KU News Release

Kansas Public Radio sweeps awards at Associated Press ceremony

LAWRENCE - The Kansas Public Radio news team swept all three categories it entered in the annual Kansas state competition of the Associated Press Broadcasters. The awards were announced at a meeting in Kansas City, Mo., May 4 and 5, 2007.

KPR took first- and second-place honors in the Spot News, Newscast and Enterprise categories. The AP bestows only first- and second-place awards in each category. KPR did not enter the only other category, Best Sportscast.

“This is as good as it gets,” said J. Schafer, KPR news director. “We swept all categories and all places within each category. This is a real testament to the high quality and hard work of the KPR news staff.”

Winning AP awards were:

BEST ENTERPRISE REPORTING
1st Place - “Gardner's Future: Not So Clear?” by health reporter Bryan Thompson. This feature, from the weekly series “Kansas Health: A Prescription for Change,” examined the controversial plan to build a massive rail and truck facility in Gardner, Kan., and the possible health effects of such a facility on residents.
(Story available at: http://kansaspublicradio.org/newsstory.php?itemID=2204)

2nd Place - “Last Weekend at the Kansas State Fair,” by News Director J. Schafer. This feature took listeners on an audio tour of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson that included a trip through “Ye Old Mill,” the oldest amusement ride in the state.
(http://kansaspublicradio.org/newsstory.php?itemID=2463)

BEST SPOT NEWS
1st Place - “Ongoing coverage of the Lawrence Microburst,” by reporter/producer Joseph DiNitto, with help from Laura Lorson. This entry comprised a series of newscast reports, from coverage of the initial damage to the effort to secure federal aid to help pay for repairs in Lawrence and at the University of Kansas.

2nd Place - “Attorney General Candidates Spar at Forum,” by political reporter Peter Hancock. This feature focused on the contentious race between Phill Kline and Paul Morrison and included verbal fireworks from both men.
(http://kansaspublicradio.org/newsstory.php?itemID=2144)

BEST NEWSCAST
1st Place - “Morning Edition News,” by News Director J. Schafer.
2nd Place - “All Things Considered News,” by reporter/producer Laura Lorson.

KPR, licensed to the University of Kansas, broadcasts on KANU 91.5 FM in Lawrence, KANH 89.7 FM in Emporia, KANV 91.3 FM in Olsburg-Junction City and K210CR 89.9 FM in Atchison. KPR can be heard on the Internet at kpr.ku.edu. KPR also operates KPR-2, a news-talk channel on HD Radio. Those broadcasts can be heard on an HD receiver or on KPR's Web site.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.