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Contact: Janet Campbell, KANU, (785) 864-4530; Sheri Hamilton (785) 864-5968 or J. Schafer (785) 864-2246 or (785) 691-2733

State association names KANU 'station of the year' for sixth consecutive time

LAWRENCE -- For the sixth consecutive year, the University of Kansas' public radio station, KANU FM 91.5, has been named the non-commercial "station of the year" by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

"We're very honored to have earned this prestigious award once again from the KAB. It's a very gratifying achievement to be recognized for our work by other broadcasters for the sixth consecutive year," said Janet Campbell, KANU general manager. "I'm very proud of my staff at KANU and I think this award demonstrates just how committed we are to producing quality news and entertainment programs for the people of Kansas."

The "station of the year" designation, the highest overall honor in the annual KAB awards competition, is based on points accumulated for winning a first place, second place or honorable mention in a given category. Categories include news, public affairs programming, news features, in-depth reporting, station promotional announcements, editorials/commentaries and public service.

In all, KANU received five first-place awards, four second-place awards and two honorable mention awards.

KANU took first-place in the public affairs program category for the live production of a town hall meeting in Lawrence. The town hall meeting, part of KANU's statewide radio project "Kansas Kids: A Prescription for Change," addressed teenage risk behaviors with a panel of experts from the community.

A first-place award also went to children's health reporter Bryan Thompson and editors Laura Lorson and J. Schafer for best in-depth reporting in a series for "Kansas Kids: A Prescription for Change." Thompson produces the weekly kids health series which is carried by nine radio stations in Kansas and Missouri. In addition, Thompson received a second-place award in the Public Affairs Program category for one of the reports in the series on youth suicide in Kansas.

KANU Morning Edition host and reporter Laura Lorson captured first-place for a sports feature on legendary Kansas sportscaster Tom Hedrick. Lorson also received second-place in the newscast category and an honorable mention in the complete news feature category for a story she produced on new Kansas poetry.

KANU news director J. Schafer received first-place for news coverage of a single topic event. He produced a feature on an unusual fundraising effort by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra.

KANU's Statehouse bureau chief Peter Hancock received a second-place award in the complete news feature category for a story he produced on weather modification efforts in western Kansas. Hancock also received an honorable mention award in the category of in-depth news reporting for a series he produces on child welfare privatization.

KANU program director Darrell Brogdon received a second-place award for a promotional announcement about The Imagination Workshop, KANU's live radio comedy program distributed by National Public Radio. A first-place award went to KANU commentator Tom Averill, who using the on-air persona of William Jennings Bryan Oleander, received the highest award in the editorial/commentary category for his essay, "Driving While Distracted." Averill is an English professor and writer-in-residence at Washburn University in Topeka.

The KAB recently notified KANU about the results of the competition. The actual awards will be presented during the KAB's annual convention, October 9th, 10th and 11th at the Kansas Expocenter in Topeka.

An affiliate of National Public Radio and Public Radio International, KANU is also the flagship station of Kansas Public Radio, a consortium of public radio stations in Kansas and Missouri. The KAB is a trade association serving Kansas radio and television stations.