Waynesburg University’s student-operated television station, WCTV-14, part of the Department of Communication, recently received seven Communicator Awards, breaking last year’s record of six.
“Our students continue to impress with their dedication to the craft of broadcasting,” said Melinda Roeder Skrbin, instructor of communication and WCTV faculty advisor. “I am so proud of our student team for winning a record seven Communicator Awards. This contest represents some of the best professional and student work produced by media outlets across the nation.”
Waynesburg won five Awards of Excellence (gold) and two Awards of Distinction (silver).
The winning entries for the Awards of Excellence included:
- “WCTV Waynesburg Effect Special Edition: Municipal Elections” (Category: Film/Video – Political) – Micah Leith, producer; Riley Holsinger, general manager
- “Sean Parnell Visit to Greene County” (Category: Film/Video – Political) – Micah Leith, reporter
- “Buildings Burn, Memories Last” (Category: Film/Video – Information) – Rachel Pellegrino, reporter
- “Nerd Alert x Waynesburg Effect Crossover Special” (Category: Film/Video – Talk Show/Interview) – Micah Leith, Ben Champ, producers; Riley Holsinger, general manager
- “Cosmic Bing” (Category: Craft Categories – Videography/Cinematography) – Rebekah Vaughan, reporter/videographer
The two entries that won Awards of Distinction included:
- “Cats Rescued in Greene County” (Category: Film/Video – Information) – Rachel Pellegrino, reporter
- “WCTV Newscast: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 (Category: Film/Video – Information) – Rebekah Vaughan, Micah Leith, producers; Riley Holsinger, general manager; WCTV staff and crew
“I am extremely proud of our award-winners and their accomplishments,” said Riley Holsinger, 2022 sports media (announcing) graduate and 2021-22 WCTV general manager. “They were competing and winning awards against professional media members, groups and organizations as college students, which is incredibly impressive.”
The Communicator Awards are judged and curated annually by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). It is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for marketing and communications professionals.
This year, more than 4,000 entries, ranging across the areas of digital, video, podcasts, marketing, mobile and print work, were received from across the country and the world.
“WCTV and the Department of Communication is a special place,” added Holsinger. “You get to witness people build up their peers (and people that they could be potentially competing for jobs against), but they help each other out because, ultimately, we’re a family.”
