2015 RTDNAC/AP Award winners
Winners were announced Nov. 7, 2015, at the RTDNAC/AP annual luncheon at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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TV I | TV II | Radio | Individual | Student
TV I
AP Awards
Best Newscast (North Carolina)
First Place: WCNC — Charleston Church Shooting 11 p.m. — Kristy Nation, WCNC
First Place: WNCN — Chapel Hill Shooting: Muslim Students Killed — Kathleen Jacob, Corey Knapp, Kim Stephens, WNCN Team
Second Place: WRAL — Halifax Train Accident — Lori Grant, Jamie Thomas, Mick Evans
Best Newscast (South Carolina)
First Place: WSPA — 7 on Your Side
Second Place: WYFF — WYFF News 4 at 6 p.m. — Lee Neely, Richard Holt, Bruce Barkley, Lee Brown, Anna Dobbins
Outstanding News Operation (North Carolina)
First Place: WRAL
Second Place: WNCN
Outstanding News Operation (South Carolina)
First Place: WYFF — Bruce Barkley, Lee Brown, Anna Dobbins, Janice Limon
Second Place: WSPA
Public Service (North Carolina)
First Place: Capitol Broadcasting Co. — eNOughNC
Second Place: WNCN — #BRAKE4BUSES
Public Service (South Carolina)
First Place: WYFF 4 — Holiday Sunshine Fund — Bruce Barkley, Marsa Jarrett, Lee Brown
RTDNAC Awards
Best Newscast
First Place: WRAL — February Snow 2015 — Miriam K. Melvin, Keyetta Mangum
Second Place: WCNC — 11 p.m. Charleston Shooting — Kristy Nation, WCNC
Consumer/Economic
First Place: WTVI — Carolina Impact/Mohican Mills: Closing Time — Jeff Sonier, Doug Stacker
Second Place: WBTV — WBTV Consumer Reports — Kristen Miranda, Brian Stephenson
Education
First Place: WRAL — Bullying — Amanda Lamb, Chad Flowers, Tom Normanly
Second Place: WNCN — Teachers Crossing the Line — Jonathan Rodriguez, Dave Hattman, Carey Gough
Entertainment
First Place: WBTV — Miriam Weeks One-on-One — Maureen O’Boyle, Kim Saxon, Leighton Grant
Second Place: WBTV — Kristen Meets Dolly — Kristen Miranda, Brian Stephenson
General News
First Place: WNCN — #BRAKE4BUSES — Jonathan Rodriguez, Dan West, Dave Hattman, Carey Gough, Steve Sbraccia
Second Place: WSPA — Dishonest Cop — Gordon Dill, Doug Uhrich
General News by Multimedia Journalist
First Place: WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte — Lost City of Brooklyn — Neima Abdulahi
Second Place: WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte — Heroin Reaching Epidemic Proportions in Charlotte — David Sentendrey
Hard News Feature
First Place: WBTV — Tortured Child Speaks — Pam Escobar, Corey Schmidt
Second Place: WSPA — How Do You Feel? — Gordon Dill, Jason Parker
Health-Medicine
First Place: WNCN — Miracle Mineral Solution — Jonathan Rodriguez, Dave Hattman, Carey Gough
Second Place: WSPA — Saving Babies — Gordon Dill, Jason Parker
Investigative
First Place: WGHP — Sex Offender Loophole — Melissa Painter, Chris Weaver
Second Place: WNCN — DWI Dismissal Rates — Jonathan Rodriguez, Dave Hattman, Carey Gough
Light Feature
First Place: WACH — Town Rallies for Malik — Destiny Chance, Ryan Burgee
Second Place: WACH — Bryann Burgess: Inspiring Others With the Power of Music — Amber Lynn Pennycuff
News Documentary
First Place: WRAL — Climate Change — Greg Fishel, Nate Johnson, Richard Adkins, Waliya Lari, Steve Loyd
Second Place: WRAL — Journey Alone — Leyla Santiago, Zac Gooch, Aysu Basaran, Steve Loyd, Kelly Hinchcliffe
News Website
First Place: WSPA — WSPA.com
Second Place: WRAL — WRAL.com
Online Coverage
First Place: WRAL — Convertibles, Beer Tubes, Spa: Auditors Probe Granville Schools’ Spending — Kelly Hinchcliffe, Cullen Browder, Randall Kerr, Greg Clark
Second Place: WYFF 4 — Emanuel AME Church Shooting — Stephanie Towers, Carla Field, Alexandra Ramsey, Janice Limon
Original Web Reporting
First Place: WRAL — The Final Days of Michael Kerr — Tyler Dukes
Second Place: WRAL — ‘Wife Said No:’ Wake Shelter Records Show Why Animals Are Returned — Kelly Hinchcliffe
Photography
First Place: WGHP — Chicken With Traffic — Chris Weaver
Second Place: WNCN — The Revolution Wheelchair Basketball League — Dan West
Political
First Place: WNCN — Raleigh Parks & Bonds — Jonathan Rodriguez, Dave Hattman, Carey Gough
Second Place: WRAL — 2014 Mid-Term Elections
Series
First Place: WSPA — Guardrails — Dave Jordan, Mike Owens, Doug Uhrich, Jason Parker
Second Place: WBTV — STILL Fighting to Legalize CBD Oils — Molly Grantham, Leighton Grant
Special Report
First Place: WRAL — Dean Smith: Coaching Legend — Randall Kerr, James Ford, Jeff Gravley, David Crabtree, Debra Morgan
First Place: WYFF 4 — Emanuel AME Church Shooting — Richard Holt, Jennifer Mihalic, Anne Newman, Bruce Barkley, Anna Dobbins
Second Place: Time Warner Cable News — Lessons from the Leak: One Year Later — Andrew Sorensen, Ed Scannell, AJ Chodora
Sports Reporting
First Place: WYFF 4 — Another Joe Jackson — Marc Dopher, John Hendon
Second Place: WNCN — Football Helmets & Concussions — Mike Gonzalez, Dan West, Carey Gough
Sports Special
First Place: WYFF 4 — Chronicle: Racing in the Carolinas — Lee Brown, Jennifer Mihalic, John Hendon
Second Place: WYFF 4 — Countdown to Kickoff — Jennifer Mihalic, Brad Fralick, Marc Dopher, Ricardo Lecompte
Spot News
First Place: WRAL — Black Lives Matter — Ken Smith, Mark Simpson, Lori Grant, Kevin Davis, Jason Knight
Second Place: WBTV — Charleston Suspect Caught — Brad Hyatt, John Carter, Christine Sperow, WBTV Staff
Use of Technology
First Place: WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte — TRAP Sequence — Barbara Pinson Lash, Geoff Roth, Claire Hosmann
Second Place: WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte — Alpha Kappa Alpha Dinner — Joe Bruno
TV II
AP Awards
Best Newscast (North Carolina)
First Place: WCTI NewsChannel 12 — WCTI NewsChannel 12 at 6
Second Place: WWAY NewsChannel 3 — June 15, 2015 Newscast
Best Newscast (South Carolina)
First Place: WCIV — ABC News 4 at 6 (June 18, 2015)
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — After the Church Shooting
Outstanding News Operation (North Carolina)
First Place: WECT
Outstanding News Operation (South Carolina)
_First Place: WCSC Live 5 News
Public Service (North Carolina)
No entries
Public Service (South Carolina)
No entries
RTDNAC Awards
Best Newscast
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — The Day After the Charleston Church Shooting
Second Place: WCTI NewsChannel 12 — WCTI NewsChannel 12 at 6 (2/24/15)
Consumer/Economic
First Place: WECT — Next Glass Beer App — Stacey Pinno
Second Place: WITN — Gluten-Free or Not? — Dave Jordan, Craig Milligan
Education
First Place: WECT — Pass or Fail: NC School Grades — Janae Frazier
Second Place: WECT — Investigating Bullying — Bailey Hicks
Entertainment
First Place: WNCT — The Fashion Capital of the East — Brandon Goldner
Second Place: WITN — Game Fun for Families — Clayton Bauman
General News
First Place: WMBF — Sunhouse Police Chase — Michael Maely, Drew Hansen
Second Place: WITN — Animals Euthanized at Shelters — Dave Jordan, Craig Milligan
General News by Multimedia Journalist
First Place: WECT — Sex Trafficking: What Parents Need to Know — Bailey Hicks
Second Place: WITN — Julio’s Story — Brendan King
Hard News Feature
First Place: WCIV — CPD Bait — Stacy Jacobson, Jason Tighe
Second Place: WMBF — What Lies Beneath? — Michael Walter, David Klugh
Health-Medicine
First Place: CN2 News — Fighting ALS – Rebecca’s Story — Laurabree Monday, Lucas McFadden, David Metzl, Trey Maggio
Second Place: WECT — Gavin’s Story — Mark Stebnicki, Kasey Cunningham
Investigative
First Place: WECT — WECT Investigates: CFCC President Resigns — Ann McAdams, Justin West, Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WECT — New Hanover County Commissioner Spending — Ann McAdams, Ryan Koresko
Light Feature
First Place: WCTI NewsChannel 12 — The Uprooted Photographer — Kyle Horan, Allen Fairbanks
Second Place: WCIV — This Little Stand — Bill Burr, Dave MacQueen
News Documentary
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — #Hugo25
Second Place: CN2 News — Following the Friendship 9
News Website
First Place: WBTW — WBTW.com — Eric Walters, JoAnna Brown, WBTW News Staff
Second Place: WWAY NewsChannel 3 — WWAYTV3.com
Online Coverage
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — Charleston Church Shooting
Second Place: WCIV — Emanuel AME Shooting — Sam Tyson, Sandra Ecklund, Andy Paras
Original Web Reporting
No entries
Photography
First Place: WCTI NewsChannel 12 — Operation Keep Your Spanky — Kyle Horan, Allen Fairbanks
Second Place: WCIV — Flowertown — Dave MacQueen
Political
First Place: WCIV — A Living Legacy — Victoria Hansen, Dave MacQueen
Second Place: WECT — Candidates Pay to ‘Get Out the Vote’ — Justin Smith
Series
First Place: WCIV — Ackerman — Valencia Wicker, Dave MacQueen, Chris O’Rourke
Second Place: WECT — Murder Mysteries — Mark Stebnicki, Ashlea Kosikowski
Special Report
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — Pinckney Funeral
Sports Reporting
First Place: WCIV — CSU All Access — Daren Stoltzfus
Second Place: WECT — Richard Petty Driving Experience — John Smist, Mark Stebnicki
Sports Special
First Place: WCIV — College Football Saturday: South Carolina at Clemson Week — Scott Eisberg, Daren Stoltzfus
WCTI NewsChannel 12 — The Blitz — WCTI NewsChannel 12, Brian North
Spot News
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — The Night of the Charleston Church Shooting
Second Place: WNCT — Lenoir County Standoff — Brandon Goldner, Angela Green, Alena Oakes
Use of Technology
First Place: WCSC Live 5 News — 38th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run
Radio
AP Awards
Best Newscast (North Carolina)
First Place: North Carolina News Network — NCN News Feb. 17, 2015 — Mike Raley
Best Newscast (South Carolina)
No entries
Outstanding News Operation (North Carolina)
First Place: News Radio 680 WPTF
Second Place: WHQR
Outstanding News Operation (South Carolina)
No entries
Public Service (North Carolina)
First Place: News Radio 680 WPTF — The Innovate United Challenge — Josh Zach
Second Place: WHQR — Opening the Racial Dialogue at the Site of the Only Documented Coup D’état in US History — Rachel Lewis Hilburn, Isabelle Shepherd, Ken Campbell, Cleve Callison
Public Service (South Carolina)
No entries
RTDNAC Awards
Consumer/Economic
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — Tobacco Farmers Lose Longtime Safety Net
Education
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — Education Spending Grabs Spotlight But Deteriorating Schools Get Little Aid
Second Place: WHQR — Higher Education in Cape Fear Region Grapples With Tumultuous Transition — Rachel Lewis Hilburn, Isabelle Shepherd, Ken Campbell, Cleve Callison
Entertainment
First Place: WHQR — John Lithgow on the Duality of a Character, Finding the Sources of Pride and Shame — Rachel Lewis Hilburn
General News
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — Dan River Coal Ash Spill: Long-Term Impact Unknown
Second Place: WHQR — Offshore Drilling and Seismic Testing Off the NC Coast — Rachel Lewis Hilburn, Isabelle Shepherd
Hard News Feature
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — Neighbors Lobby for More Regulation on Chicken Farms
Health-Medicine
No entries
Investigative
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — McCrory Pushes Tax Credits at Opening for Company That Hasn’t Used Them
Light Feature
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — A Band of Their Own
Second Place: News Radio 680 WPTF — Veteran’s Day at St. David’s — Annette Newell
News Documentary
First Place: North Carolina News Network — Remembering Dean Smith — Gayle Hurd, Scott Briggaman, Bruce Ferrell, Mike Raley, Patrick Johnson
News Website
No entries
Political
First Place: North Carolina News Network — Election Night 2014 — Donna Martinez, Rick Henderson, Cash Michaels, Bruce Ferrell, Gayle Hurd
Second Place: WHQR — 2014 Candidate Forums
Radio News Block
First Place: News Radio 680 WPTF — North Carolina’s Morning News — Brian Freeman, Patrick Johnson, Mike Raley, Dave Alexander, Kerri Davis
Second Place: 106.1 FM Talk — Top Hour Newscast — Steve Sedahl
Series
No entries
Special Report
No entries
Sports Reporting
No entries
Sports Special
No entries
Spot News
First Place: WFDD Public Radio — Winter Storm Closes Schools, Downs Power Lines
Second Place: WFDD Public Radio — As Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal, Opinions in NC Are Mixed
Individual Achievement
TV News Anchor of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Debra Morgan, WRAL
Second Place: Sean Maroney, WNCN
TV News Anchor of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Makenzi Henderson, WWAY NewsChannel 3
Second Place: Frances Weller, WECT
TV News Anchor Team of the Year (TV I)
First Place: WBTV Morning Anchor Team (John Carter, Christine Sperow, Kristen Miranda, Al Conklin, Chris Larson), WBTV
Second Place: Debra Morgan and Gerald Owens, WRAL
TV News Anchor Team of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Jon Evans and Ashlea Kosikowski, WECT News/Fox Wilmington
TV News Multimedia Journalist of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Sarah Krueger, WGHP
Second Place: Neima Abdulahi, WJZY FOX 46 Charlotte
TV News Multimedia Journalist of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Brandon Goldner, WNCT
Second Place: Hannah Patrick, WWAY NewsChannel 3
TV News Photographer of the Year (TV I)
First Place: John Kirtley, WLOS
Second Place: Zac Gooch, WRAL
TV News Photographer of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Allen Fairbanks, WCTI NewsChannel 12
Second Place: Jason Tighe, WCIV
TV News Producer of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Kristy Nation, WCNC
Second Place: Kathleen Jacob, WNCN
TV News Producer of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Kate Hartke, WCIV
Second Place: Jessica Player, WECT
TV News Reporter of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Gordon Dill, WSPA
Second Place: Corey Davis, WYFF 4
TV News Reporter of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Stacy Jacobson, WCIV
Second Place: Kaitlin Stansell, WECT/FOX Wilmington
TV Sportscaster of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Todd Summers, WSPA
Second Place: Brad Fralick, WYFF 4
TV Sportscaster of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Daren Stoltzfus, WCIV
TV Weathercaster of the Year (TV I)
First Place: Ingrid Allstaedt, WLOS
Second Place: John Cessarich, WYFF 4
TV Weathercaster of the Year (TV II)
First Place: Marla Branson, WMBF
Radio Reporter of the Year
First Place: Keri Brown, 88.5 WFDD
Second Place: Josh Zach, News Radio 680 WPTF
News Director of the Year
Cathy Hobbs, WCIV
Student
Best Radio Feature Reporting
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Old Games Give Rams Head Retro Feel — Louis Fernandez
Second Place: Elon University — The Life of a Tattoo Artist — John Curtis
Best TV Feature Reporting
First Place: Elon University — Local Youth Baseball Coach in Need of Liver Transplant — Andrew Feather
Second Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — New Jukebox — Alexis Simmons
Best TV News Producing
First Place: Elon University — Elon Local News – Feb. 9, 2015 — Ryan Greene
Second Place: Elon University — ELN Morning – April 23, 2015 — Corey Shegda
Best Radio News Reporting
First Place: Elon University — Bringing Hope to Alamance County — John Curtis
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Ridesharing Apps Cause Concern for Local Taxi Companies — Jess Clark
Best TV News Reporting
First Place: Elon University — Unpaid Tour Guide Training Breaks NC, Federal Law — Ashley McGetrick
Second Place: North Greenville University — Skydiving Team Makes Emergency Landing — Codie Sloan
Best Radio Newscast
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Carolina Connection – Feb. 14, 2015
Second Place: Elon University — ELN Radio – April 8, 2015
Best TV Newscast
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Carolina Week – April 22, 2015
Second Place: Winthrop University — Show 8
Best Photography
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Field Renovation — AJ Nwoko
Second Place: University of South Carolina — Fullback Art — Ryan Toland
Best Student Radio Sports Story
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Players, Coaches Recall Smith’s Impact — Andrew Tie
Best TV Sports Story
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Football Field Prep — AJ Nwoko
Second Place: Elon University — Elon Baseball Shaves Head for Cancer Research — Justin Biegel
Best TV Sportscast
First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Sports Xtra – Nov. 24, 2014
Second Place: Winthrop University — Senior Day & Back the Pack — Mathew Kreh
Best TV Weathercast
No entries
D. Haney Howell Student Journalist of the Year
First Place: Susanna Black, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Second Place: Brandon Grate, Winthrop University