Milwaukee, Wis. — Both Newsradio 620 WTMJ (WTMJ-AM) and TODAY’S TMJ4 (WTMJ-TV) received high honors at the WBA Awards, held this weekend in Madison, Wis.
For the third year in a row, Newsradio 620 WTMJ was named Large Market Radio Station of the Year from the Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association. The award was in addition to a number of first- and second-place honors the station received:
First Place
Best Newscast – Wisconsin’s Morning News 6/10/09 (news staff)
Best Live On Scene Reporting – The December Blizzard (news staff)
Best Spot News Coverage – The Cudahy Fire (news staff)
Best Sportscast or Report – The Night of a Lifetime (Dan O’Donnell)
Best Sports Play-by-Play – The Packers Clinch the Playoffs (Wayne Larrivee)
Best Public Service Announcement – The Teddy Bear Patrol (Jonathan Green)
Best Humorous Commercial – Stayin’ Ahead of the Storms (Jim Gilles)
If It Doesn’t Fit, This Must Be It – Rake the Roof (Jim Gilles)
Second Place
Best Coverage of the Economic Downtown – (news staff)
Special Interest Programming – Insight 2009 (Charlie Sykes)
Best Radio Show 9a - 5a – Mid-Day with Charlie Sykes (Charlie Sykes)
Best Use of Audio in Radio News – Healing Music (Dan O’Donnell)
Best Promotional Announcement – WTMJ News (Bryan Ramsey)
Best Humorous Commercial – 12 Chances for a Brighter Future (Jim Gilles)
TODAY’S TMJ4 received first place awards for Hard News Investigative – I-Team “Heroin Ring,” (Courtny Gerrish, Ira Klusendorf), Feature – Cuddle Party (Stephanie Graham, Ira Klusendorf) and News Video – “In the Line of Fire,” (Diane Pathieu and Joseph Eufemi).
The station also received other second- and third-place awards:
Second Place
News Writing – Web of Lies (Aaron Diamant)
Weathercast – Brian Gotter
Significant Community Impact – Mass Murder Survivor’s Story (Mick Trevey and Todd Pretre)
Public Service Announcement – Climb Wisconsin (James Collins, James Daniels)
Best Commercial – Lake FM Variety (Jill Ianni and Steve Armendariz)
Sports Reporting – Aaron Kampman’s Mission (Lance Allan and Rick Rietbrock)
Third Place
Morning Newscast – Live at Daybreak (news staff)
Evening Newscast – Live at 10 (news staff)
Feature – Hoarders (Maureen Mack and Paul Marble)
Live On Scene Reporting – Military Massacre, Local Soldier Shot (Charles Benson, Scott Keske, Dan Selan)
Promotional Announcement – Halloween Haunts (Clark Barton, Nick Sanders)
Best Commercial – Joey’s Seafood “Map” (Jill Ianni, Nick Sanders)
Newsradio 620 WTMJ and TODAY’S TMJ4 are owned by Journal Broadcast Group.
About Journal Broadcast Group
Journal Broadcast Group owns and operates 33 radio stations and 13 television stations in 12 states and operates an additional television station under a local marketing agreement. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it is the broadcast business of Journal Communications Inc., a diversified media company with operations in publishing, radio and television broadcasting, interactive media and printing services.