May 21, 2004 UNT Inhouse publication: UNT students win top awards in Texas broadcast competition

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UNT students win top awards in Texas broadcast competition

Two UNT students won awards in three categories in the annual Texas Associated Press Broadcasters awards competition, while another UNT student received an honorable mention award.

The students were recognized for stories they produced in 2003 for KNTU-FM, UNT's radio station.

KNTU competes in Division B of the competition, which includes smaller radio markets in Texas such as Lubbock, Tyler, Bryan-College Station and El Paso. In the competition, UNT students were competing against professional broadcasters as well as students from other college and university radio stations.

Lauren Williamson, a freshman pre-radio/television/film major, received a first-place award in the Actuality-Production category for her story "Hot Christmas Toys," which aired Dec. 16. The story, which included interviews with children ages 2 to 10 and their parents as well as shopping advice from merchants, also received second place in both the General Assignments and Light Features categories.

"Since I am just a freshman, I did not expect to win anything at all. I really thank (KNTU news manager) Aaron Brodie and (KNTU general manager) Russ Campbell for teaching me everything and taking me under their wings. I haven't had any university broadcasting courses yet," Williamson says.

Williamson was a volunteer anchor and reporter at KNTU before she became the station's public affairs director.

Senior radio/television/film major Austin Kellerman placed first in both Light Features and General Assignments for his May 31 story, "Waterworks."

The story, which described the city of Denton's new water park through sounds of patrons going down the four giant water slides and splashing on the tubing river, received a second-place award in Actuality-Production.

"Hopefully, the sound helped bring the listener to the park," says Kellerman, who is KNTU's assignments editor.

John Liddle, senior radio/television/ film major, received an honorable mention award in the Sports Story/Series category for his Sept. 5 profile of Lewisville High School football player Lafayette Lewis. Lewis, a senior, is nicknamed "The Horse."

"He's a really compact guy, but he's known for his hustle and grittiness," Liddle says. "And because he has an interesting nickname, I used horse terms to describe him."

Liddle, who is KNTU's sports director, says being recognized in the awards competition "makes me want to do better and better stories."

"It's kind of cool to get recognized for doing something that you enjoy doing," he says.

Launched Oct. 31, 1969, KNTU (88.1 FM) broadcasts from 6 a.m. to midnight every day of the year, and has 50 to 75 student volunteers working in the programming, news and sports departments each semester. In addition, eight students work in paid, mid-management positions. The 100,000-watt station is the most powerful university radio station in the North Texas area.