WBFO has won four awards in the New York State Broadcasters Association's annual competition, with reports that ranged from fatal accidents on unstable ice to a hockey fund-raising marathon.
A two-part report by Angelica Morrison (WBFO) and Veronica Volk (WXXI, Rochester) for Great Lakes Today on the “Deadly Winter” that resulted from unstable ice across the Great Lakes region won for Outstanding Public Affairs Program or Series. Click here for part one, “Unstable ice leads to deadly winter,” and here for part two, “N.Y. brothers add to toll of deadly winter.”
Michael Mroziak won in two categories. His breaking news coverage of a destructive tornado in Hamburg earned the award for Outstanding Spot News. His feature on the 11-day Power Play, a Guinness world record-setting hockey marathon that raised $1-million for cancer research, was chosen for Outstanding Sports Coverage.
Avery Schneider’s feature on Western New York high school students using 3D printing to design prosthetic limbs for children in need won for Outstanding Feature.
“This is continued affirmation of the terrific job WBFO and its reporters are doing to serve the community,” said Dave Rosenthal, Senior Director of News and Public Affairs for WBFO. “We’re proud of their efforts and the variety of stories that received awards.
WBFO's sister station, WNED-TV, also won an award from NYSBA. Its digital series showcasing local Vietnam veterans and others affected by the war earned the award for Outstanding Use of Digital Platforms. The series, "Our Vietnam Voices," told stories through video, photos, and print.
The New York State Broadcasters Association will formally present the awards at a luncheon May 2 in Buffalo.
