Student broadcasters compete for national awards

Some promising student broadcasters at Pittsburg State University are in the running for national honors.

More than 100 student radio and television stations are competing in 24 categories in this year’s National Student Production Awards, which will be presented on Friday, Oct. 31, in Kansas City. The awards recognize the best in student electronic media production from across the United States.

CAPS 13, Pittsburg State’s cable access station, is a finalist in two categories: Best Live Sports Production and Best Documentary/Public Affairs.

“Pittsburg State gives communication students the opportunity for hands-on learning,” said Dr. Troy Comeau, director of broadcasting. “I think our students appreciate the opportunity and take advantage of it. They should be very proud to be listed with some of the big-name schools from around the country.”

Pitt State’s entry in the Best Documentary/Public Affairs category is “Everyone Lives Downstream,” written and produced by Tyler Swezey, a senior from Drexel, Mo., and Anthony Monteleone, a senior from Carl Junction, Mo.

The entry in the Best Live Sports Production category is the production of the men’s MIAA basketball championship game between Northwest Missouri and Emporia State. Zoel Lopez, a senior from Coffeyville, called play-by-play, while Josh Letner, a senior from Pittsburg, served as color analyst.

The three other finalists in the category are Colorado State University, the University of Texas, and Ithaca College.

This is the fourth year that Pittsburg State has been recognized nationally in the Live Sports Production category. CAPS 13 has finished as a finalist in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Other students involved in the sports production were Zach Howard, a senior from Pittsburg; Eric Stripling, a senior from Shawnee; Dallas Cross, a junior from Olathe; Jordan Beggs, a senior from Columbus; Brock Lohr, a senior from Goodland; Rye Addis, a senior from Oswego; Blake Gazaway, a sophomore from Nevada, Mo.; Joseph Lattimer, a junior from Fort Scott; Tyler Swezey, a senior from Drexel, Mo., and Andrew Daugherty, a senior from Cherryvale.

Broadcast advisers are Comeau, Mark Depping, Leo Hudson and Derrek Crisler.

For more information on the National Student Production Awards, go to http://www.askcbi.org.

---Pitt State---