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Winners Announced in 2019 MAPME Broadcast Contest

Radio and television stations in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and Lansing were named the best in the state in the annual Michigan Associated Press Media Editors broadcast competition.

General Excellence awards for 2019 went to WLNS-TV, Lansing, Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor and WGVU-FM in Grand Rapids.

The Detroit Free Press won the First Amendment Award for outstanding accomplishment in pursuing freedom of information. The newspaper won with its entry, “Make Your Date Investigation.” That award was open to entries from both newspapers and broadcast stations.

Abigail Censky, a reporter at WKAR-FM in East Lansing, was named Michigan APME’s Broadcast Rising Star. That award recognizes journalists with five years or less in journalism.

Twelve broadcasters submitted 237 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports and weather reporting as well as features, documentaries and photography from 2019.

Entries were judged by by editors from the following Ohio broadcasters: from WOSU-FM, Columbus, Radio II; Ohio Public Radio and TV, Columbus, Radio I; WTOL-TV, Toledo and WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, Television.

Here is the list of winners:

Television I:

Best Feature Story: 1, Lori Pinson, WJBK-TV, Detroit, “Lori’s Hidden Michigan-Underground Railroad.”

Best Weathercast: 1, Lori Pinson, WJBK-TV, Detroit, “Severe Weather Friday.”

Television II:

Outstanding News Operation: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing; 2, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac.

Best Feature Story: 1, Chivon Kloepfer and David Parks, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “Love, Loss, and the Gift of Life”; 2, Angie Hendershot and Eric Fletcher, WJRT-TV, Flint, “ABC 12 Days of Giving- First Flight.”

Best Reporter/Anchor: 1, David Custer, WNEM-TV, Saginaw; 2, Dana Whyte, WLNS-TV, Lansing.

Best Sports Feature Story: 1, Alex Sims and David Parks, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “Family and Faith: Josh Butler’s Journey”; 2, Cassidy Cobb and Greg Miller, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “The Heartbeat of the Hornets.”

Best Sports Coverage: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “A Championship on Selection Sunday”; 2, Matthew Doyle and Greg Miller, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “9&10 Sports Football State Finals 2019.”

Best Sportscast: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “MSU Beats Michigan for Big Ten Title”; 2, Matthew Doyle and Cassidy Cobb, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Sports OT Homecoming Show.”

Best Use of Videography: 1, Catherine Emery, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac; 2, Derrick Larr, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac.

Best Use of Photography: 1, David Parks, WLNS-TV, Lansing; 2, Rae Hines, WLNS-TV, Lansing.

Best Documentary: 1, Corey Adkins and Stephanie Adkins, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Crossing Lake Erie”; 2, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “Veterans Voices.”

Best Public Service: 1, Stephanie Adkins and Regan Blissett, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Seeking Shelter”; 2, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “The Safety Day Giveaway.”

Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Lou DiVizio, WJRT-TV, Flint, “Mid Michigan Tornado”; 2, Kit Kuhne, WJRT-TV, Flint, “Officer Shot in the Face.”

Best Continuing Coverage: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “A Rough Year for MSU”; 2, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “A Rough Month for the LPD.”

Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Angie Hendershot, WJRT-TV, Flint, “Born in to Crisis 4”; 2, Corey Adkins and Stephanie Adkins, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Mystery Valley.”

Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Ann Pierret, WJRT-TV, Cadillac, “Teacher Misconduct”; 2, David Lyden and Derrick Larr, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Betrayal of Trust.”

Best Weathercast: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “Winter’s Fury”; 2, David Young and Diane Phillips, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “Sunfield Storms.”

Best Newscast: 1, Alison DeRees, WNEM-TV, Saginaw; 2, Kit Kuhne, WJRT-TV, Flint.

Best Digital Presence: 1, Karie Herringa and Joe Buczek, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac; 2, WLNS-TV, Lansing.

Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, WLNS-TV, Lansing, “The Weather Workbook”; 2, Karie Herringa and Haleigh Vaughn, WWTV/WWUP-TV, Cadillac, “Call for Civility.”

Radio I:

Outstanding News Operation: 1, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor; 2, WDET-FM, Detroit.

Best Feature Story: 1, Doug Tribou, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “When Ann Arbor Pool Closes to People, Dogs Have Their Days”; 2, David Leins and Russ McNamara, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Homeward Bound: Greek Dogs Travel 5,000 Miles to Find Homes in the U.S.”

Best Reporter/Anchor: 1, Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor; 2, Laura Herberg, WDET-FM, Detroit.

Best Sports Feature Story: 1, Isabella Isaacs-Thomas, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Shred Like a Girl: Ann Arbor Program Encourages Girls to Pick up a Skateboard”; 2, Pat Batcheller, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Tigers Put Awful Season Behind Them, Hope 2020 Is Better.”

Best Use of Sound: 1, Lester Graham, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Honk! Talk to Geese”; 2, Ryan Hooper, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?”

Best Use of Photography: 1, John Patrick McGuire, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Photographs for Life on the Inside Web Page”; 2, David Leins, WDET-FM, Detroit, “This Woman’s Christmas Wonderland Recaptures Childhood Joy for Visitors.”

Best Documentary: 1, Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Forty Days on Strike With UAW Local 167”; 2, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor “Life on the Inside.”

Best Public Service: 1, Ryan Hooper and LaToya Cross, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Your Guide to Sensory-Friendly Spaces for Autistic Kids in Metro Detroit”; 2, Lauren Janes and Sarah Hulett, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Legislation Would Expand Expungement Eligibility, Which Could Mean Better Jobs.”

Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Eli Newman, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Jefferson-Chalmers Residents and City Clash Over Flooding”; 2, Quinn Klinefelter, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Former Congressman John Conyers Dies as a Civil Rights Icon With a Tarnished Legacy.”

Best Continuing Coverage: 1, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “UAW Strike Against GM.”

Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Kate Wells and Sarah Hulett, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Exposed to Lead in Infancy, Now Flint’s Youngest Students Face Challenges in School”; 2, Sarah Cwiek, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “In Detroit, a New Approach to Stemming Cycles of Violence: Meeting Victims’ Needs.”

Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Kate Wells, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Woman Who Had Relationship with Prosecutor in Her Rape Case Wants You to Know: It’s Complicated”; 2, Laura Herberg, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Listeners Ask, Why Does DTW Have Those Giant Fans?”

Best Newscast: 1, Pat Batcheller, WDET-FM, Detroit; 2, Pat Batcheller, WDET-FM, Detroit.

Best Digital Presence: 1, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor; 2, WDET-FM, Detroit.

Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, Michigan Radio, Ann Arbor, “Life on the Inside Website”; 2, WDET-FM, Detroit, “Ready, Set, Crash? Flat Rock Speedway’s Night of School Bus Destruction.”

Radio II:

Outstanding News Operation: 1, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids; 2, WHMI-FM, Howell.

Best Feature Story: 1, Scott Pohl, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “LCC Play Portrays Homelessness in Lansing”; 2, Ricardo Quintanilla, WSGW-AM, Saginaw, “Northwood eSports.”

Best Reporter/Anchor: 1, Patrick Center, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids; 2, Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids.

Best Sports Feature Story: 1, Tim Robinson, WHMI-FM, Howell, “Larry Prout Jr. Has a Big Heart.”

Best Sportscast: 1, Tim Robinson, WHMI-FM, Howell, “Saturday Scoreboard 9-14-19”; 2, Pat Johnston, WSGW-AM, Saginaw.

Best Use of Sound: 1, Patrick Center, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “America’s Tallest Singing Christmas Tree”; 2, Scott Pohl, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “Ken Burns Returns With ‘Country Music’.”

Best Use of Photography: 1, Alec Gerstenberger, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “ThankLansing, a Celebration for Lansing’s Newest Neighbors.”

Best Documentary: 1, Jon King, WHMI-FM, Howell, “Viewpoint – New, Streamlined Divorce Law”; 2, Kevin Lavery, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “Making the Grade.”

Best Public Service: 1, Kevin Lavery, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “Early Childhood Calendars Boost Lansing Area Learning”; 2, Shelley Irwin, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “Sports Camp for All.”

Best Spot News Coverage: 1, Patrick Center, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “Belknap Gustnado”; 2, Daniel Boothe, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “Grand Rapids Trump Rally.”

Best Continuing Coverage: 1, Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “The Arrest of U.S. War Vet Jilmar Ramos-Gomez”; 2, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “MSU Special Coverage.”

Best Enterprise Reporting: 1, Michael Percha and Ann Williams, WSGW-AM, Saginaw, “Cyber Kids”; 2, Michelle Jokisch Polo, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “Grand Rapids Race & Marijuana.”

Best Investigative Reporting: 1, Patrick Center and Alan Helzer, WGVU-FM, Grand Rapids, “Ottawa County’s Ground Water Crisis.”

Best Newscast: 1, Tamia Boyd, WKAR-FM, East Lansing; 2, Jon King, WHMI-FM, Howell.

Best Digital Presence: 1, WSGW-AM, Saginaw.

Best Multimedia Storytelling: 1, Al Martin, WKAR-FM, East Lansing, “Eva Salinas Celebrates 100 Years of Legacy and Love on Cinco de Mayo.”

The Michigan APME board of directors made the decision to cancel the Michigan APME annual awards luncheon and AP state meeting scheduled for April 4, 2020, in Lansing, due to COVID-19.  The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing newspapers and broadcast stations in the United States.

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