UK Radio and TV Broadcast Students Take AP Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 15, 2014) ― University of Kentucky Student News Network (SNN) and WRFL reporters won awards in the College Contest of the recent Kentucky Associated Press Broadcast 2014 Awards presentation. UKSNN is a live, weekday all-student produced television newscast and WRFL is UK's student-operated public radio station.

UKSNN staff and programming won six awards:

• Elizabeth Suh won first place in the Best Public Affairs - TV category for "Free Speech"; second place in the Best Public Affairs - TV and Best Sports Coverage -TV categories for "Sports Handshake"; and Best of Show for overall College TV.
• Garrett Wymer won first place in the Best College Television Reporter category for "Tuition Hike." 
• Stuart Hammer won second place in the Best News Story category for "Jobless Vets."
• Garrett Gabehart won third place in both the Best College Television reporter category and the Best News Story for "Break-ins."

WRFL reporters and programming won two awards:

• Shelby Steele won second place in the Best Sports Coverage - Radio category for "Best High School Football Coach."
• Hadley Stein and Candice Cruz won third place in the Best Public Affairs - Radio category for "Campus Voices - Social Media."

Many of the students involved in WRFL and the Student News Network are in academic programs in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications in the College of Communication and Information.

“This recognition by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters reflects on the high standards of our broadcast journalism program,” said Mel Coffee, assistant professor who teaches broadcast journalism.  “Professor Scoobie Ryan and I prepare them to meet rigorous academic standards as well as demanding and changing industry standards.  We’re proud of our winners and all our students who consistently work toward excellence and produce material recognized by broadcast professionals in the industry."

Hadley Stein, a broadcast journalism major who will graduate in May, co-produced the award-winning episode of "Campus Voices,' a 30-minute live program discussing issues affecting students and the Lexington community that airs each week day on WRFL.  She said the show examined how social media can impact people's face-to-face relationships.

"Because of all the new social media outlets, people are not communicating the same way as they have in the past, both socially and professionally, and I thought it would be interesting and worthwhile to report on and research this topic," Stein said.