The Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA) has nominated Goshen College student-managed radio station 91.1 The Globe (WGCS) to compete for six awards in four categories of its 26th Annual Spectrum Awards.
The Globe is competing for the Station of the Year category with two commercial radio stations: WMEE in Fort Wayne and WTHI in Terre Haute. Jason Samuel, WGCS’s general manager, told Goshen’s communication and marketing office that this nomination is significant for the station.
“When you put into perspective that Goshen College students are judged by professional standards against commercial radio stations throughout the state, it speaks out to the quality of their work and dedication to broadcasting craft,” Samuel said.
Six student staff members of WGCS are nominees and or co-nominees in the other three categories. In the sports category, senior Tony Miller and 2013 graduate Benjamin Kelly are individually nominated for their play-by-play submission.
In the mini-documentary category, current student director of the Globe, junior Danielle Kerschhackl and 2013 graduate Kelsey Morris are co-nominees for their segment on a chili cook-off at Goshen’s First Fridays. Sophomore Ashley Davenport is also nominated for her pop culture radio-zine, “Rewind.”
In the special interest and cultural programming category, Davenport, Kerschhackl, senior Andrew Witkowski and a 2013 graduate, Jimmy Cassoday, are finalists in a joint effort promoting the collaboration between Ignition Music Garage and WGCS.
“It is such a big deal that we are nominated for these categories and especially the Best Station category because we are the only college station nominated among all of the ‘real-life’ radio stations,” Kerschhackl said.
The IBA program and dinner will be held this Saturday in Indianapolis to recognize broadcasting excellence and outstanding achievement by Indiana radio and television stations. Kerschhackl and all staff members are impatient to see the outcome of these nominations.
“I think it is very plausible for us to walk away with the IBA Station of the Year award. Samuel, the staff and I have all been working very hard to not only maintain the stations past success, but to also keep finding new ways to improve it,” Kerschhackl said.
WGCS was named two times best college radio station in the nation by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) in 2010 and 2013, and won the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters’ radio and television school of the year award in 2013. Unlike the IBS awards, in which WGCS competed with nationwide college radio stations, the IBA awards have commercial radio contestants.
“I am super excited we are in the running as the top station in Indiana as a non-commercial station,” said Witkowski. “We are in it with the dogs! It is truly an honor and I hope we come away with some awards on Saturday.”
Davenport, who is the host of the Breakfast Blend from 6 to 9 a.m. every weekday morning, is also excited for the nominations.
Said Davenport, “To win the IBS best college in the nation, best college radio station in Indiana, and now the IBA award for our market would be a major accomplishment.”
