Radio Program Awards

Two student-run radio programs have received statewide awards. In the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association competition, WICB-FM took first place in the features category. The entry was a four-minute piece produced by students for a journalism workshop class about a bingo night held at the Ithaca chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. And the New York State Broadcasters Association presented WICB with an award for excellence in broadcasting for Steal Away: A Slave's Journey on the Underground Railroad, which was judged the most outstanding single public affairs program for all stations of WICB's size in the state. Written and produced by assistant professor of television-radio Gordon Webb, Steal Away is an audio docudrama that tells the story of a slave who makes his way north to freedom prior to the Civil War (ICQ, 2002/1). The fictional account was based on historical documents and made with the collaboration of many Ithaca College students, as well as professional and local actors and musicians. Webb created CD and cassette versions of the 20-minute production that educators can use as a teaching tool.