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2013 RTDNAC award winners

Winners were announced Nov. 2, 2013, at the RTDNAC awards luncheon. Click on one of the following links to jump to that specific section on the page:.

TV Radio | IndividualStudent

Television

Division I

Best Newscast
First Place: WCNC-TV — Derecho Damage — Rachel Nowacki, Matt Nowacki, Chris Campbell
Second Place: WSOC-TV — Hurricane Sandy NC Coast — WSOC-TV

Best Photography
First Place: WYFF 4 — A Lake Called Hartwell — John Hendon
Second Place: WCNC-TV — Fiddlers Festival — Dan Robbins

Consumer/Economic
First Place: WBTV Charlotte — PSI Charlotte: Consumer Compilation — Jamie Boll, Jeff Keene
Second Place: WRAL — 5OYS Exploding Sunroofs — Monica Laliberte, David McCorkle, Jennifer Sorber Smith, George Leggett

Education
First Place: WRAL — Wake Busing Woes — WRAL
Second Place: WYFF 4 — The Nehemiah Project — Mandy Gaither, Kevin Moran

Entertainment
First Place: News 14 Carolina — Lost Colony — Mark Olexik
Second Place: WCNC-TV — Reality Check — Michelle Boudin, Ken Shermer

General News

First Place: WRAL — Officer’s Road to Recovery — Stacy Davis, Ed Wilson, Greg Clark
Second Place: UNC-TV — Soldier Portraits — Heather Burgiss, Bob Gunter, Cornel Campbell

Hard News Feature
First Place: WBTV Charlotte — Faces of Foreclosure — Molly Grantham, Brian Stephenson
Second Place: WBTV Charlotte — Beat Cancer — Seth Bowman

Health-Medicine
First Place: WYFF 4 — Emerson Rose — Geoff Hart, Mark Lyon
Second Place: WRAL — Compounding Pharmacies — Kelcey Carlson, Randall Kerr, Greg Clark, John Cox

Investigative
First Place: WLOS — Alarming Failures — Mike Mason, John Kirtley
Second Place: WSPA-TV — Community Watchdog Investigation: Tuberculosis — Gordon Dill

Light Feature
First Place: WBTV News — Cassidy Hooper! — Molly Grantham, Brian Stephenson
Second Place: WBTV News — Drills of Hope — Molly Grantham, Leighton Grant

News Documentary
First Place: WCNC-TV — Money and Justice — Stuart Watson, John Gray, Jeremy Markovich 
Second Place: WRAL — Justice and Redemption — Clay Johnson, Jay Jennings

News Website
First Place: WGHP — MyFOX8.com — WGHP
Second Place: WSPA-TV — wspa.com — WSPA-TV

Political-Election
First Place: WRAL — Election 2012 — Rick Gall, Leesa Moore, James Ford, John Renigar, Rusty Kroboth
Second Place: News 14 Carolina — Decision 2012: Democratic National Convention in NC — News 14 Carolina

Political-General
First Place: WYFF 4 — The Gentlemen from South Carolina — Nigel Robertson, John Hendon
Second Place: WRAL — Main Street North Carolina — Bryan Mims, Richard Adkins

Series
First Place: WRAL — Haiti Revisited — Scott Mason, Chad Flowers
Second Place: News 14 Carolina — Made in the Carolinas — Richard Green

Special Report
First Place: WRAL — Soft Targets Hard Choices — Kerwin Speight, Aysu Basaran, Rick Gall, Jodi Leese Glusco, Kelly Hinchcliffe
Second Place: News 14 Carolina — Capital Tonight: Mallard Creek BBQ — News 14 Carolina

Sports Reporting
First Place: WSOC — Racing for Newtown — Blair Miller, Dustin Etheridge
Second Place: WGHP — FOX8 Reality – Bowman Gray Racing — Chris Weaver, Timmy Hawks, Davey Weaver, Jeremy Weaver

Sports Special
First Place: WRAL — Battle of the Blues — Jeff Gravley
Second Place: WCNC-TV — Inside Track — Chris Clark, Russ Owens, Doug Kufner, Jeremy Markovich

Spot News
First Place: WCNC-TV — Derecho Damage — WCNC-TV
Second Place: WSOC-TV — Lincoln County Drug Raid — WSOC-TV

Division II

Best Newscast
First Place: CN2 News (WCBL) — Welcome Home Soldiers — CN2 News (WCBL)
Second Place: WECT-TV — WECT News 6 at 6:00 — WECT-TV

Best Photography
First Place: WMBF — Michael Walter
Second Place: WECT-TV — From Trash to Treasure — Ryan Koresko, Colin Hackman

Consumer/Economic
First Place: WITN-TV — Gas Prices — Dave Jordan, Brandon Hardison
Second Place: WECT — High Hospital Bill — Ann McAdams, Ryan Koresko

Education
No entries submitted.

Entertainment
First Place: WECT News — From Wilmington to Hollywood: A Big Move in Hopes of a Big Break — Ashlea Kosikowski, Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WECT News — Here All the Way From Wilmington: Covering the Hollywood Premiere of ‘Iron Man 3’ — Ashlea Kosikowski, Ryan Koresko

General News
First Place: WECT-TV — Joshua Proutey Murder — Gavin Johnson, Nadine Maeser, Mike Pelzer
Second Place: WECT-TV — Marine vs. Taxi Cab Driver — Ashlea Kosikowski, Ryan Koresko, Sanah Sayani

Hard News Feature
First Place: WITN — A Second Chance — Dan Yesenosky
Second Place: WBTW — Losing Our Religion? — WBTW

Health-Medicine
First Place: WECT-TV — Cara’s Case: The Adult Home Care Crisis — Jon Evans, Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WECT News — Dying Young: Facing and Fighting Death at Age 25 — Ashlea Kosikowski, Ben Powell

Investigative
First Place: WSFX-TV Fox Wilmington — Dereliction of Duty — Jon Evans, Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WECT-TV — Talk of the Town — Gavin Johnson, Mike Pelzer

Light Feature
First Place: WECT — Special Needs Prom King — Robert Demetrious
Second Place: WITN — Apps Help Blind Man ‘See’ — April Davis

News Documentary
First Place: WWAY — Blood in the Water: The Expedition Hurricane of 1861 — Jerry Jackson, Tim Buckley, Christina Anthony
Second Place: WECT — The State of Education: Tackling Waste and Worries — Ann McAdams, Michelle Li

News Website
First Place: WITN-TV — witn.com — WITN-TV
Second Place: WECT — WECT.COM — WECT

Political-Election
First Place: WWAY — Election Night Update — WWAY

Political-General
First Place: WWAY — Democratic National Convention — Kevin Wuzzardo, Cacky Catlett, Ryan Franklin
Second Place: WECT-TV — DNC 2012 — Jon Evans, Justin West

Series
First Place: WITN — Prison Health Care Costs — Dave Jordan, Brandon Hardison
Second Place: WECT-TV — Soldier Surprise — Frances Weller, Zach Hunt

Special Report
First Place: WMBF — Rebuild, Recover, Renew — WMBF

Sports Reporting
First Place: WITN — Britny Edwards — Billy Weaver 
Second Place: WITN — Lindsey Sanders — Chris Obarski

Sports Special
First Place: WECT — Sept. 7, 2012 Friday Night Football — Bob Bonner, John Smist, Ben Powell 
Second Place: WWAY — 5th Quarter — John Rendleman, Trot Nixon, Jesse Jones, Holden Kurwicki

Spot News
First Place: WECT News — When a Standoff Threatens Schools — Craig Reck, Nadine Maeser, Ryan Koresko, Mike Pelzer, Zach Hunt
Second Place: WECT News and FOX Wilmington — Massive Gas Leak Strands Children at School, Snarls Traffic During Rush Hour — Frances Weller, Jon Evans, Ashlea Kosikowski, Michelle Li, Jim Van Dillen 

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Radio

Best Newscast
No entries submitted.

Consumer/Economic
No entries submitted.

Education
No entries submitted.

Entertainment
No entries submitted.

General News
First Place: WBT Charlotte — Jeff Sonier Investigates: DNC Final Night — Jeff Sonier

Hard News Feature
No entries submitted.

Health-Medicine
No entries submitted.

Investigative
First Place: WPTF 680 AM — Debating the Drone 4-Part Series — Josh Zach

Light Feature
First Place: WPTF 680 AM — Winter 2012 Outlook — Josh Zach

News Documentary
No entries submitted.

News Website
No entries submitted.

Political-Election
No entries submitted.

Political-General
First Place: North Carolina News Network — Moral Monday: June 10, 2013 — Stephanie Hawco
Second Place: WBT Charlotte — Jeff Sonier Investigates: DNC Caucus Coverage — Jeff Sonier

Radio News Block
No entries submitted.

Series

First Place: North Carolina News Network — The Conservator’s Center 5-Part Series — Scott Briggaman, Josh Zach

Special Report
First Place: WPTF 680 AM — Severe Weather Coverage — Bruce Ferrell, Marla Roth, John Mann, Josh Zach

Sports Reporting
No entries submitted.

Sports Special
No entries submitted.

Spot News

First Place: WBT Charlotte — Jeff Sonier Investigates: Charlotte Winter Storm — Jeff Sonier

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Individual Achievement

Best Sportscaster
First Place: WYFF 4 — Mike Giordano
Second Place: WLOS NEWS 13 — Luke Notestine

Best Weathercaster
First Place: News 14 Carolina — Lee Ringer
Second Place: News 14 Carolina — Joshua McKinney

Radio Reporter of the Year
First Place: WPTF 680 AM — Josh Zach
Second Place: WBT Charlotte — Jeff Sonier

TV News Anchor of the Year (Division I)
First Place: WSPA-TV — Tom Crabtree
Second Place: WBTV Charlotte — Christine Nelson

TV News Anchor of the Year (Division II)
First Place: WECT/Fox Wilmington — Jon Evans
Second Place: WWAY — Makenzi Henderson

TV News Photographer of the Year (Division I)
First Place: WRAL — Richard Adkins
Second Place: WYFF 4 — John Hendon

TV News Photographer of the Year (Division II)
First Place: WCTI NewsChannel 12 — Allen Fairbanks
Second Place: WECT-TV — Ryan Koresko

TV News Producer of the Year (Division I)
First Place: WBTV — Joshua Roberts
Second Place: WRAL — Lori Grant

TV News Producer of the Year (Division II)
First Place: WECT/Fox Wilmington — Nikki Bussey
Second Place: WWAY — Paul Blackmore

TV News Reporter of the Year (Division I)
First Place: WSPA-TV — Gordon Dill
Second Place: WBTV — Steve Ohnesorge

TV News Reporter of the Year (Division II)
First Place: WECT News — Craig Reck
Second Place: WECT-TV — Gavin Johnson

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Student

Best Student Feature Reporting
First Place: Elon Local News — Going Bald for a Cause — Joe Bruno, Elizabeth Kantlehner
Second Place: Elon Local News — Special Fridays — Elon University

Best Student News Producing
First Place: Elon University — October 22 Broadcast: The Chick-fil-A Controversy — Elon University
Second Place: Carolina Week — Carolina Week – March 27, 2013 — Victoria Cook

Best Student News Reporting
First Place: University of South Carolina — CWP on Campus — Ashleigh H Holland
Second Place: Elon Local News — Students Protest Intolerance at College Coffee — Elon Local News

Best Student Newscast
First Place: Carolina Week — Carolina Week – April 17, 2013 — Katie Murray, Sefe Emokpae
Second Place: Elon Local News — April 29, 2013 Newscast — Elon Local News

Best Student Photography
First Place: Carolina News/University of South Carolina — Little Mountain Gets a Mayor — Bryan Wendland
Second Place: Carolina News/University of South Carolina — Barnabas — Bryan Wendland

Best Student Sports Story
First Place: Carolina News/University of South Carolina — Forrest Koumas Launches Comeback — Stephanie Zeady
Second Place: Elon Local News — Flying High: From a Phoenix to a Raven — Elon Local News

Best Student Sportscast
First Place: Winthrop Close Up — Eagle Sports Update — Jasmine Woodberry, Crystal Booker
Second Place: Carolina Week — Carolina Week Sportscast — Will Rimer, Natalia Perez-Segnini

Best Student Weathercast
First Place: Carolina Week — Drew Day – Weathercast — Drew Day
Second Place: Carolina Week — Katie McGee – Weathercast — Katie McGee

D. Haney Howell Student Journalist of the Year
First Place: Carolina Week — Alex Giles — Carolina Week
Second Place: Carolina Week — Averi Harper — Carolina Week

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Past Winners