The INBA is thrilled to release the winners of our second annual INBA Crystal Mic Awards. The awards will be presented at our Fall Convention in Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 8. To register, head to our Eventbrite link. You can also book a room at the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center at our group rate through Sept. 16. To book now, click here.

Small Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place               WCBU-FM, Peoria                                              

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WGLT-FM, Normal                                              

2nd place              WLBK, DeKalb

Best Reporter                      

1st place               Joe Deacon, WCBU-FM, Peoria                                        

2nd place              Lyndsay Jones, WGLT-FM, Normal

Breaking News                     

1st place               WMBD, Peoria, “BioUrja Ongoing Disaster”                                  

2nd place              WILL, Urbana, “Rare December Tornado Hits Coles County”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WVIK-FM, Quad-Cities

2nd place              WNIJ.org/Hola, DeKalb

Investigative Report           

1st place               WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Peter Medlin, “Water Woes”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A One Hospital Town”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WILL, Urbana, “Women’s Basketball Hires Shauna Green As Head Coach”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A National Champion”

Use of Sound                       

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, “Fair Fare”

2nd place              WVIK-FM, Quad Cities, “Do You Want To Work On The Railroad?”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, Dave Dahl

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Yvonne Boose

Large Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place                WBBM-Chicago                                   

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WBBM-Chicago                                   

2nd place              WLS-Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Lisa Fielding, WBBM, Chicago                                          

2nd place              Eric Schmid, KWMU, St. Louis

Investigative Report           

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “Lack Of Tornado Safe Rooms For Metro East Warehouses”

Sports Report                      

1st place                WBBM, Chicago, “Sports Report with Jeff Joniak”

Use of Sound                       

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “This app lets you see what Cahokia Mounds looked like 1,000 years ago”

2nd place              WBBM, Chicago, Lisa Fielding

Small Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WCIA-TV, Champaign

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WGEM-TV, Quincy

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Mike Miletich, WGEM-TV, Quincy                                    

2nd place              Shelby Kluver, WQAD-TV, Moline    

Breaking News                     

1st  place              WGEM-TV, Quincy, “Firefighters Battle Fire And Ice”

2nd place              WIFR-TV, Rockford, “Jury Finds Floyd Brown Guilty Of Second Degree Murder”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria

Investigative Report           

1st place               WEEK-TV, Peoria, Kyle Beachy, “Panhandling in Peoria: How A Pandemic Has Fueled A Problem”

2nd place              WAND-TV, Decatur, Deron Molen/Eric Ahola, “Transferring Trauma”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “La Panterita”

2nd place              WEEK-TV, Peoria, “All-American Hometown Hero”

Use of Video                        

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “John Deere Strike”

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria, “Destination Illinois: Bob & Tom Excellent Adventures”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WIFR-TV, Rockford, Mike Garrigan

2nd place              WQAD-TV, Moline, Josh Lamberty

Best Weather Operation

1st place               WGEM-TV, Quincy

2nd place              WREX-TV, Rockford

Large Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                PJ Randhawa, KSDK, St. Louis                                           

2nd place              Emily Manley, KTVI, St. Louis

Breaking News                     

1st  place               WGN, Chicago, “Oak Brook Mall Shooting”                   

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WLS-TV, Chicago

2nd place              KSDK, St. Louis

Sports Report                      

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis, “Justin Hardy Story”

2nd place              WGN, Chicago, “Ukrainian Boxers”

Use of Video                        

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, “Stone Carver”

Best Writing                         

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, Mike Bush

Best Weather Operation

1st place                WLS, Chicago

We are excited to share that the INBA Fall 2022 Convention registration is open. The convention is Oct. 7-9 in Bloomington at the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center. To register, CLICK HERE.

Convention Schedule

Friday Oct. 7

• 12:00 p.m. – INBA Board Meeting at Parke Regency
• 3:00 p.m. – Hotel check-ins begin
• Evening welcome reception

Saturday Oct. 8

• 9:00 a.m. – President’s Welcome
• 9:15-10:30 a.m. – The future of Electric Vehicles
  • Panelists: 
    • Tucker Kennedy, Ameren Illinois
    • Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal              
    • Session Description:  Increased incentives for electric vehicle production are leading to questions about existing and needed infrastructure to support this evolution in transportation. Learn how energy experts and city leaders are keeping up with the changes.

• 10:30-10:45 a.m. – Break
• 10:45-12:00 p.m. – Cameras and Microphones in the Courtroom
  • Presenters:  
    • William Scanlon of McLean County Courts
    • Maggie Hradecky, Media Coordinator
    • Session Description: It’s been a decade since the pilot program which allowed cameras in the courtroom in Illinois. In 2016, the Illinois Supreme Court filed an Order amending the Policy for Extended Media Coverage in the Circuit Courts of Illinois and adopting the program as permanent. This discussion will focus on lessons learned over the past ten years as well as how we can be the best stewards of the additional press freedoms we have been granted.
• 12:00 p.m. -1:15 – Lunch and Business Meeting
• 1:30-2:00 p.m. – Keeping Stamina in News Reporting
  • Panelist:  Alex Degman, Illinois Public Radio
  • Session Description: Getting a job in news is one thing, staying with it is quite another. We hear from a longtime INBA member who has experienced the industry from a variety of roles and recently chose to come back to Illinois to serve as statewide audience in a demanding, daily reporting role.
• 2:30-3:15 p.m. – Vocal Delivery Workshop
  • Presenter: Shawn Allee / WBEZ
  • Session Description: You’ve got a great script, but now what? We learn to mark up scripts for teleprompter apps or paper, warming up, visualizing a listener, handling pick-up lines, and noting which tracks to keep and which to cut.
• 3:30-4:00 p.m. – Illinois Public Radio Meeting
• 4:00 p.m. – INBA Foundation Meeting (Location TBD)
• 5:30 p.m. – Doors Open for Evening Reception
• 6:00 p.m. – Dinner
  • Keynote Speaker: Alexis McAdams, Fox News Correspondent

• About our Keynote: Alexis McAdams currently serves as a national correspondent based in New York City. She joined the Fox network in October 2021.Most recently, McAdams reported live from the Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people were killed in a mass shooting. McAdams previously worked at ABC affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago where she covered the city’s crime beat. In addition, she covered major breaking news stories across the Midwest including natural disasters, mass shootings and major court cases as well as extensive reporting on the protests in Chicago following the death of George Floyd. A graduate of Illinois State University, McAdams holds a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
  • INBA Crystal Mic Awards Presentation

Sunday Oct. 9

• 9:30-10:15 a.m. – Pandemic messaging lessons learned

• Presenter: OSF Healthcare
  • Session Description: The media relied on healthcare professionals to get accurate and timely information out to Illinois residents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot has been learned about the virus itself and how to treat and prevent it. A moderated discussion on what has been learned from both sides of the messaging on best practices to ensure the safety of residents and the audiences we serve.

10:30-11:00 a.m. – Illinoisan of the Year 

Susan Stephens is northern Illinois’ host of All Things Considered on WNIJ. She is also a reporter and former President of the INBA.

Stephens knows she was “bit by the radio bug” as a kid, and talks about her childhood interest in radio. In this podcast interview with INBA & WBBM’s Margaret Larkin, she talks about how INBA has always been an affordable outlet for learning, networking, and having fun with other broadcasters across the state.

Stephens says one of the things she’s learned throughout her award-winning career is, “just about everyone has an interesting story and the trick is getting it out of them.”

Whether you’re a sucker for radio, work in TV, or you’re still figuring out your place in broadcasting, check out this podcast for some valuable advice and anecdotes.

Boose talks about her journey from studying journalism, to working in the corporate world, and finding her way back to news broadcasting. She said she thought she’d only be working at Verizon for a couple years before getting into news, but that’s not what happened. She said, “get the help,” and network with people who can get you into the industry.

Boose also talks about her passion for writing poetry, growing up in Blue Island, and what makes a good story (Spoiler! It’s great sound).

Listen below:

CLICK HERE to register. You have the option of attending the whole weekend, or just Saturday.

Small Market Radio

Large Market Radio

Small Market Television

Large Market Television

Illinois competes in Region 7, made up of radio and television stations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.  The awards are broken up in to “Large Market” and “Small Market.”

Broadcasters from across the state took home a total of 25 Regional Murrows, with two stations, WBBM-TV and WBBM Newsradio in Chicago, winning the top honor of Overall Excellence.

The Edward R. Murrow Awards recognize outstanding achievement in electronic journalism are among the most respected journalism honors in the world.

All 25 awards will now advance to the national competition.  Winners from that competition will be announced later this summer.

Here’s a breakdown of the awards won by stations in Illinois:

Large Market Television

Overall Excellence
WBBM-TV
WBBM, Chicago

Digital
WBBM
WBBM, Chicago

Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Beyond the Numbers: Chicago’s Deadly Disparities
WBBM, Chicago

Excellence in Innovation
Left in the Dark
WBBM, Chicago

Excellence in Writing
Edwards’ Writing Composite
WBBM, Chicago

Hard News
Eviction Protections Leaving Landlords Homeless
WBBM, Chicago

Investigative Reporting
My Name is Anjanette Young
WBBM, Chicago

Newscast
CBS 2 News at Six: My Names is Anjanette Young
WBBM, Chicago 

Large Market Radio

Overall Excellence
WBBM Newsradio
WBBM, Chicago

Digital
COVID-19 Coverage
WBEZ, Chicago

Excellence in Writing
How the Green Line, A Pink House and 12 Cents Changed How | See My City
WBEZ & City Bureau, Chicago

News Documentary
Starting College Behind
Chicago Public Media, Chicago

Newscast
WBBM Newscast
WBBM, Chicago

Podcast
Motive Season 3
WBEZ, Chicago

Small Market Television

Breaking News Coverage
Rockford protests the death of George Floyd, racial injustices
WREX, Rockford

Continuing Coverage
Belvidere Police accused of systematic abuse of power, excessive force
WREX, Rockford

Digital
Severe weather education saves lives
WREX, Rockford

Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Together We Rise: A WMBD/WYZZ Town Hall Special
WMBD/WYZZ, Peoria/Bloomington

Excellence in Video
Who killed Dalton Mesarchik?
Heart of Illinois ABC, East Peoria

Excellence in Writing
James Stratton Composite
WREX, Rockford

Hard News
Fear on 500 Webster Avenue
WREX, Rockford

Investigative Reporting
Belvidere Police accused of systematic abuse of power, excessive force
WREX, Rockford

Small Market Radio

Continuing Coverage
University of Illinois COVID-19 Testing
WILL/Illinois Public Media, Champaign-Urbana

Digital
Illinois Newsroom
WILL/Illinois Public Media, Champaign-Urbana

Hard News
No Wiggle Room
WILL/Illinois Public Media, Champaign-Urbana