WKSU WELCOMES RENITA JABLONSKI AND DANIEL HOCKENSMITH
VETERAN REPORTERS JOIN WKSU NEWS STAFF
Monday December 12, 2005

WKSU is expanding the station's news staff with the addition of respected reporters Renita Jablonski and Daniel Hockensmith. Jablonski will be hosting and, along with the WKSU newsroom, developing a new regional news program. Hockensmith heads to Canton as the director of the station's Stark/Wayne Counties News Bureau. The work of both news professionals will aid WKSU in reporting on events throughout Northeast Ohio more timely and efficiently. Details regarding the Jablonski-hosted news program will be released in January.

Jablonski has been host/producer for 90.3 WCPN and WVIZ/PBS-TV ideastream in Cleveland since 2001, most recently hosting the news call-in show, "90.3 at 9." Previously, she worked as assistant newsroom supervisor for WOUB in Athens, OH. For WKSU, Jablonski will help create an original magazine-format program focused on news and events throughout the region and the state of Ohio. Her many awards for work at ideastream include a special honor from North East Ohio Health Systems, a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), a first-place award from the Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters (OAPB), three Ohio SPJ Awards from Ohio chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists, and two Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Press Club of Cleveland.

Hockensmith is also a multiple award-winner, including earning the title Best Reporter in Ohio from OAPB in 2005 for his work for Rubber City Radio Group (WAKR-AM, WONE-FM, and WQMX-FM), where he has served as news anchor and reporter since 2003. Along with two other OAPB Awards, he has been honored with a Regional Murrow Award and an Ohio Excellence in Journalism Award. In 2004, Hockensmith participated in the Radio-Television News Directors Foundation/RIAS Berlin Commission journalist exchange program, traveling to Germany, Belgium and Poland. He began his career in journalism by writing for newspapers in Dayton and working in television and radio in the Dayton and Cincinnati area after graduating from Wright State. Before coming to Akron, Hockensmith was assistant city editor and reporter for the Times Herald in Port Huron, MI. He is a frequent panelist on "NewsNight Akron," a weekly public affairs program on PBS 45/49.

WKSU Executive Director Al Bartholet says, "The addition of Renita and Daniel to our staff strengthens WKSU's commitment to regional and statewide news gathering while furthering our goal to present our listeners with the most complete, timely and relevant information possible." Adds WKSU News Director Dave Pignanelli, "I'm very excited to bring two experienced journalists onto our already impressive news team. Renita and Daniel will allow WKSU news to expand our recognized far-reaching coverage of issues important to Northeast Ohio."
     
WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson, and WNRK 90.7 Norwalk. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org.

PR05.29 ###       12/12/05

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