use of Sound: In its coverage of the JVC Newport Jazz Festival
• Feature: “Axis of Evil”
A profile of a comedy troupe whose act tackles racial and ethnic stereotypes about the Middle East.
• Sports Feature: “Jon Lester Comeback”
A chronicle of the Red Sox pitcher’s rehabilitation efforts, from post-cancer workouts to winning a World Series and pitching a no-hitter.
• Sports Show: “WBRU Weekend Sports Rundown”
These stations and other winners from across Rhode Island and from all of Massachusetts outside of Boston will be recognized May 8, during the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Associated Press Broadcasters’ annual banquet at the Boston Marriott Newton hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, Mass.
Besides 95.5 WBRU-FM, a modern rock station founded in 1966, Brown University also hosts “Brown Student Radio” 88.1 WELH-FM, a noncommercial, educational student station broadcasting a variety of music and features. For more information, visit www.wbru.com and www.BSRlive.com.
Rhode Island Public Radio – the state’s nonprofit National Public Radio affiliate – operates both 102.7 WRNI-FM and 1290 WRNI-AM. For more information, visit www.wrni.org.
Talk radio 920 WHJJ-AM is a member of the Clear Channel Radio Providence family of stations, which also includes 94 WHJY-FM, 93.3 WSNE “Coast FM” and WWBB-FM “B101.” The Providence group’s parent company – Clear Channel Communications Inc., owner or operator of more than 2,000 stations nationwide – is a division of San Antonio-CC Media Holdings Inc. (OTCBB: CCMO). Additional information is available at www.ClearChannel.com .
News and talk radio station 630 WPRO-AM is operated by Citadel Broadcasting Providence – an affiliate of the Las Vegas-based Citadel Broadcasting Corp. (NYSE: CDL) – which also operates “true oldies” station 790 WPRV-AM; 104 WWLI-FM “Light Rock 105”; hip-hop station 106 WWKX-FM; and Top 40 radio station 92 WPRO-FM. To learn more, visit www.92ProFM.com.
WJAR-TV NBC 10 – the most-watched television station in the Providence-New Bedford market – is a property of Media General Inc. (NYSE: MEG), a Richmond, Va.-based television and newspaper company. For additional information, visit www.MediaGeneral.com or www.TurnTo10.com.
WPRI-TV CBS 12 is one of 29 televisions owned or operated by Providence-based LIN TV Corp. (NYSE: TVL). Its stations also include WNAC-TV Fox 64 in Providence and WWLP-TV NBC 22 in Springfield, Mass. Additional information is available at www.LinTV.com.
The Associated Press, founded in 1848, is the world’s largest and oldest wire service serving more than 15,000 news outlets worldwide, including more than 1,000 media Web sites and 4,500 television and radio stations. Its broadcast division is based in Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit www.APbroadcast.com.
