May 26, 2017; PITTSBURGH, PA— Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting (including 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP, as well as The Allegheny Front) has had an award-winning season, with recognition from the Pennsylvania Associated Press, Pittsburgh Black Media Federation Robert L. Vann Awards and culminating last evening with awards at the Pennsylvania Press Club Golden Quills Awards.
CEO and President Terry O’Reilly stated, “We are proud of the recognition for our growing WESA newsroom, as well as for our relevant and important music programming at WYEP and our environmental reporting partner, The Allegheny Front. All of Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting’s programming makes essential contributions to Pittsburgh’s news, information and cultural infrastructure, and these awards come at a time when listenership to our news and musical services continues to grow.”
On Thursday evening, WYEP was recognized with the Ed King Memorial Award for “Music and the Civil Rights Movement.” Pittsburgh Community Broadcastingjournalists were recognized with seven Golden Quills awards and with 13 finalists, recognizing outstanding work that appeared on WYEP, on WESA, through The Allegheny Front, and in digital format for all three of the company’s brands. “I could not be prouder of those honored, or of their work,“ noted O’Reilly, adding, “Our congratulations to all, including The Allegheny Front, recognized with six Golden Quill awards and 6 finalists for their environmental reporting. It’s great to have them as part of the solid storytelling team that finds its home on Bedford Square these days.”
Additionally, at the recent Pennsylvania AP Awards, WESA’s Patrick Doyle and Megan Harris took a First Place in Features for "How Teaching Ex-Cons How to Lay Brick Can Help Rebuild Their Lives", and The Allegheny Front scored a second-place win in the “Best series” category for “Follow the Pipeline.” And last month at the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation Robert L. Vann Awards, WESA reporters were recognized for Best Radio/Spot News (Megan Harris and Sarah Kovash for “Trump Supporters and Protestors Clash in Pittsburgh”) and Best Radio News Feature (Paul Guggenheimer for “Jasiri X’s Live ‘Body and Soul’ Score”).
Here is the complete list of Thursday’s Golden Quill honorees.
Feature, Radio and Podcasts
Winner: Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front, "Eating Crickets Is Good for You and the Planet"
Finalist: Deanna Garcia, WESA, "In Need of New Lungs, a Woman Turns to Social Media"
Feature, Digital Finalist: Patrick Doyle and Megan Harris, WESA, "How Teaching Ex-Cons to Lay Brick Can Help Rebuild Their Lives"
Public Affairs/Community Service, Radio and PodcastWinner: Staff, The Allegheny Front, "The Allegheny Front"Finalist: Patrick Doyle, WESA, "How Teaching Ex-Cops to Lay Brick Can Help Rebuild Their Lives"
Business/Technology/Consumer, Radio and Podcasts
Winner: Patrick Doyle and Megan Harris, WESA, "From Red-Hot Steel to Red-Hot Tech: Reinventing an Old Industrial Site"
Finalist: Katie Blackley and Megan Harris, WESA, "Natrona Bottling Company Thriving on Nostalgia and Tradition"
Kara Holsopple, The Allegheny Front, "Your Smart Phone Could Soon Tell You How Fresh Your Food Is" Mark Nootbaar, WESA, "Pittsburgh Tech Report"
Health/Science Radio and Podcasts Winner: Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front, "Is the Natural Gas in Your Home Upping Your Radon Risk?"Finalist: Deanna Garcia, WESA, "Fecal Matter Transplants a Growing Treatment Option" Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front, "What Your Kids Are Learning About Climate Change"
Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, "The Hunt for Methane Leaks Goes High-Tech"
Environment, Radio and Podcasts
Winner: Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, "Why Coal's Recent Slide Makes It Harder to Clean Up Its Dirty Past"
Finalist: Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, "Are We Heading for a Hydropower Boom on the Three Rivers?"
Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front, "Why Big Industry Is Paying Small Farmers to Cut Pollution in the Ohio River"
Megan Harris, WESA,
"Elk Mating Really Gets Pennsylvania Going"
Environment, Digital Winner: Megan Harris, WESA, "Elk Mating Really Gets Pennsylvania Going"
History, Radio and Podcasts
Winner: Staff, WYEP, "Music and the Civil Rights Movement"
Finalist: Sarah Schneider, WESA, "Mellon's Orchard: A Parking Lot with a History of Redevelopment Dreams"
Arts & Entertainment, Radio and Podcasts Winner: Rosemary Welsch and Brian Siewiorek, WYEP, "A Conversation with Rock and Blues Legend Bonnie Raitt"
Finalists: Cindy Howes, WYEP, "Live and Direct with Tegan and Sarah"
Cindy Howes, WYEP, "The Local 913"
Rosemary Welsch and Mike Sauter, WYEP, "Listener Roundtable: Joni Mitchell's Blue"
Lifestyle, Radio and Podcasts Winner: Patrick Doyle and Megan Harris, WESA, "Behind the Scenes at Smallman Galley"
Sports, Radio and Podcasts Winner: Paul Guggenheimer, WESA, "1971 Pirates Reflect on Historic All-Black Lineup" Finalists: Katie Blackley, WESA, "Before the Steelers Had Six Super Bowl Wins, They Had the Steelerettes"
Paul Guggenheimer, WESA, "Former Pitt Coach Johnny Majors Remembers '76 Championship Season"
Documentary, Radio Winner: Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, "As Coal Fades, What's Next for Thousands of Miners?"
Enterprise/Investigative. Radio and Podcasts Winner: Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, "Could Shell's Ethane Cracker Erase Recent Gains in Air Quality?"
Finalists: Julie Grant, The Allegheny Front, "Eminent Domain Is Becoming a Crucial, Controversial Part of the Gas Pipeline Boom"
Ed King Memorial Award: Radio: Staff, WYEP, "Music and the Civil Rights Movement"
