Winner: WMUL-FM
Title: Vinny Curry and the Art of Playing with a Heavy Heart
Category: 170. Podcast
Radio is alive and well in West Virginia–specifically at Marshall University in Huntington. WMUL-FM 88.1 is a throwback to a broadcast era where radio stations served a public good. The student-run WMUL turned 50 last year and is West Virginia’s oldest public station. Whether over the airwaves or streaming on-line, WMUL provides the university with entertainment, music, sports, and news. The students stretch their skills broadcasting games live and covering local events. This school year Jeremy Johnson, majoring in sports journalism with a minor in history, gave a heartfelt report on a defensive lineman who lost his mother in the same week as a critical game. Johnson spun a good story by threading together quotes from famous sports figures, interviews with teammates and coaches, live game audio, and a sit down with the devastated player. Johnson and WMUL demonstrate that sports can be more than stats and quips.
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