Student broadcasters nominated for awards in state, national contests

Several student broadcasters representing WONC-FM 89.1, North Central College’s student-run radio station, have earned nominations in state and national competitions.

In a state competition, eight students earned six nominations in five different categories in the annual Student Silver Dome Awards presented each fall by the Illinois Broadcasters Association to the top college and university radio and TV programs in the state. The awards will be presented in a luncheon ceremony Sept. 21 at Illinois State University in Normal.

Senior Julie Valdez of Naperville was nominated in the Best Radio Longform Programming category for “Youth Violence in Odgen, Utah.” Junior Kevin Jackman of Glenview was nominated in three categories: Best Radio Spot for “Cartridge World,” Best Station or Program Website for “WONC Sports Webpage” and in Best Use of Interactive Media for “WONC Social Media.”

A five-student team earned a nomination in the Best Radio Newscast category for the report, “Headline News—May 9, 2012.” The nominees are Whitney Goodbred of Earlville, Noah Savage of Aurora, Karl Jessen of Naperville, Jeremy Rushing of Moline and Jamie Alt of Sun Prairie, Wis. All are seniors and broadcast communication majors except Rushing, who is a junior and majoring in English journalism, and Jessen, who is majoring in interactive media studies.

In a national competition, nine WONC staffers earned nominations in three categories in the 11th annual National Student Production Awards presented by College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI). Winners will be announced at CBI’s National Student Electronic Media Convention in Atlanta on Oct. 27.

Goodbred and Savage were nominated in the Best Radio News Reporting for “Harold Wilde Announces Retirement.” A five-student team of Goodbred, Savage, Rushing, Alt and 2012 graduate Dan Falconer of Glendale Heights were nominated in the Best Radio Newscast category for “Headline News—May 9, 2012.”

Five student broadcast communication majors were nominated in the Best Sports Play-by-Play for Radio category for “North Central vs. Wittenberg—Sweet 16 Basketball.” Jackman for play-by-play, Rushing for color commentary, and junior Jared Shlensky of Palos Heights, 2012 graduate Jonathan Kaufmann of Normal and sophomore Alex Palac of Homer Glen for studio analysts.

WONC is among the most honored collegiate radio stations in America and has won national and state awards in commercial and collegiate competitions. The station has won 20 Marconi College Radio Awards; no other college or university radio station in the country has won more. With a 30-mile listening radius and potential listening audience of four million people, WONC’s pure rock music format broadcasts a mix of news, sports, traffic, music and public affairs programming 24 hours a day, year-round. Listen live at wonc.org.