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2011 RTDNAC Award winners

Winners were announced Oct. 29, 2011, at the RTDNAC awards luncheon.

TV | Radio | Individual | Student

Television

Division I

Best Newscast 
First Place:  WYFF-TV – WYFF News 4 – Anna Dobbins/Justin Antoniotti/Lee Brown/Janice Limon/Akili Franklin
Second Place: FOX Charlotte – FOX News @ Ten – February 9, 2010 – FOX Charlotte

Sports Special 
First Place: FOX Charlotte – FOX Got Racin’ – Bruce Snyder/Kelli Bartik/Beth Hamilton
Second Place: WRAL-TV – NHL All Star Special – Leesa Moore/Stephanie Beck/Chris Burns/Debra Morgan/Jeff Gravley

Sports Reporting
First Place: WGHP-TV – The Runner – Bob Buckley/Eric Sander
Second Place: FOX Charlotte – Eye in the Sky – Bruce Snyder/Beth Hamilton

Best Photography 
First Place: WYFF-TV – Driving the Blue Ridge – John Hendon
Second Place: WLOS-TV – Irish Road Bowling – John Kirtley

Consumer/Economic 
First Place: WBTV – Not So Perfect Vacation – Kristen Miranda/Brian Stephenson
Second Place: WBTV – The Battery Test – Kristen Miranda/Brian Stephenson

News Documentary 
First Place: WCNC-TV – Bamboozled: A Story of Liquor and Money – Stuart Watson/John Gray/Rachel Clapp/Jeremy Markovich
Second Place: WYFF-TV – Chronicle: The State of Education – Lee Brown/John Hendon/Jennifer Mihalic

Education 
First Place: WYFF-TV – The Corridor of Shame – Tim Waller/John Hendon
Second Place: WBTV – Alternatives to CMS – Dedrick Russell

Feature
First Place: WLOS-TV – 8 Seconds – John Le/Leighton Grant
Second Place: FOX Charlotte – Honoring Slave Confederate Soldiers – Israel Balderas/Tim Mullican

General News 
First Place: News 14 Carolina – Plane Crashes Into Home – Stephanie Stilwell/Bill Welch
Second Place: FOX Charlotte – Reboot Charlotte: Builders Reboot to New Success – Suzette Rhee/Justin Garant

Health-Medicine
First Place: WCNC-TV – Code Cool – Rachel Clapp/Bobby Sisk/John Gray
Second Place: News 14 Carolina – Matt’s Road to Recovery – Heather Waliga/A.J. Chodora/Mark Smith/Matt Morano

Investigative 
First Place: WRAL-TV – Waiting for Care – Bruce Mildwurf/Edward Wilson/David McCorkle
Second Place: WBTV – Problem Solvers Investigation: Bankhead – Jamie Boll/Jeff Keene

Political-Election 
First Place: News 14 Carolina – Carolina Decides – News 14 Carolina
Second Place: WRAL-TV – Election 2010 – WRAL-TV

Political-General
First Place: WYFF-TV – Finding Alvin Greene – Michael Cogdill/John Hendon/Lori Webster
Second Place: WRAL-TV – Main Street, N.C. – Bryan Mims/Richard Adkins

Series 
First Place: FOX Charlotte – Reboot: Charlotte – FOX Charlotte
Second Place: WRAL-TV – Tornado Recovery – The Baker Family – Stacy Davis/Geoffrey Levine/Terry Cantrell/Tom Normanly

Special Report
First Place: WRAL-TV – Deadly Tornadoes – WRAL-TV
Second Place: WBTV – Montgomery Trial Verdict – WBTV 

Spot News
First Place: WTVD-TV – Roxboro Tornado – WTVD-TV
Second Place: WRAL-TV – NC Flooding – WRAL-TV

News Website 
First Place: WRAL.com
Second Place: News 14 Carolina

Division II

Best Newscast 
First Place: WWAY-TV – WWAY NewsChannel 3 at 11 – WWAY-TV
Second Place: CN2 News – S.C. Inauguration Coverage – CN2 News

Sports Special
First Place: WWAY-TV – Coach’s Corner, April 17, 2011 – John Rendleman
Second Place: WWAY-TV – 5th Quarter – John Rendleman/Trot Nixon/Jesse Jones

Sports Reporting
First Place: WWAY-TV – Girl With Cerebral Palsy Runs Track – John Rendleman
Second Place: WCIV-TV – Ashley Ridge’s Special Manager – Scott Eisberg

Best Photography 
First Place: WECT-TV – Pint-Sized Panthers – Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WCIV-TV – Joggling Board – Richey Boyd

Consumer/Economic
First Place: WSFX-TV – Does It Work? – WSFX-TV
Second Place: WSFX-TV – Cell Phone Rip-Off – Colin Hackman/Ryan Koresko

News Documentary
First Place: WWAY-TV – Pirates of the Carolinas: Storm at Sea – Jerry Jackson
Second Place: WWAY-TV – USS Gravely Commissioning – WWAY-TV

Education
First Place: WECT-TV – Marathon Kids – Colin Hackman
Second Place: WCIV-TV – Driving Skills – John Bruce/Richey Boyd

Feature 
First Place: WSFX-TV – Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep – Michelle Li
Second Place: WECT-TV – Military Photos – Ashlea Kosikowski

General News 
First Place: WCIV-TV – Folly Beach Rescue – Natalie Caula/Dave MacQueen
Second Place: CN2 News – Sludge for Sale in Rock Hill – Dianne Gallagher/Mia Macy

Health-Medicine
First Place: WITN-TV – Michelle Coria – Dave Jordan
Second Place: WITN-TV – Living With Autism – Dave Jordan

Investigative 
First Place: WWAY-TV – Trooper Misconduct Investigation – Ramon Herrera
Second Place: WECT-TV – Who Left The Lights On? – Jon Evans

Political-General
First Place: WCIV-TV – The Haley Family – Victoria Hansen/Dave MacQueen
Second Place: WCIV-TV – Goodbye Governor – Natalie Caula/Josh Armbrite

Political-Election
No winners

Series 
First Place: WECT-TV – Doolittle Tragedy – Colin Hackman/Justin West/Ryan Koresko/Kristy Etheridge/Dustin Etheridge
Second Place: WECT-TV – RC Soles & BJ Wright – Gavin Johnson/Michael Pelzer

Special Report
First Place: WWAY-TV – Tornado Outbreak, April 16, 2011 – WWAY-TV

Spot News
First Place: WSFX-TV – Carolina Beach Flood – Colin Hackman/Ryan Koresko
Second Place: WSFX-TV – Bladen Wildfire – Veronica Macias/Ryan Koresko

News Website
First Place: WITN-TV
Second Place: WECT-TV

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Radio

Best Newscast
First Place: WBT – 5 O’clock Report – Chris Miller
Second Place: NCNN – NCN 7:55 a.m. Newscast (April 18, 2011)

Sports Special
No winners

Sports Reporting
No winners

Consumer/Economic
No winners

News Documentary
No winners

Education
First Place: WBT – School Closings Protest – Chris Miller

Feature
First Place: WPTF – Citizenship Day – Gurnal Scott

General News
First Place: WBT – New Lawmakers, New Laws – Jeff Sonier
Second Place: WPTF – The King Speeches – Gurnal Scott

Health-Medicine
No winners

Investigative
First Place: WBT – WBT Investigates: The Tax Train – Jeff Sonier

Political-Election
No winners

Political-General
First Place: WBT – Budget Battle 2011 – Jeff Sonier
Second Place: WBT – County Commission Chairman Fight – Chris Miller

Radio News Block
First Place: WPTF – WPTF Evening News: Cary Standoff – Mike Davis/Bruce Farrell, Gurnal Scott

Series
No winners

Special Report
No winners

Spot News
First Place: WPTF – WPTF Tornado Coverage – Brian Freeman/Joe Wade Formicola/Scott Briggaman/Bruce Ferrell/Rick Martinez
Second Place: WWGP 1050 AM – Tornado Devastation – Brian Lee

News Website
No winners

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Individual Achievement

TV Reporter of the Year – Division I
First Place: WBTV – Molly Grantham
Second Place: WBTV – Steve Ohnesorge

TV Reporter of the Year – Division II
First Place: WECT-TV – Colin Hackman
Second Place: WCIV-TV – Jon Bruce

TV Photographer of the Year – Division I
First Place: WYFF-TV – John Herndon
Second Place (tie): Fox Charlotte – Terrence Walker
Second Place (tie): WLOS-TV – John Kirtley

TV Photographer of the Year – Division II
First Place: WCIV-TV – Dave MacQueen
Second Place: WECT-TV – Ryan Koresko

Radio Reporter of the Year
First Place: WBT – Jeff Sonier
Second Place: WPTF – Gurnal Scott

Best Weathercaster
First Place: WYFF-TV – John Cessarich
Second Place: Fox Charlotte – Jan. 11 Ice Storm – Tera Blake

Best Sportscaster
No winners

Best Sportscaster
No winners

Margaret Murchison News Director of the Year
First Place: Rick Gall
Second Place: Dennis Milligan

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Student

Best Student Newscast
First Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Carolina Week Newscast 2/23/2011
Second Place: Elon University – Phoenix 14 News May 2, 2011, Newscast – Phoenix 14 News/Elon University

Best Student News Reporting
First Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Immigration – Claudia Rupcich
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Alcohol Abuse – Michael Tomsic

Best Student Weathercast
First Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Weather Forecast – 03/23/2011 – Drew Day

Best Student Sportscast
First Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Carolina Week Sportscast 2/23/2011 – Justin Page/Ciarra Watkins/Andy Rives/Rachel Nash
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Carolina Connection Sportscast 9/18/2010 – Stefano Rivera

Best Student Sports Story
First Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – NCAA Investigation – Eddie Sykes
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Josh Adams – Stefano Rivera

Best Student Feature Reporting
First Place: Elon University – Paws and Stripes – Monica Yantosh
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Day With Homeless – Reema Khrais

Best Photography
First Place: East Carolina University – Pirate Bikeshare – Kyle Walker
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Outdoor Movie Theater – Justin Page

D. Haney Howell Student Journalist of the Year
First Place: Elon University – David Hodges
Second Place: UNC-Chapel Hill – Justin Page

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Past Winners