IPR News honored by Network Indiana (6/03)

Indiana Public Radio News received a total of 29 awards from professional organizations this spring, the latest coming from Network Indiana in the form of three first-place and two second-place awards, and one Honorable Mention.
The first-place awards – Brian Beaver:
· Best Continuing Coverage,
· Best Feature, and
· Best Use of Sound
Second place – Best Newscast -- Stan Sollars and the IPR News team
Honorable Mention – Best Use of Sound – Marcus Jackman.
Network Indiana is a statewide news network based in Indianapolis, producing spot news and other feature stories not available from any other audio service.

Indiana Public Radio News
Receives 8 Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (4/03)

Indiana Public Radio News received eight awards Friday from the Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), bringing the number of awards received by IPR News this spring to a total of 23.

IPR’s only full-time news correspondent Brian Beaver received first place in the Best Radio Spot News category for the story entitled “Gaston Tornado.” The SPJ judges said, “Tracking a tornado, not in a weather studio, but live on the road, is harrowing reportage.” Marcus Jackman received a third place award in the same category for “Tipton Spill.” Radio Spot News is defined as “coverage of an unplanned news event.”

In the Best Radio Feature category, Jackman received first place for “Pumpkin Cannon.” Judges remarked that it was a “fascinating piece of storytelling about a quirky inventor’s latest project.” The judges also applauded Jackman’s use of sound and interviews, calling the piece “a wonderful only-in-America story.” Beaver received a third place award in the same category for a story called “Bubba.”

Beaver and Jackman earned first place and second place respectively in the Best Radio General News/Continuous Coverage category with Beaver’s “Smoking Ban” and Jackman’s “Barbecue.” The judges said that “Smoking Ban” was a “Balanced report on what is always a controversial and sometimes emotional subject,” the proposed restaurant smoking ban in Delaware County.

Beaver also earned first place for “Meth Labs Seized” in the Best Criminal Justice Reporting category. Judges called the story “a really good job” of reporting.

The eighth of IPR’s 2003 SPJ awards went to IPR News’ Stan Sollars and the IPR News team who received a first place Best Newscast award for Morning Edition.

IPR News received 3 awards from the Radio & Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) and 12 from the Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association (IAPBA) earlier this month.

Another Addy for IPR (4/03)

The Advertising Federation of America has awarded Indiana Public Radio a district-level Silver Addy for its self-promotion campaign, “It’s Up to You.” The campaign had been recognized as “Best of Show” in the broadcast division earlier this year. Congratulations to Brian Eckstein who produced the campaign, to Marcus Jackman, Andrew Martin and Brian Beaver for their contributions to it. The district-level Silver Addy represents the highest honor the station has ever received from the Advertising Federation.

Indiana Public Radio News Receives Associated Press Awards (4/03)

Indiana Public Radio News received 12 awards from the Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association (IAPBA) including the Small Market Radio News Operation of the Year Award at an April 12 banquet in Indianapolis. These 12 new awards come just two weeks after IPR News received three awards – including one for Overall Excellence – from the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA).

In addition to the recognition for overall achievement, the station’s news team – consisting of Senior Correspondent Brian Beaver, Host/Producer Marcus Jackman, and Morning Edition anchor Stan Sollars – received seven first place and two second place awards, as well as two honorable mentions. “With this many awards, we truly can say we are Indiana’s most-honored news operation,” said Bob Papper, IPR’s News Director.

Indiana Public Radio was competing with all other Indiana radio stations – commercial and noncommercial – with similar market size.

Senior Correspondent Brian Beaver, winner of several awards, said, “We set a record year last year [2002, for work completed in 2001] for winning news awards at IPR--I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that we would surpass that performance. But this year’s results proved me wrong. I’m proud of helping to set the bar higher at a time when quality journalism is especially important.”

A breakdown of the awards follows:
· Best General News: 1st Place, “Barbecue,” Marcus Jackman, recorded for Indiana ArtsDesk; 2nd Place, “Yorktown Walkout, “Brian Beaver
· Best Enterprise Story: Honorable Mention, “Mobile Meth Lab,” Brian Beaver
· Best Use of Sound: 1st Place, “Mother’s Day Flash Flood,” Brian Beaver; 2nd Place, “Bagpipes,” Marcus Jackman (also Indiana ArtsDesk)
· Best Spot News Reporting: Honorable Mention, “Gaston Tornado,” Brian Beaver
· Best Reporter: 1st Place, Brian Beaver. New this year, the Best Reporter award goes to a reporter who demonstrates overall excellence covering a wide variety of stories.
· Best Newscast: 1st Place, Morning Edition, Stan Sollars, anchor
· Best News Series: 1st Place, “9/11 Remembered,” Brian Beaver
· Best Continuing Coverage/Single Event: 1st Place, “Smoking Ban,” Brian Beaver
· Best Public Affairs: 1st Place, Talk of Indiana, Brian Beaver, for the program that focused on Delaware County’s proposed restaurant smoking ban.

Beaver also commented, “Being honored by my peers brings me a great deal of personal and professional satisfaction. I’m a bit humbled by being named ‘Best Reporter’ as I could name several other colleagues from around the state who are just as deserving as I am of that honor.” He added, “I’m also proud of my colleagues here at IPR – Marcus Jackman, Stan Sollars and Bob Papper are top-notch professionals who deserve all the accolades they continue to receive.

	Brian Beaver, Andrew Martin, Marcus Jackman and Brian Eckstein at the ECI Advertising Federation Awards in February. Photo courtesy of John Disher, CHS Media Services.

IPR wins ECI advertising awards (2/03)
Indiana Public Radio's self-promotion efforts received high honors when the 2003 East Central Indiana Advertising Federation awards - Addys - were presented at the Muncie Horizon Convention Center early last month.

In the category of Radio Self-Promotion/Campaign, IPR received two Gold Addys: one each for "Making a Difference" and "It's Up to You," the two campaigns created for the spring and fall pledge drives in 2002. (The judges chose not to give a Silver Addy this year, but, since awards are given solely on the merits of a project, it is possible for more than one Addy to be given in a single category.) IPR also received "Best of show" in the broadcasting division for the "It's Up to You" campaign.

Brian Eckstein, Marcus Jackman, and the staff and students of Indiana Public Radio were the brains behind the two campaigns. Student producer Andrew Martin and senior news correspondent Brian Beaver contributed to the script of "It's Up to You."

The ECI Ad-Fed awards competition uses out-of-town judges from various fields of advertising in both print and broadcast media.

Both of IPR's award-winning entries will be forwarded to the American Advertising Federation's District Contest to be conducted later this year.

IPR Wins Three News Awards (3/27/03)
Indiana Public Radio (IPR) announced today that its news department has received three prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA).

The IPR News team, consisting of News Director Bob Papper, Stan Sollars, Marcus Jackman, and Brian Beaver, accepted the Overall Excellence Award for small market radio stations in Region 7.

In addition the recognition given to the News team for overall excellence, Senior News Correspondent Brian Beaver received the award for use of sound for “Mother’s Day Flash Flood,” and the award for writing went to News Director Papper for “9-11 Legacy.”

Papper said, “It’s quite an honor to be singled out for a regional award for excellence. I’m very proud of the station’s achievements.” He further observed that the three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards represent “the most we’ve ever won in one year.” IPR News has received the regional Overall Excellence award from the RTNDA for four of the last five years.

Region 7 includes Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.