2009 RTDNAC award winners
Winners were announced Oct. 10, 2009, at the RTDNAC awards luncheon.
Television
Division I
Best Newscast
1st place: Fox Charlotte
2nd place: WRAL
Spot News
1st place: WGHP – “Downtown Greensboro Flooding” – Brad Ingram
2nd place: WYFF – “Emergency Landing” – WYFF staff
General News
1st place: WYFF – “Let There Be Mom” – Beth Brotherton
2nd place: WLOS – “Behind Closed Doors” – John Le, Eric Sander
Investigative
1st place: WRAL – “Locksmith Sting” – Cullen Browder, Greg Clark
2nd place: Fox Charlotte – “Cabs for Disabled” – Billy Carrier
Feature
1st place: WYFF – “Pay it Forward” – Michael Cogdill, Theresa Gevaert, Mark Lyon
2nd place: Fox Charlotte – “When Old People Ruin Cool Things” – Morgan Fogarty, Carlos Martinez
Series
1st place: WYFF – “Pay It Forward” – Michael Cogdill, Theresa Gevaert, Mark Lyon
2nd place: WLOS – “Person of the Week” – Larry Blunt, Eric Sander, Leighton Grant
Special Report
1st place: WLOS – “Frances and Ivan, Five Years Later” – Julie Wunder, Eric Sander
2nd place: WRAL – “Tar Heel Triumph” – Martha Woodward, Chris Burns
Health-Medicine
1st place: Fox Charlotte – “Chicken Pox Parties” – Morgan Fogarty, Carlos Martinez
2nd place: WRAL – “Autistic Surfing” – Dr. Allen Mask, Rick Armstrong
Consumer/Economic
1st place: WYFF – “Repo Man” – Tim Waller, John Hendon
2nd place: WRAL – “Trashed Recycling” – Monica Laliberte, David McCorkle, Lori Lair
Education
1st place: WGHP – “Last Day of Nancy Reynolds School” – Chad Tucker
2nd place: WBTV – “Reading Fathers” – Steve Crump
Political-Election
1st place: WRAL – Election 2008
Political-General
1st place: WRAL – “Main Street, N.C.” – Bryan Mims, Richard Adkins
2nd place: WLOS – “Say the Word” – John Le, Eric Sander
Best Photography
1st place: WRAL – Richard Adkins
2nd place: WLOS – Leighton Grant
News Documentary
1st place: WYFF – “Chronicle: Paul’s Gift”
2nd place: WBTV – “Turf War” – Molly Grantham, Brian Stephenson, Kim Saxon
News Web Site
1st place: WRAL
2nd place: WYFF – Carla Field, Janice Limon, Theresa Gavaert
Weathercast
1st place: Fox Charlotte – Derek James
2nd place: WYFF – John Cessarich
Sports Special
1st place: WBTV – “50 Years at Lowe’s Motor Speedway”; Nate Wimberly, David Whisenant, Brian Stephenson
2nd place: WRAL – “Showdown in Motown”
Sports
1st place: WYFF – “Shooting for Beijing” – Geoff Hart, Scott Enright
2nd place: Fox Charlotte – “Bruce Drives the Pace Car” – Bruce Snyder, Beth Hamilton
Best Sportscaster
1st place: Geoff Hart, WYFF
Reporter of the Year – North Carolina
1st place: John Le – WLOS
2nd place: Scott Mason – WRAL
Reporter of the Year – South Carolina
1st place: Mandy Gaither – WYFF
2nd place: Tim Walker – WYFF
Photographer of the Year – North Carolina
1st place: Leighton Grant – WLOS
2nd place: Geoffrey Levine – WRAL
Photographer of the Year – South Carolina
No entries
Division II
Best Newscast
1st place: WCTI – “Gunman Kills Sheriff’s Deputy, Girlfriend”
2nd place: CN2 – April 6, 2009, Newscast
Spot News
1st place: WCTI – “Microburst Tears Through Bertie County” – Annette Newell, Bob Mackowski
2nd place: WSFX – “Bladen Microburst” – Laura Sinacori, Justin West
General News
1st place: WECT – “1984 Tornado” – Colin Hackman
2nd place: WITN – “Sex for Sale” – Michael Baldwin, Brandon Hardison
Investigative
1st place: WECT – “Privacy on the Line” – Casey Roman
2nd place: WECT – “Dirty Playgrounds” – Laura Sinacori, Ryan Koresko
Feature
1st place: WECT – Alligator Training – Colin Hackman
2nd place: WITN – “Do My Job” – Lynette Taylor, Craig Milligan
Series
1st place: WSFX – “Sexual Predators” – Casey Roman, Ryan Koresko, Fletcher Mangum
2nd place: WITN – “Pit Bulls Attack” – Natalie Kaplan, Brandon Hardison
Special Report
1st place: WECT – “Beach Erosion” – Lynda Figueredo
2nd place: WCTI – “Extreme Makeover”
Health-Medicine
1st place: WECT – “Cancer Monster” – Frances Weller, Ryan Koresko
2nd place: WITN – “Agent Orange” – Christine Kennedy, Brandon Hardison
Consumer/Economic
1st place: WECT – “Inspection Rejection” – Casey Roman
2nd place: WWAY – “Trouble Shooters: Missing Down Payment” – Ann McAdams, Sam Adams
Education
1st place: WECT – “Getting In” – Casey Roman
2nd place: WWAY – “Seclusion Room” – Margo Gray
Political-Election
1st place: WECT – “Campaign Crazies” – Claire Simms, Justin West
2nd place: WECT – “Soles vs. Fennell” – Joe Keily
Political-General
1st place: WWAY – “WWAY Goes to Washington” – Kevin Wuzzardo
2nd place: WECT – “The Inauguration” – Max Winitz
Best Photography
1st place: WECT – Ryan Koresko
2nd place: CN2 – Jennifer Sharp
News Documentary
1st place: WECT – “First Alert Hurricane Special” – Colin Hackman
News Web Site
1st place: WITN – Stephanie Shoop
2nd place: WECT – Deb Worley
Weathercast
1st place: WECT – Robb Ellis
2nd place: WSFX – Colin Hackman
Sports Special
1st place: WECT – “Friday Night Football” – Bob Bonner
2nd place: WITN – “The Skip Holtz Show” – Brian Mehoor, Billy Weaver, Tom Midyette
Sports Feature
1st place: WECT – “Cancer Stricken Golfer Plays with Jim Furyk” – Bob Bonner
2nd place: WITN – “Remembering Jaquan” – Lynette Taylor, Brandon Hardison
Best Sportscaster
1st place: Bob Bonner – WECT
Reporter of the Year – North Carolina
1st place: Claire Simms – WECT
Reporter of the Year – South Carolina
No entries
Photographer of the Year – North Carolina
No entries
Photographer of the Year – South Carolina
No entries
Radio
Best Newscast
1st place: NCNN – Dec. 11, 2008 newscast – David Horn
Spot News
1st place: NCNN – “November Tornado” – Clayton Henkel, Ellen Reinhardt
General News
1st place: WBT – “Stimulus in Charlotte” – Chris Miller
2nd place: WFDD – “Up in Smoke” – LeShea Agnew
Investigative
1st place: NCNN – “Net Change on the Carolina Coast” – Clayton Henkel
2nd place: WFDD – “Black Political Evolution” – LeShea Agnew
Series
1st place: NCNN – “Driven to Distraction” – Clayton Henkel
Consumer/Economic
1st place: WBT – “Mr. Lewis Goes to Washington” – Chris Miller
2nd place: WUNC – “Book Exchange” – Leoneda Inge
Education
1st place: WFDD – “Summer Camps/Gas Prices” – LeShea Agnew
2nd place: WUNC – “Rosa Gill” – Dave DeWitt
Political General
1st place: WFDD – “The Acceptance Speech Heard Around the World” – LeShea Agnew
2nd place: WBT – “Budget Cuts” – Chris Miller
Political-Election
1st place: WUNC – Gubernatorial Profiles – Laura Leslie
Documentary
1st place: WFDD – “The Letters” – Kathryn Mobley
2nd place: NCNN – “N.C. Reports: Face of the Recession” – Clayton Henkel
Health-Medicine
1st place: NCNN – “Zambia Abortions” – Rose Hoban
Sports Reporting
1st place: WUNC – “Coach K” – Jessica Jones
2nd place: WFDD – “Dash Gets Additional Funding” – Jeff Tiberii
Sports Special
1st place: NCNN – “Racing Today” – David Horn
2nd place: WFDD – “From Poverty to Fame” – Jeff Tiberii
Best Sportscaster
1s place: NCNN – Dec. 12, 2008 sportscast – Bruce Ferrell
Student
Best Student Newscast
1st place: Phoenix 14, Elon University – May 4, 2009 – Drew Smith
2nd place: Winthrop Close Up, Winthrop University – Spring 2009 – Derrick Stubbs
Best Student News Story
1st place: “Organ Donor Registry” – Carolina News, University of South Carolina – Laura Goldman
2nd place: “KIA in Afghanistan” – Carolina News, University of South Carolina – Alex Luchsinger
Best Student Feature
1st place: NA
2nd place: “Leaving the Nest” – Carolina News, University of South Carolina – Kirsten Shaffer
Best Photography
1st place: Jennifer Carpenter – UNC-Chapel Hill
2nd place (tie): Emily Abraham – Winthrop University
2nd place (tie): Bethany Tuggle – UNC-Chapel Hill
Best Student Weathercast
1st place: Carolina Week, UNC-Chapel Hill – John Boyer
Best Student Sportscast
1st place: Carolina Week, UNC-Chapel Hill – April 15, 2009 – Jason Kahn
2nd place: Winthrop Close Up, Winthrop University – Owen Reid
Best Student Sports Story
1st place: “Ladies Football Clinic” – Carolina News, University of South Carolina – Laura Goldman
2nd place: “Banned Substances” – Carolina News, University of South Carolina – Matt Moore
Best Radio Sports
1st place: “Chapel Hill High School Football Star Dies” – Carolina Connection, UNC-Chapel Hill – Jason Kahn
2nd place: “UNC-CH Fencing” – Carolina Connection, UNC-Chapel Hill – Mike Tomsik