LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Winners were announced Saturday in the annual Kentucky Associated Press Broadcasters competition to honor the best in college and professional broadcast journalism in 2018.
The AP is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing thousands of U.S. newspapers broadcasters. The Kentucky AP awards were sponsored by the Kentucky Broadcasters Association.
TV Division I (Louisville and Lexington):
Feature Reporting: 1, Gilbert Corsey and Emily Evans, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “Billboard Mystery Solved”; 2, Gina Glaros and Jeff Gordon, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “Standout Piano Player.”
Public Affairs: 1, Laura Krueger, Justin Allen and Renee Shaw, Kentucky Educational Television, Lexington, “Disrupting the Opioid Epidemic: A KET Forum “; 2, Barton Bill and Miranda Combs, WKYT-TV, Lexington, “Fake Service Dogs.”
Sports Feature: 1, Lee K. Howard, WKYT-TV, Lexington, “A Wish Granted”; 2, Morgan Lentes and Randy Ragsdale, WLKY-TV, Louisville, “Jersey Surprise.”
Sports Prep Show: 1, WLEX-TV, Lexington, “High School Sportszone”; 2, WKYT-TV, Lexington, “Game Time.”
Sports Special: 1, Scott Eckhardt, WLKY-TV, Louisville, “Racing in the Bluegrass: Sights and Sounds”; 2, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Cardinal Countdown.”
Feature ’ Sports Videography: 1, Scott Eckhardt, WLKY-TV, Louisville, “Van Berg Legacy”; 2, Tyler Ross, WLEX-TV, Lexington, “Father Christmas Bikes.”
News Videography: 1, Beth Peak, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Who Killed Cowboy?”; 2, Tom Round, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “The Bees of Cave Hill Cemetery.”
Political Coverage: 1, Rob Harris, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Votable”; 2, Renee Shaw, Carl Babcock and David Hadley, Kentucky Educational Television, Lexington, “Legislative Update.”
News Promotion: 1, Josh Kidd and Scott Brady, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “Defining Season”; 2, John Maynard, Brandon Link and Paul Chaplin, WLKY-TV, Louisville, “Big Event Coverage.”
Breaking News: 1, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Shots Fired: The Kroger Shooting”; 2, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “Grocery Store Shooting.”
Continuing Coverage: 1, WLEX-TV, Lexington, “Deputy Morales: 217 Strong”; 2, WKYT-TV, Lexington, “Keeping Kentucky’s Schools Safe.”
Enterprise Reporting: 1, Beth Peak and Heather Fountaine, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Saving the Dream”; 2, Veronica Seltzer, WTVQ-TV, Lexington, “Privacy Leak.”
News Special/Documentary: 1, Julie Dolan and Scott Eckhardt, WLKY-TV, Louisville, “Racing in the Bluegrass”; 2, Lisa Hutson and Nick Goldring, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Call to Duty.”
Special Series: 1, Valerie Chinn and Doug Smith, WDRB-TV, Louisville, “Marshall County School Shooting”; 2, Nancy Cox, WLEX-TV, Lexington, “Father Christmas.”
Investigative Reporting: 1, John Boel and Jeff Knight, WAVE-TV, Louisville, “Full House”; 2, Leigh Searcy and Brian Gilbert, WLEX-TV, Lexington, “Judge’s Actions Questioned.”
Best Digital Coverage: 1, WLKY-TV, Louisville; 2, Taylor Weiter, WHAS-TV, Louisville, “Unsolved.”
TV Reporter: 1, Shay McAlister, WHAS-TV, Louisville; 2, John Boel, WAVE-TV, Louisville.
Best Multimedia Reporter: 1, John Charlton, WHAS-TV, Louisville; 2, Veronica Seltzer, WTVQ-TV, Lexington.
Best Producer: 1, Greg Phelps, WAVE-TV, Louisville; 2, Becca Gibson, WAVE-TV, Louisville.
Sportscaster: 1, Kent Taylor, WAVE-TV, Louisville; 2, Aaron Matas, WDRB-TV, Louisville.
TV Editor: 1, Scott Eckhardt, WLKY-TV, Louisville; 2, Barton Bill, WKYT-TV, Lexington.
News Videographer: 1, Scott Eckhardt, WLKY-TV, Louisville; 2, Justin Hawkins, WAVE-TV, Louisville.
Weather Anchor: 1, Chris Johnson, WKYT-TV, Lexington; 2, Jude Redfield, WDRB-TV, Louisville.
News Anchor: 1, Julie Dolan, WLKY-TV, Louisville; 2, Sam Dick, WKYT-TV, Lexington.
Daytime Newscast: 1, WDRB-TV, Louisville; 2, Chris Newman, Jennifer Britton and Valerie Paxton, WAVE-TV, Louisville.
Evening Newscast: 1, Zak Owens, Becca Gibson and Aaron Ellis, WAVE-TV, Louisville; 2, WLEX-TV, Lexington.
Overall Excellence: 1, WLEX-TV, Lexington; 2, WDRB-TV, Louisville.
TV Division II (Paducah, Bowling Green, Hazard and all other markets):
Feature Reporting: 1, Gene Birk, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green, “Everything’s Jake!”; 2, Taylor Frost Smith, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Funeral for a Hero.”
Public Affairs: 1, Chad Darnall and Brianna Clark, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “We Need to be Prepared”; 2, Macy Marie, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Students Trapped by Flooding.”
Sports Feature: 1, Matt Foster, WNKY-TV, Bowling Green, “A Horse and a Hilltopper”; 2, Matt Foster, WNKY-TV, Bowling Green, “Extra Innings of Impact.”
Sports Prep Show: 1, Matt Foster, WNKY-TV, Bowling Green, “Foster’s Football Frenzy”; 2, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Sports Overtime Saturday Night.”
Sports Special: 1, Jeff Bidwell, Adam Wells and Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Racing to the Tournament”; 2, Marcus Browning, Tommy Pool and Willie Hope, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Roundball Preview Show.”
Feature ’ Sports Videography: 1, Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Traveling Soldier: The Wall That Heals”; 2, Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “More Than a Game.”
News Videography: 1, Mike Spissinger, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Love Letters Home”; 2, Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “We Need to be Prepared.”
Political Coverage: 1, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “President Trump in Cape Girardeau.”
News Promotion: 1, Chad Hurt, WYMT-TV, Hazard; 2, Atlee McHeffey, WNKY-TV, Bowling Green, “Because Local Matters.”
Breaking News: 1, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Marshall County High School Shooting”; 2, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Officer Scotty Hamilton Killed.”
Continuing Coverage: 1, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Judge Shuts out Media”; 2, Brianna Clark, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Shaianne Parker: Waiting on a Miracle.”
Enterprise Reporting: 1, Darby Beane, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green, “Delivering Food Baskets”; 2, Deborah Highland and Amber Gardner-Rojas, WNKY-TV, Bowling Green, “Doolin Family Seeks Quicker Justice.”
News Special/Documentary: 1, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “The Wall That Heals”; 2, Lauren Hanson, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green, “School Safety.”
Special Series: 1, Brianna Clark, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Students Speak out About School Safety”; 2, Connor Dunwoodie, WYMT-TV, Hazard, “Return to Mayberry.”
Best Digital Coverage: 1, Lynnette Cooney and Kyle Collier, WYMT-TV, Hazard; 2, Manda Barger, Leanne Fuller and Krystle Callais, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
TV Reporter: 1, Leah Shields, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Brianna Clark, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
Best Multimedia Reporter: 1, Brianna Clark, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Dalton Godbey, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green.
Best Producer: 1, Kelly Kim, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Kyle Collier, WYMT-TV, Hazard.
Sportscaster: 1, Adam Wells, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Mike Cleff, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green.
TV Editor: 1, Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Mike Spissinger, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
News Videographer: 1, Chad Darnall, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Mason Watkins, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
Weather Anchor: 1, Trent Okerson, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Andrew Dockery, WYMT-TV, Hazard.
News Anchor: 1, Lauren Hanson, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green; 2, Laura Rogers, WBKO-TV, Bowling Green.
Daytime Newscast: 1, Allison Rickman, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, Spencer Nowell, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
Evening Newscast: 1, James Priewe, WPSD-TV, Paducah; 2, WPSD-TV, Paducah.
Overall Excellence: 1, WPSD-TV, Paducah, “Marshall County High School Shooting”; 2, WYMT-TV, Hazard.
Radio (all markets):
Short Light News Feature: 1, Leeann Akers, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “The Smokey Valley Horse”; 2, Bill Hughes, WKYX-FM, Paducah, “Publishers Clearing House Winner.”
Short Serious News Feature: 1, Rhonda Miller, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green, “Students from South Warren to Owensboro Join National Walkout for Safer Schools”; 2, Ryan Van Velzer, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “After Years of Coal Ash Exposure, Scientists Assess Health of Cane Run Neighbors.”
Long Light News Feature: 1, Kyeland Jackson, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “A Party for Cheese: The Story of a Louisville Shelter Dog’s Last Day”; 2, Cheri Lawson, WEKU-FM, Richmond, “Crocheting to Help the Homeless.”
Long Serious News Feature: 1, Nicole Erwin, WKMS-FM, Murray, “Marshall County Mourns After Deadly School Shooting”; 2, Rhonda Miller, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green, “Kentucky Lynching Museum Opened 10 Years Before New Montgomery Memorial.”
Short Public Affairs: 1, Leeann Akers, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “New Grants Will Assist the Drug Epidemic”; 2, Tim Brockwell, WKYX-FM, Paducah, “Harless Discusses Paducah Human Rights Ordinance.”
Long Public Affairs: 1, Nicole Erwin, WKMS-FM, Murray, “Win for Wetlands: Program Helps Farmers Conserve More Flood Prone Land”; 2, Cheri Lawson, WEKU-FM, Richmond, “Kentucky Coloring Parties Help Combat Fear.”
Sports Reporting: 1, Alan Lytle and Doug Boyd, WUKY-FM, Lexington, “Saving Stories: A Tribute to the Ultimate Sixth Man”; 2, Leeann Akers, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “Mountain Edition Sports with Leeann Akers.”
Sports Feature/Special: 1, Samantha Lederman, WUKY-FM, Lexington, “Lexington Based Equestrian Hopes to Bring Home Mongol Glory”; 2, Leeann Akers, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “Rowan County Boys’ Basketball Team 2018-19 Season Preview.”
Use of Sound: 1, Matt Markgraf, Ryland Barton and Cory Sharber, WKMS-FM, Murray, “The Sights and Sounds of Fancy Farm”; 2, Leeann Akers and John Flavell, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “Kentucky Center for Traditional Music.”
Political Coverage: 1, Becca Schimmel, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green; 2, Josh James, WUKY-FM, Lexington.
Breaking News: 1, Greg Dunker, Joe Jackson and J.P. Roberts, WKYX-FM, Paducah, “Breaking News Coverage of the Marshall County High School Shooting”; 2, WKMS-FM, Murray, “Tuesday: Shooting at Marshall County High School, Two Dead, 18 Injured.”
Continuing Coverage: 1, WKMS-FM, Murray, “Marshall County Mourns After Deadly School Shooting”; 2, Becca Schimmel, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green.
Enterprise Reporting: 1, Lisa Autry, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green, “In Grips of Opioid Crisis, Doctors Struggle Finding Balance Between Treating Pain, Overprescribing”; 2, Nicole Erwin and Jeff Young, WKMS-FM, Murray, “In Wake of School Shooting, a Look at How Kids Get Guns.”
Special Series/Documentary: 1, Cheri Lawson, WEKU-FM, Richmond, “Kentucky Women Break Through”; 2, Laura Ellis and Ashlie Stevens, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “Curious Derby.”
Investigative Reporting: 1, Jacob Ryan, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “Despite Calls for Help, Bedbugs Infest Louisville Public Housing Complex”; 2, Eleanor Klibanoff and Jeff Young, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “Fatal Flaws: How Kentucky is Failing its Workers.”
Digital Coverage: 1, Eleanor Klibanoff, Alexandra Kanik and Jeff Young, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “Fatal Flaws: How Kentucky is Failing its Workers”; 2, Nicole Erwin and Alexandra Kanik, WKMS-FM, Murray.
Radio Reporter: 1, Ryan Van Velzer, WFPL-FM, Louisville, “Environment Reporter Ryan Van Velzer”; 2, Hayley Hansen, WHAS-AM, Louisville.
Radio Anchor: 1, Suzanne Duvall, WHAS-AM, Louisville; 2, Alan Lytle, WUKY-FM, Lexington.
Short Newscast: 1, Alan Lytle, Josh James and Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington; 2, Bill Hughes, Tim Brockwell and J.P. Roberts, WKYX-FM, Paducah.
Long Newscast: 1, Leeann Akers and Logan Pemberton, WMKY-FM, Morehead, “Mountain Edition News.”
Overall Excellence: 1, WFPL-FM, Louisville; 2, WKYU-FM, Bowling Green.
College TV:
Best Feature Story: 1, Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Evangeline Soucie’s New Role”; 2, Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Womens’ Basketball Coaches.”
Best Public Affairs: 1, Madison Martin, Western Kentucky University - TV, Bowling Green, “Recycling a Challenge for Off-Campus Students”; 2, Brady Trapnell, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Bourbon Tariffs.”
Best Sports Coverage: 1, Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Payton Atkins’ Unlikely Battle”; 2, Sam Yaw and Zachary McGovern, Western Kentucky University - TV, Bowling Green, “Extra Point Homecoming Special.”
Best News Story: 1, Olivia Eiler, Western Kentucky University - TV, Bowling Green, “Warren County House Fire”; 2, Brady Trapnell, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Bourbon Tariffs.”
Best Website: 1, Murray State University - TV, Murray, “Murray State University.”
Best Television Reporter: 1, Olivia Eiler, Western Kentucky University - TV, Bowling Green; 2, Brady Trapnell, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington, “Bourbon Tariffs.”
Best Videographer: 1, Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington.
Best Newscast: 1, Western Kentucky University - TV, Bowling Green; 2, Nathaniel Vankleeck, University of Kentucky - TV, Lexington.
College Radio:
Best Feature Story: 1, Chas Jenkins, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead, “Chuck Mraz Retirement”; 2, Julianna Leach, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead, “Sardis Church Rebuilt.”
Best Public Affairs: 1, Sydni Anderson, Murray State University - Radio, Murray, “Murray State Scientists Searching for Conditions That Cause Harmful Algal Blooms”; 2, Olivia Eiler, Western Kentucky University - Radio, Bowling Green, “WKU Campus Debate.”
Best Sports Coverage: 1, Cory Sharber, Murray State University - Radio, Murray, “Murray State Basketball is Dancing for the 16th Time”; 2, Tildon Johnson, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead.
Best News Story: 1, Natalie Turner, Western Kentucky University - Radio, Bowling Green, “International Music”; 2, Jacob Lindberg, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead, “Animal Abuse Charges in Elliott County.”
Best Website: 1, Murray State University - Radio, Murray.
Best Radio Reporter: 1, Natalie Turner, Western Kentucky University - Radio, Bowling Green; 2, Jacob Lindberg, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead.
Best Digital Journalist: 1, Cory Sharber, Murray State University - Radio, Murray; 2, Sydni Anderson, Murray State University - Radio, Murray.
Best Newscast: 1, Jacob Lindberg, Peyton Stewart and Logan Pemberton, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead, “Mountain Edition News”; 2, Logan Pemberton, Morehead State - Radio, Morehead.
College Best of Show:
TV - Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky
Radio - Natalie Turner, Western Kentucky University
Tom Peterson Memorial Scholarship:
Curtis Franklin, University of Kentucky
A list of winners will be posted at http://discover.ap.org/contests/kentucky-broadcast
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