COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Radio and television stations in Columbus, Toledo and Kent were named the best in the state Sunday in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors broadcast competition.
General Excellence awards for 2016 went to WSYX/WTTE-TV in Columbus, WTVG in Toledo, WOSU-FM in Columbus and WKSU-FM in Kent.
Twenty-three broadcast stations submitted 311 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports and weather reporting as well as features, documentaries and photography from 2016.
Entries were judged by broadcasters from Michigan Public Radio, Ann Arbor, Michigan and WGHN-FM, Grand Haven, Michigan, Radio; KATV, Little Rock, Arkansas and WJFW-TV, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Television II; and KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh and KFMB-TV, San Diego, Television I.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.
Here is the list of winners:
Television I:
General Excellence: 1, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, WBNS-TV, Columbus.
Best Producer: 1, Jeremy Edwards, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus.
Best Anchor (News- Sports or Weather): 1, Bill Kelly, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, Jerry Revish, WBNS-TV, Columbus.
Best Feature Reporting: 1, Mike McCarthy, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, Kurt Ludlow and Drew Jones, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus.
Best Broadcast Writing: 1, Adam Slinger, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, Bhaskar Nair and Anthony Baldwin, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus.
Best Photographer: 1, Marcus Nichols, WBNS-TV, Columbus; 2, Alex Smith, WCMH-TV, Columbus.
Best Reporter: 1, Brooks Jarosz, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, Adam Slinger, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus.
Best Sportscast: 1, Jerod Smalley, WCMH-TV, Columbus, “2016 NBC4 Rio Olympic Games”; 2, Clay Hall, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “Best Sportscast Pre-Game Show.”
Best Sports Feature: 1, Dave Holmes, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”; 2, Clay Hall and Mike Jones, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “Ohio State Women’s Rowing.”
Best Use of Photography: 1, Mike McCarthy, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “Life’s a Ball”; 2, Jason Dille, WCMH-TV, Columbus.
Best Documentary or Series: 1, Jerry Revish and Chris Blake, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Discovering Cuba”; 2, Brooks Jarosz and Ben Frecker, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “ABC 6 On Your Side: Unrest Over Utilities.”
Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: 1, Brooks Jarosz, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “Tracking Down Columbus’ Mayor”; 2, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Election Night 2016.”
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “OSU Attack”; 2, WCMH-TV, Columbus, “OSU Terror Attack.”
Best Continuing Coverage: 1, Tom Sussi and Matt Spurrier, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “Clyde’s Story”; 2, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Pike County Murders.”
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Glenn McEntyre and Scott Doelling, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Judy’s Story”; 2, WBNS-TV, Columbus, “Sins of the System.”
Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Craig McKee and Tony Mirones, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, “Fake Urine: How it Can Help Addicts Fake Drug Tests”; 2, WEWS-TV, Cleveland, “Dead in Bed.”
Best Newscast: 1, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus; 2, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus.
Best Weathercast: 1, Mike Davis, WBNS-TV, Columbus; 2, WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, “ABC 6 Weather on the Go.”
Best Digital Presence: 1, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati; 2, Dan Gialluca and Brad Bader, WBNS-TV, Columbus.
Television II:
General Excellence: 1, WTVG, Toledo; 2, WDTN-TV, Dayton.
Best Producer: 1, Allison Hammond, WDTN-TV, Dayton; 2, Kristen Fofrich, WTVG, Toledo.
Best Anchor (News- Sports or Weather): 1, Katie Ussin, WDTN-TV, Dayton; 2, Bill Hormann, WTVG, Toledo.
Best Feature Reporting: 1, James Brown and Byron Stirsman, WHIO-TV, Dayton; 2, Leslie Barrett, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown.
Best Broadcast Writing: 1, Tony Geftos, WTVG, Toledo; 2, Michelle Nicks, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown.
Best Photographer: 1, Byron Stirsman, WHIO-TV, Dayton; 2, Robert Meluch, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown.
Best Reporter: 1, Tony Geftos, WTVG, Toledo; 2, Natalie Tendall, WDTN-TV, Dayton.
Best Sportscast: 1, WTVG, Toledo; 2, Dana Balash and Staff, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, “Taco Bell Overtime Report.”
Best Sports Feature: 1, Jordan Strack and Eric Rerucha, WTOL-TV, Toledo, “Transgender Athlete”; 2, James Brown and Byron Stirsman, WHIO-TV, Dayton, “Making Plays Today.”
Best Use of Photography: 1, Robert Meluch, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown; 2, Joe Cromer, WTOL-TV, Toledo.
Best Documentary or Series: 1, WDTN-TV, Dayton, “Heroin Crisis in the Miami Valley”; 2, Rachele Mongiovi , WTAP-TV, Parkersburg, “Handcuffed: The DUI Arrest Process.”
Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: 1, WTVG, Toledo, “Your Vote 2016”; 2, WKBN-TV/WYTV, Youngstown, “Joe Biden Visits the Valley.”
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, WKBN-TV/WYTV, Youngstown, “WKBN Ramos Manhunt”; 2, Mike Holden and Joe Cromer, WTOL-TV, Toledo, “Deadly Semi Shut Down.”
Best Continuing Coverage: 1, Brigette Burnett, WTVG, Toledo, “Wrongfully Charged”; 2, Bill Hormann, WTVG, Toledo, “Toledo has a Pothole Problem.”
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Alexis Means and Todd Gaertner, WTVG, Toledo, “Waging the War on Heroin”; 2, Maytal Levi, WDTN-TV, Dayton, “Local Schools Take on Human Trafficking.”
Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Shaun Hegarty, WTVG, Toledo, “Behind School Doors”; 2, Natalie Tendall, WDTN-TV, Dayton, “From War to Waiting: Veterans See More Problems Getting Care.”
Best Newscast: 1, WTVG, Toledo, “Election Night”; 2, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, “WFMJ Today.”
Best Weathercast: 1, Andrew DiPaolo, WFMJ-TV, Youngstown; 2, McCall Vrydaghs, WHIO-TV, Dayton.
Best Digital Presence: 1, WDTN-TV, Dayton; 2, WHIO-TV, Dayton.
Radio:
General Excellence: 1, WKSU-FM, Kent; 1, WOSU-FM, Columbus; 2, WCPN-FM, Cleveland.
Best Anchor (News- Sports or Weather): 1, Amanda Rabinowitz, WKSU-FM, Kent.
Best Feature Reporting: 1, Esther Honig, WOSU-FM, Columbus; 2, Ann Thompson, WVXU-FM, Cincinnati.
Best Broadcast Writing: 1, David C. Barnett, WCPN-FM, Cleveland; 2, Amanda Rabinowitz, WKSU-FM, Kent.
Best Reporter: 1, Esther Honig, WOSU-FM, Columbus; 2, Nick Castele, WCPN-FM, Cleveland.
Best Sportscast: 1, Mark Urycki and Nick Castele, WCPN-FM, Cleveland, “Cavaliers Win!”; 2, Amanda Rabinowitz and Terry Pluto, WKSU-FM, Kent, “The View from Pluto.”
Best Sports Feature: 1, Kabir Bhatia, WKSU-FM, Kent, “The Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA Champs, and LeBron James’ Akron Alma Mater is Celebrating.”
Best Use of Sound: 1, Sam Hendren, WOSU-FM, Columbus, “Racino Saves Scioto Downs’ Harness Racing”; 2, M.L. Schultze, WKSU-FM, Kent, “Akron Works to Bring Joy to Voting.”
Best Documentary or Series: 1, Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Radio, “Voices of Voters”; 2, WCPN-FM, Cleveland, “’’Hough: Before and Beyond’ 66”.’’
Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: 1, WCPN-FM, Cleveland, “Coverage of 2016 RNC Convention in Cleveland”; 2, WKSU-FM, Kent, “The Republican Party Comes to Cleveland.”
Best Spot News Coverage: 1, WOSU-FM, Columbus, “OSU Attack”; 2, Elizabeth Miller, WCPN-FM, Cleveland, “David Bowie Remembered by Past WMMS Directors.”
Best Continuing Coverage: 1, David C. Barnett, WCPN-FM, Cleveland, “Karamu House”; 2, Tana Weingartner, WVXU-FM, Cincinnati, “Former Officer Stands Trial for Murder.”
Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Esther Honig, WOSU-FM, Columbus, “Ohio Truck Drivers Join the Effort to Prevent Human Trafficking”; 2, Amanda Rabinowitz, WKSU-FM, Kent, “The New Sound of the Old Goodyear Theater Could Transform East Akron.”
Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Mandie Trimble, WOSU-FM, Columbus, “Questionable Tax Breaks”; 2, Bill Rinehart, WVXU-FM, Cincinnati, “Cincinnati Left Out of Longer Bar Hours Law.”
Best Newscast: 1, Jeff St. Clair, WKSU-FM, Kent, “Jeff St. Clair - ’All Things Considered’’’; 2, Amanda Rabinowitz, WKSU-FM, Kent, “Amanda Rabinowitz - Morning Edition.”
Best Digital Presence: 1, WOSU-FM, Columbus; 2, WHIO-AM/FM, Dayton.
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