Buffalo‘s own WBFO-FM 88.7, UB’s National Public Radio affiliate, has received ten awards from the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association. This includes the prestigious Stephen Flanders Award, AP’s highest radio honor.
The Flanders award is given to a station, commercial or public, located in New York and deemed by the judges to “exemplify the best traditions of journalistic initiative and dedication in providing a complete news service to the listening public.”
The Flanders is awarded to the station receiving the greatest number of top finishes in the competition. WBFO received six top awards and four honorable mentions. It is the only radio station in Buffalo to have earned the Flanders award.
This is the second time in the past three years that WBFO has been named to receive the Flanders award.
“I want to acknowledge our colleagues at WBEN and WNED,” said Mark A. Scott, news director at WBFO. “The competition in our category shows the strength of radio news here in Buffalo.
In addition to Mark Scott, the WBFO news team is comprised of Eileen Buckley, assistant news director, news producer and reporter; and Joyce Kryszak, cultural affairs reporter and producer.
Two members of WBFO’s staff also received first-place awards; Kara Sweet, Manager of Electronic Communications, received an award for designing a Web news page which was a new category this year, and Alison Zero, talent manager for the Buffalo Music Project, received an award for her feature on a local musical group.
“As individuals and as a team, the news staff has consistently achieved the highest standards of radio reporting. We are delighted that two additional WBFO talents were recognized for their unique contributions. All of these awards confirm the high regard in which they are held by the Western New York community,” said Carole Smith Petro, associate vice president and WBFO general manager.
The award ceremony was held on June 6th in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The 2008 awards that WBFO received are:
• Arts Athens Award for General Excellence in Individual Reporting: Eileen Buckley and Special Mention to Joyce Kryszak.
• Best Interview: First Place to Joyce Kryszak for interview with UB artist Steve Kurtz after federal charges against him were dropped (Listen)
• Best Enterprise Reporting: First Place to Joyce Kryszak for a report on predatory lending (Listen) and Special Mention to Eileen Buckley for a report on the blood collection competition in Buffalo (Listen)
• Best Continuing News: Special Mention to Eileen Buckley for her coverage of Buffalo Police Detective Dennis Delano’s suspension to his run for the State Senate (Listen)
• Best Sports Coverage: First Place to Joyce Kryszak for her report on the Winter Classic in Buffalo and Special Mention to Eileen Buckley for a report on Richard Zednik’s nearly fatal hockey injury (Listen)
• Best Use of Medium: First Place to Alison Zero for her story on the local music group, Too Many Sisters (Listen)
• Best Web Site: First Place to Web designer, Kara Sweet, and the news staff
Pictured in photo (L-R); Mark Scott, Eileen Buckley, Kara Sweet, Joyce Kryszak