This article is from the archives of the UB Reporter.
News

WBFO wins top AP radio award

By KELLI BOCOCK-NATALE
Published: June 15, 2009

WBFO-FM 88.7, UB's National Public Radio affiliate, won 10 awards—including the coveted Stephen Flanders Memorial Award—at the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association's annual awards banquet.

The Flanders award—the AP's highest radio honor—is given to the station (commercial or public) in New York deemed by the judges to "exemplify the best traditions of journalistic initiative and dedication in providing a complete news service to the listening public." The honor is awarded to the station receiving the greatest number of top finishes in the competition.

WBFO won six first place awards and four honorable mentions; it garnered more first place awards than any other radio station.

This is the second time in the past three years that WBFO has received the Flanders award.

In addition to the WBFO news team—Mark Scott, news director; Eileen Buckley, assistant news director, news producer and reporter; and Joyce Kryszak, cultural affairs reporter and producer—two members of the WBFO staff received first-place awards. Kara Sweet, manager of electronic communications, received an award for designing a Web news page, and Alison Zero, talent manager for the Buffalo Music Project, received an award for her feature on a local musical group.

In addition to the Flanders award, WBFO also received:

• Arts Athens Award for General Excellence in Individual Reporting: Buckley; special mention to Kryszak.

Best Interview: First place to Kryszak for her interview with UB artist Steve Kurtz after the federal charges against him were dropped.

• Best Enterprise Reporting: First place to Kryszak for a report on predatory lending; special mention to Buckley for a report on the blood collection competition in Buffalo.

• Best Continuing News: Special mention to Buckley for her coverage of Buffalo Police Detective Dennis Delano, from his suspension to his run for the state Senate.

• Best Sports Coverage: First place to Kryszak for her report on the Winter Classic in Buffalo; special mention to Buckley for a report on Richard Zednik’s nearly fatal hockey injury.

• Best Use of Medium: First place to Zero for her story on the local musical group Too Many Sisters.

• Best Web Site: First place to Sweet and the news staff.