Tag Archives: CBS 42

WERC, CBS 42 win six ABBYs each from Alabama Broadcasters Association

alabama broadcasters associationThe Alabama Broadcasters Association handed out its Best in Broadcasting Awards, or ABBYs. WERC (960 AM, 105.5 FM) and CBS 42 (WIAT) won six awards each at the fourth annual ceremony held on March 20.

Birmingham winners in bold.

Television

  • Judges Merit Award for Public Service Announcement: “Do Dah Day 2009,” WBRC
  • Public Service Announcement: “T-Town Paws,” WVUA
  • Promotion: “Best Things About Home,” WBMA
  • Commercial: “Father’s Day,” WBMA
  • Website: fox10tv.com, WALA
  • Local Programming: “Poison in the Air,” WIAT
  • Judges Merit Award for Reporter: Jonathan Hardison, WBRC
  • Reporter: Phillip Ohnemus, WIAT
  • Judges Merit Award for Sports Anchor: Adam Bagni, WNCF
  • Sports Anchor: Rick Karle, WBRC
  • Weather Anchor: James Spann, WBMA
  • News Anchor: Bob Grip, WALA
  • News Series: “Justice for Bridget,” WVUA
  • Judges Merit Award for Feature or Franchise: “Staying Above Water,” WIAT
  • Feature or Franchise: “County Road 12: Sammy the Cat,” WSFA
  • Spot News: “Mayor Langford Verdict,” WVTM
  • Regularly Scheduled Newscast: WIAT
  • Service Project: “One Class at a Time,” WIAT
  • Station of the Year: WIAT

Radio

PSA

  • Small Market: “Community Calendar,” WUAL-FM
  • Medium Market: “Breast Cancer,” WHLW-FM
  • Large Market: “97 Jamz Fall Festival,” WBHJ-FM

Promotion

  • Small Market: “Massacre on Meighan,” WKXX-FM
  • Medium Market: “Vintage Gospel,” WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: “Langford Coverage,” WERC-FM

Commercial

  • Small Market: “Dad’s BBQ,” WKXX-FM
  • Medium Market: “Rosie’s,” WXFL-FM
  • Large Market: “CB Roofing – Leaky Office,” WERC-FM

Web site

Sportscaster

  • Small Market: Brett Elmore, WJLX-AM
  • Medium Market: Rachine Francis, WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: Tom Morgan, WERC-FM

Reporter

  • Small Market: Brett Tannehill, WUAL-FM
  • Medium Market: Melanie Hogan, WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: Julius White, WBHK-FM

Personality or Team

  • Small Market: “The Chris Wright Show,” WFXO-FM
  • Medium Market: “Fletch of the Year,” WXFL-FM
  • Large Market: “Steve and Leah Show,” WERC-FM

Talk Show

  • Small Market: “Auburn/Opelika This Morning,” WANI-AM
  • Medium Market: “90.7 Perspectives,” WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: “Steve and Leah Show,” WERC-FM

Morning Show

  • Small Market: “Tige Rodgers Morning Show,” WMXA-FM
  • Medium Market: “Bubba & CJ Morning Show,” WBAM-FM
  • Large Market: “Buck Wilde Morning Show,” WBHJ-FM

Regularly Scheduled Newscast

  • Small Market: WHMA-FM
  • Medium Market: WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: WZZK-FM

Service Project

  • Small Market: “Kiwanis Radio Day,” WJLX-AM
  • Medium Market: “Charity Bowling,” WVAS-FM
  • Large Market: “Officer Davis,” WDXB-FM

Radio Station of the Year

  • WJLX-AM

• • •

Read more Birmingham media updates.

Have a news tip? Let us know!

Alabama Associated Press 2009 broadcast award winners

The Alabama Associated Press 2009 broadcast award winners were announced last week.

Birmingham radio stations swept 14 of the 16 awards in their category, nine won by WBHM (90.3 FM). Birmingham TV stations took home 13 awards, with Fox 6 winning six awards.

AP News Cooperation award

Radio

  • WERC

Television

  • ABC 33/40
  • WHNT
  • WSFA

Radio

Note: All radio awards won by Birmingham stations, except for Nos. 7 and 15.

  1. Most Outstanding News Operation: WBHM
  2. Best Regularly Scheduled Newscast: WZZK, Don Dailey
  3. Extraordinary Coverage of a Scheduled Event: WBHM, Tanya Ott and Andrew Yeager, “Larry Langford Trial”
  4. Best Coverage of a Spot News Story: WERC, Neal Vickers
  5. Best General Sports: WBHM, Andrew Yeager and Tanya Ott, “Tide Flu” and “Greening the Green”
  6. Best Public Affairs/Documentary: WERC, “Strokes”
  7. Best Investigative Reporting: Alabama Public Radio, Brett Tannehill, “The Case of Bridget Lee”
  8. Best Hard-News Feature Story: WBHM, Tanya Ott
  9. Best Soft-News Feature Story: WBHM, Andrew Yeager, “Silly Bands”
  10. Best Reporter: WBHM, Andrew Yeager
  11. Best Anchor: WZZK, Don Dailey
  12. Best Commentator/Editorialist: WBHM, Marie Sutton, “Gay Marriage”
  13. Best Sports Reporter: WBHM, Andrew Yeager
  14. Best Sports Anchor: WERC, Tom Morgan
  15. Best Specialized Reporter: Alabama Public Radio, Alisa Beckwith-Ayilliath, “Health Coverage”
  16. Best Use of Tape: WBHM, Tanya Ott, “Grocery Auction”

WBHM posted its award-winning stories on its site.

Television

Note: Birmingham winners in bold.

1. Most Outstanding News Operation:

  • TV A: Fox 6 WBRC
  • TV AA: WHNT News 19
  • TV AAA: WTVY News 4

2. Best Regularly Scheduled Newscast

  • TV A: CBS 42, 5 pm News
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Tiffany Golden, Preston Benson, Denise Vickers, David Williams
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV , Lynn Brooks, Terri Brewer, Wes Wyatt, Gary Harris, Jerome Davis, Jennifer Hamner, Jonathan Newman, Clare Stewart

3. Best Documentary

  • TV A: CBS 42, Cynthia Gould, Larry Ragan, Scott McDowell, John Johnson, Bill Payer, Bill Ballard, “Poison In The Air”
  • TV AA: WAFF 48, Jeff Castle, Kim Essex, Daniel Farmer, Kim Hester, Daniel Hopkin, Liz Hurley, Ben Isenhower, Amanda Jarrett, Blake Mann, Remeisha Shade, Mark Thornhill, Brad Travis, Todd Wade, “20 Years Later: The Twister That Changed It All”
  • TV AAA: WTVY, Denise Bradberry, “Surviving The Storm”

4. Best Series

  • TV A: ABC 33/40, Yenu Wodajo, Bruce Nix, and Bill Castle, “Jobless”
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Carson Clark and David Wood, “Murder in the Snow”
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Terri Brewer and Jerome Davis, “Justice for Bridget”

5. Best Investigative Reporting

  • TV A: Fox 6 WBRC, Ronda Robinson, “Davita Dialysis”
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Wendy Halloran, Shane Hays, Denise Vickers, Joe Glotzbach, Jacob Greene, Breach of Trust”
  • TV AAA: WTVY-News 4, Skylar Zwick and Jason Wright, “Uninformed Security”

6. Best Spot News Story

  • TV A: ABC 33/40, Ainsley Bruister, Jon Pinnick, Melissa Riopka, Chris Reid, Bill Castle, Jerry Wade, Pam Huff, Tracy Haynes, Wyatt Caruthers, Teresa Tolson, Kim Roy, Angie Ephrom, “Officer Shot”
  • TV AA: WSFA 12 News, “May Montgomery Floods”
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Alex Joseph, “Cows on Interstate”

7. Best Feature Story

  • TV A: WKRG, Alan Sealls, “Hurricane Fastball”
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, David Wood and Dan Satterfield, “Dan in Space”
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Terri Brewer abd Jerome Davis, “Behind the Badge: Self Defense”

8. Best Sports Story

  • TV A: WALA Fox 10, Cary Chow and Kevin Sullivan, “Taylor Haugen’s Legacy”
  • TV AA: WAFF, Scott Thiesen and Blake Mann, “Running Wild”
  • TV AAA: WTVY-News 4, Denise Bradberry and Chris Harris, “The Last Football Game at EHS”

9. Best Sports Feature

  • TV A: ABC 33/40, Jeff Speegle and Todd Dewey, “The Game Goes On”
  • TV AA: WAKA-TV, Dee Jackson, Stu McCann, and Stephen Carter, “The Game That Changed Auburn”
  • TV AAA: WTVY News 4, Brad Sherwood, “Ultimate Frisbee”

10. Best Sports Program

  • TV A: Fox 6 WBRC, Rick Karle, Mike Dubberly, Brian Pope, Rob Davis, Fox 6 Photography Team, “Sideline 2009”
  • TV AA: WAFF-TV, Scott Thiesen, Carl Prather, Eric Sollman, WAFF Photography Staff, WAFF Production Staff, “Friday Night Fever”
  • TV AAA: WVUA TV , Gary Harris, Rodney Orr, John Huddleston, Todd Hoyer,Jonathan Newman, Jennifer Hamner, Scott Spence,Ron Hamner, Keith Dobbins, Lynn Brooks, “Tider Insider TV Recruiting Special”

11. Extraordinary Coverage of a Planned Event

  • T VA: Fox 6 WBRC, Scott Richards, Janet Hall, Jonathan Hardison, Ashley Nix, Anthony Moore, Jamie Johnston, Perry Dawson, Neal Posey, Lloyd Alford, “Larry Langford Guilty”
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Denise Vickers, David Williams, Jerry Hayes, Allison Duff, Tiffany Golden, Shane Hays, David Wood, Carson Clark, Andrew Wilkins, “Tornado 89: Then and Now”
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Lynn Brooks, Terry Saban, Keith Dobbins, Amy Eifler, Jennifer Hamner, Jonathan Newman, Scott Spence, Roy Clem, Clare Stewart, Terri Brewer, John Huddleston, “UA Homecoming Parade”

12. Victor Irving Best Staff Photography

  • TV A: WALA Fox 10, Kevin Sullivan, Rob Lehocky, Franz Barraza
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Gregg Stone, Shane Hays, David Wood, Andrew Wilkins
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Jerome Davis, Parrish Alleman, Todd Hoyer, John Huddleston, Alex Joseph

13. Best Web Journalism

  • TV A: CBS 42, Bill Payer and Chris Mitchell
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Claire Aiello
  • TV AAA: WTVY News 4, Toygar Ayla, News 4 Staff

14. Best Reporter

  • TV A: WPMI, Andrea Ramey
  • TV AA: WSFA 12 News, Cody Holyoke
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV , Tyler Morton

15. Stan Tarilton Best Photographer

  • TV A: WALA Fox 10, Kevin Sullivan
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, David Wood
  • TV AAA: WTVY News 4, Erica Proffer

16. Best News Anchor

  • TV A: WPMI, Greg Peterson
  • TV AA: WAKA-TV, Stefanie Hicks
  • TV AAA: WTVY News 4, Skylar Zwick

17. Best Weather Anchor

  • TV A: ABC 33/40, James Spann
  • TV AA: WAKA-TV , Chris Bailey
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Wes Wyatt

18. Best Sports Anchor

  • TV A: Fox 6, Rick Karle
  • TV AA: WAKA-TV, Dee Jackson
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Gary Harris

19. Best Specialized Reporter

  • TV A: Fox 6, Ronda Robinson
  • TV AA: WHNT-TV, Wendy Halloran
  • TV AAA: WVUA-TV, Terri Brewer

• • •

Read more Birmingham media updates.

Have a news tip? Let us know!

iPhone app review: CBS 42

More and more TV viewers are seeing the news, not from traditional 5-6-10 p.m. broadcasts, but from online and other sources. Two Birmingham stations have custom apps for the iPhone (which are also compatible with the iPod Touch and soon-to-arrive iPad).

In this post, we review CBS 42’s free iPhone app.

Birmingham-based iPhone developers Brian Cauble and Josh Grenon served as our guest reviewers.

cbs42 app news cbs42 app weather

CBS 42 iPhone app: News and Weather tabs

What was your overall experience?

Brian: My experience was actually very positive.

Josh: Clunky.

Do you get the sense that this is a custom app, or a “skinned” app for TV station affiliates?

Brian: I know that it is a skinned app, but it has the feel of a custom app.

Josh: I think this can be a skinned app. It seems that only a few view images and data have to be changed for this app to be used for another news station.

cbs42 app video

As a news consumer, what did you like? What would you add?

Brian: The organization was really well done. I found it easy to navigate. I would add the ability to customize the categories.

Josh: I liked the different types of news in this application. There was everything from horoscopes to video news. I wouldn’t add any else to the news.

As an app developer, what did you like? How would you improve it?

Brian: I think the app is laid out well and very attractive. The video quality could be improved a bit. I would allow users to log in to Facebook or Twitter and store that login to make sharing easier.

Josh: As an app developer, I am very disappointed in this application. It seems like the developer spent too much time designing the top menu bar. Also the top menu bar was horribly placed at the top of the screen; it would be much easier to navigate if it were placed at the bottom. The rest of the app did not get as much attention as the top menu bar did, and so my overall user experience suffered. I would also remove all ads to improve this application.

Since it’s a free app, would you pay money for it? How much? Why or why not?

Brian: I would pay as much as $1.99 for it. It is a much better experience than a mobile Web site.

Josh: I would pay 99 cents for this application to remove all ads.

• • •

Our other review: the Fox 6 iPhone app.

• • •

brian caubleBrian Cauble (@briancauble) is the co-owner of Appsolute Genius, an iPhone application development company in Birmingham. His other interests include promoting local entrepreneurship through Birmingham Entrepreneur, participating in social media and a huge attachment to college football.

Josh GrenonJosh Grenon (@joshgrenon) is a .Net developer by day and an iPhone developer by night. He started developing iPhone applications — such as Bham iCamp — in early 2009. Josh is also executive producer of Inspirageek, a casual yet informative video blog for geeks, and founder of user group Birmingham Mobile Tech.

• • •

What should Birmingham media outlets do online?
Ask our all-star panel on Feb. 16.

CBS 42 owner clears bankruptcy

cbs42-logoNew Vision Television, owner of CBS 42 (WIAT) in Birmingham, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month. We first reported the bankruptcy in July.

The company, based in Atlanta and Los Angeles, owns 14 stations nationwide.

“New Vision now has one of the strongest balance sheets in our sector,” Jason Elkin, CEO and founder of New Vision, said in a statement. “Being debt-free will enable us to invest in our people, our product and complementary acquisitions to drive New Vision forward, while our competitors continue to focus on daily liquidity and covenant compliance.”

New Vision made no job or benefit cuts linked to the reorganization, the company said.

Other local TV notes:

• • •

Read more Birmingham media updates.

Have a news tip? Let us know!

CBS 42 owner files for bankruptcy

Also, WB 21 / My 68 owner also considers filing for bankruptcy

New Vision Television filed for bankruptcy Monday. The company, based in Atlanta and Los Angeles, owns 16 stations nationwide including CBS 42 (WIAT) in Birmingham.

The company, which goes by the name New Vision Television, said in a statement it has an agreement that will eliminate more than $400 million in debt and provide it with capital to continue its operations. The company secured $30 million in new financing, according to the statement.

“Our daily business operations will not miss a beat,” said Jason Elkin, chief executive officer, in the statement.

Jobs and employee benefits will be “intact,” operations will continue as usual “and as soon as the pre-arranged court process has ended, New Vision will emerge as a nimble, well-financed company,” he said.

Update: The CBS 42 Twitter feed called the movegood for us- no layoffs and more good news coming today.” The station hired former NBC 13 anchorman Ken Lass to start Sept. 1.

Meanwhile, Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group faces a heavy debt load ($1.33 billion) and declining ad sales, like most TV owners. It warned in an SEC filing that it may be forced for file for bankruptcy.

Sinclair owns and operates WB 21 (WTTO) and My 68 (WABM) in Birmingham.

Have a news tip? Let us know!

AIGA: Using Social Media in Business Networking

AIGA Shop Talk

  • Using Social Media in Business Networking
  • 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday, March 3
  • Cantina, 2901 Second Ave. S.  [map]
  • Free (lunch: pay your own way)

Panelists:

  • Jeremy Flint, Senior Web Designer at Kinetic Communications
  • Whitney Sides, social media/interactive endeavors at CBS 42
  • David Griner, social media strategist at Luckie & Company

Moderator:

  • Scott Fisk, associate professor of graphic design at Samford University

For more information, visit the event Web page.