Awards Just Keep on Coming!

The former staff of WMUB won a total of seven awards presented by the Public Radio News Directors Inc. presented June 13, 2009 in Portland, Oregon.

These were in Division C, given to organizations with 1 or 2 full-time news staff. Prior to the transfer of operations to Cincinnati Public Radio, WMUB had two full-time news people, Gary Scott & Tana Weingartner, plus Cheri Lawson working part-time as Morning Edition anchor and reporter as well as numerous students.

These awards follow the announcement earlier this month of 11 awards for the former WMUB staff from the Ohio Associated Press. (see my previous blog posting about the AP Awards)


Division C

Best Writing
Second Place
WMUB - FM
“Threshold Choir #2”
(produced by Cheri Lawson)

First Place
WMUB - FM
“Fast Fungi”
(produced by Tana Weingartner)


Breaking News
First Place
WMUB - FM
“Windstorm Aftermath”
(Gary Scott & Tana Weingartner)

Commentary
First Place
WMUB - FM
“Purple Haze”
(Commentator Jennie Kiffmeyer)

Soft Feature
First Place
WMUB - FM
“Threshold Choir #1”
(Cheri Lawson)

Spot News
Second Place
WMUB - FM
“Palin in West Chester”
(Tana Weingartner)


First Place
WMUB - FM
“Student Protest”
(Gary Scott)

More Awards for Former WMUB Staff

This was posted by the Miami University Communications office:

WMUB News Staff Earn Ohio AP Awards for Reporting

06/09/2009


The news and on-air staff of WMUB 88.5 FM earned numerous awards this weekend from the Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters for work produced and broadcast in 2008.

WMUB’s awards, earned for medium-sized markets, are as follows:

Best use of sound, 1st place, Cheri Lawson, on-air host, for “Double Dutch Champions” and 2nd place, Tana Weingartner, news producer, for “Miami Stomp Dance.”

Best broadcast writing, 1st place, Gary Scott, news director, for “Model-T Party” and 2nd place, Jennie Kiffmeyer, a commentator, for “Purple Haze.”

Best documentary or series, 1st place, John Hingsbergen, program director, and Gary Scott, “WMUB Election Forums.”

Best feature reporting, 1st place, Cheri Lawson, “Threshold Choirs” and 2nd place, Tana Weingartner, “The Two Miamis: Neepwaantiiyankwi.”

Best continuing coverage, 2nd place, Tana Weingartner and Gary Scott, “Windstorm Aftermath.”

Best enterprise reporting, 2nd place, Gary Scott, “Sewing for Soldiers.”

Best anchor, 2nd place, Cheri Lawson.

Best reporter, 2nd place, Tana Weingartner.

“WMUB won more awards than any other public radio station in Ohio for work in 2008. I could not possibly be prouder of the immensely talented group I have been privileged to work with at WMUB,” said Cleve Callison, WMUB general manager.

The full list of award winners is here: www.ap.org/ohio/oapb.html.
Click on medium markets for WMUB’s categories.

WMUB has been managed by Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR) since March 1. The university reached an operating agreement with CPR following a two-year process of exploring options for the future of WMUB.

Personal Note: As WMUB Program Director for the past nine years, I add my congratulations and thanks to our hard-working staff.

More In Memory of the Urban Forester

My friend, former Miami University English Professor and "Poet in Residence" Jim Reiss, penned the following in tribute to Steve Sandfort:


ELEGY FOR "MR. TREE," THE URBAN FORESTER

(In Memoriam: Steve Sandfort)

If he now lies lifeless,
he fell in a faraway place
where we could not hear him
so he has not vanished but still
speaks out on programs, dispensing
his free advice about trees

on our radio station that lasted
as long as his sixty-sixth year,
then somehow got caught in a storm
but lives on in digital archives,
in his words about buckeyes and elms
meeting spring in a thousand green glades.