WKSU RECOGNIZED BY PRESS CLUB OF CLEVELAND

Monday June 25, 2007

For immediate release
Contact: Robert J. Burford,
Public Relations Director
(330) 672-3114
burford@wksu.org

WKSU was honored by the Press Club of Cleveland with six Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards on June 22 at LaCentre in Westlake, OH. Included among the honors were five first-place awards. Award entries were judged by a panel of judges comprised of journalism professionals from press clubs and news publications located across the country.

WKSU winners of the Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Press Club of Cleveland are:

•     First Place – Spot News, Reporter/Producer Kevin Niedermier for "Det. Jonathon Schroeder Funeral."
Niedermier is in downtown Cleveland as a police officer killed in the line of duty is memorialized.

•     First Place – Commentary/Analysis, Guest Commentator Peter Jedick for "Where Have Yesterday's Moms Gone?"
Jedick offers a Mother's Day salute to the days gone by when most moms stayed at home with their children. The judges add: "A refreshing touch of nostalgia."

•     First Place – General News, Niedermier for "Bomb Robots."
The Ohio Homeland Security department presents a robot designed to defuse bombs to Northeast Ohio law enforcement and offers a demonstration. The judges add: "Good visual story telling with natural sound bites. Very interesting."

•     First Place – In-Depth Coverage, Reporter/Producer Vivian Goodman and Dave Pignanelli for "Touring with the Cleveland Orchestra."
Despite losing their luggage and most of their sound equipment, Goodman and Pignanelli send back multiple reports on the Orchestra's summer tour to Linz, Austria and Verona, Italy. The judges add: "Great job delivering a solid series under difficult circumstances. Bravo!"

•     First Place – Use of Sound, Goodman for "CIM Goes High Tech."
Goodman tours new additions to the Cleveland Institute of Music that use technology to assist in the creation of music. The judges add: "A beautiful piece. Very well done."

•     Second Place – Public Service, Goodman for "Drugs in Prison."
A three-part examination of drug use in jails and the battle to avoid addiction-based recidivism. The judges add: "Not an easy subject to cover. Well done."

This year's Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards Competition marks the event's 29th anniversary as a statewide competition for the best in print and broadcast journalism. WKSU competes in the Major Market division with radio stations in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

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, WNRK 90.7 in Norwalk, W298BA 107.5 FM in Boardman, and W239AZ 95.7 FM in Ashland. The WKSU web site is www.wksu.org.

PR07.09           ###      6/25/07

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