SDPB Receives Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

For the third consecutive year, SDPB Radio has earned regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and is a finalist for the national Edward R. Murrow Awards, one of the highest honors in broadcasting. SDPB Radio went on to earn national awards in 2002 and 2001 and is in the running for 2003.

SDPB Radio won the latest Regional Competition against other radio stations in the Dakotas and Minnesota in four different categories:

the prestigious Overall Excellence Award, based on work by the entire SDPB Radio news staff including Emily Babcock, Brian Bull, Gary Ellenbolt, Susan Hanson, Curt Nickisch, Charles Michael Ray and Joshua Welsh.

Best Use of Sound, "Thunderstorm Pilot" by News Producer Ray;

Best Feature Story, "Corn Burning Stoves," by News Producer Nickish and

Best Continuing Coverage, "Grizzly Gulch Fire" by the SDPB Radio staff including Bull, Ellenbolt, Ray and Welsh.

These entries now go on to national competition. Results of the national competition will be released in June. SDPB Radio will receive the regional awards on March 29th in Bloomington, Minn. In the regional competition SDPB competed against commercial and public broadcasting radio stations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

SDPB Radio Director Terry Harris said the award reflected the quality of work produced by SDPB reporters. "Last year, I was thrilled with a regional and national awards for ‘Dakota Heroes’ (a one-hour documentary). Now, we win Overall Excellence, showing once again what a great group of people we have at SDPB Radio," Harris said. "To receive radio's highest honors three years running is the greatest compliment we can receive."

The Edward R. Murrow Awards are given by the Radio-Television News Directors Association. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.

For more information on SDPB, call 1-800-456-0766 or visit the Web at sdpb.org.

-SDPB-