Oakland University’s student radio station, WXOU-88.3 FM, and OUTV, a cable television station operated by OU staff and students, recently earned eight awards – including top honors in the “On-Air Personality” and “Digital Media Experience” categories – in the 2017 Michigan Student Broadcast Awards program presented by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation (MABF).
The program is open to all Michigan high school and college students and promotes education and advancement in the broadcasting industry. Entries are judged based on excellence and are awarded during the Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference and Expo, which was held this year in Lansing.
“Obviously, winning awards is meaningful in a personal way, but it’s just as important, if not more important, for WXOU as a whole,” said Kenny Kott, program director for WXOU. “It gives our station exposure on bigger stages like the MAB Student Broadcast Awards and encourages students to get involved. The more awards we can win, the better WXOU looks. Ultimately, a win for a DJ here is a win for the station.”
At this year’s ceremony, the WXOU team of Kott, Jake Rapanotti and Lawson Robinson earned first-place awards in the “On-Air Personality” category for “Happy Hour,” while OUTV’s Matthew J. McCormick, Katie Radin, Sarah Griffith and Aidan Schieber took first place in the “Digital Media Experience” category.
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| The WXOU team of PSA Director Lawson Robinson, Program Director Kenny Kott, and General Manager Jake Rapanotti earned first-place awards in the “On-Air Personality” category in the 2017 Michigan Student Broadcast Awards. |
“This award is so well-deserved,” said Heather Haughey, director of OU’s Video Services Department. “It is proof of the hard work and dedication that the OUTV students and staff have put in this year to improve the quality and variety of programming available on OU’s cable channel.
“We’ve always been incredibly lucky to work with such gifted students over the years, but this particular group of students has really risen above the rest, and I can’t wait to see where their talent and creativity takes OUTV next.”
Other honors for Oakland University at this year’s Michigan Student Broadcast Awards ceremony included:
Most Innovative Media Technology:
- 2nd Place – “Wireless Audio Operation for Portable Devices” - Matthew J. McCormick
- 2nd Place - “Automatic Emergency Broadcast Test System” - Lawson Robinson
Promotional Announcement:
- 2nd Place – “WXOU Recruitment Angel” – Jake Rapanotti, Kevin Hawthorne, Lawson Robinson and David Bugg
Digital Media Experience:
- 2nd Place – “WXOU Digital Media Experience” – Jake Rapanotti, Matthew J. McCormick, Jasmine McNeal and Drew Marczewski
Public Service Announcement:
- Honorable Mention – “Nutrition PSA” – Sarah Griffith
For more information about WXOU-88.3 FM, visit www.wxou.org. To learn more about OUTV, visit www.Oakland.edu/outv.