News Release

North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC-FM wins top prize;
three more at N.C. Associated Press Broadcast awards

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC-FM, a service of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has won the top award for a radio station in the 2007 North Carolina Associated Press Broadcast awards competition.  In addition to this prize for outstanding news operation, the station also received awards for best series, best general news and best consumer report.

. The best series award went to “Studying High School,” a project of the North Carolina Voices program, which explores large-scale, complex issues that deeply touch the lives of North Carolinians. The general news award went to Rusty Jacobs for “What Is Terrorism?” a report on whether it was terrorism when Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar drove a rented SUV through the Pit, a popular student gathering spot at UNC-Chapel Hill, in March 2006. Lorne Matalon’s “Fishing vs. Development” story about how development of coastal vacation homes is pushing out fishing operations on the Outer Banks captured the prize for best consumer report.

“These awards reflect the broad reach of the WUNC newsroom in North Carolina,” said news director Connie Walker. “We’re pleased to be recognized for a story close to our home base in Chapel Hill and for one on the Outer Banks.”

These statewide awards come in addition to 15 other regional and national awards for excellence in broadcasting and news reporting that WUNC-FM has received so far in 2007 for reports aired during 2006. These commendations include, for the fourth straight year, the Edward R. Murrow overall excellence award in regional competition from the Radio-Television News Directors Association. In 2005, the station received 50 awards for its coverage.

The newest awards were presented Saturday (April 21, 2007) in a ceremony at Elon University. A total of 55 broadcast awards were presented to nine TV stations and five radio news outlets.

WUNC-FM broadcasts at 91.5 FM in the Triangle and Triad, at 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount/Wilson and at 88.9 FM on the Outer Banks.

North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC-FM Web site: http://www.wunc.org

North Carolina Public Radio/WUNC-FM contact: Brent Wolfe, 966-5454, bwolfe@mail.wuncfm.unc.edu