Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters Honors WKSU
May 18, 200x
WKSU was recognized with six awards on May 16 by the Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters (OAPB) at the organization’s annual meeting in Columbus. WKSU competed with other commercial and non-commercial radio stations in the largest markets in Ohio, including Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and the Ohio News Network.
WKSU Reporter/Producer Kevin Niedermier was recognized with a first place award in the investigative reporting category for his three-part series on the relationship between young Amish and the secular world. Niedermier’s reports introduced listeners to a teen interested in joining an Amish sect and several young adults living with the difficult decision of leaving their friends and families behind and entering the world of the non-Amish or “English.” It was the second year in a row that WKSU was honored by the OAPB for an investigative report.
During the holidays, Guest Commentator David Giffels recounted his participation in Akron’s annual Tuba Christmas in “On Playing the Tuba.” The commentary earned him a first place award for writing. Giffels, a columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, combined humor and poignancy in his story of one man’s attempt to learn the tuba and escape a public embarrassment. WKSU Program Director Eric Nuzum produced the report.
Second place honors were presented to Reporter/Producer Vincent Duffy in the enterprise category for his report on attempts to add dance to the Catholic liturgy and Reporter/Producer Mark Urycki for his feature on the film “American Splendor.”
Honorable Mention awards went to Urycki and WKSU Music Director David Roden for Extraordinary Coverage of a Scheduled Event for their reports from The Cleveland Orchestra’s residency in Vienna, Austria, and to Reporter/Producer Julie Grant for Best Use of Sound for “Bird Watching,” a story about the loss of natural habitat for migratory birds.
The OAPB aims to advance the profession of journalism, to cooperate with The Associated Press in the exchange of accurate, impartial news reports and to serve as liaison between The Associated Press and its members.
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