WUGA-FM WINS SIX ASSOCIATED PRESS AWARDS

The Georgia Associated Press Broadcasters Association has honored WUGA, 91.7/97.9 FM, with six first place awards in its 2010 contest. WUGA competes in the category for all Georgia radio stations outside of the Atlanta market.

WUGA News Director Mary Kay Mitchell won Best Anchor/Reporter. Mitchell anchors WUGA's afternoon newscasts, reports on community issues and features, and moderates the weekly reporters' roundtable, "Athens News Matters," which airs at 3:30 Thursdays.

Mitchell also won Best Feature Reporting and Best Use of Sound for a profile of the Classic City Rollergirls. Mitchell demonstrated how the local women's roller derby team now competes in a full-fledged sport with extensive athletic training.

University of Georgia research into the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the award for Best Series Reporting. Steve Bell and Pete Konenkamp assisted Mitchell with stories on the results of studies by marine scientist Samantha Joye and other researchers.

Best Specialized Reporting honors went to Mitchell's piece on songs written especially for children which describe the assets of the Georgia coast. Mitchell worked with David Bryant from the Georgia Sea Grant program to profile songwriter Roger Day as he performed his commissioned songs for schoolchildren.

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day provided the background for Mitchell's award-winning piece for Best General Reporting. Mitchell interviewed UGA professors who participated in the first environmental celebration in Athens.

The AP awards were announced at an awards banquet held in Atlanta on April 30th.

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Mary Kay Mitchell
News Director
WUGA-FM

Effective March 1, Jimmy Sanders takes the reins as Director of Television and Radio at the University of Georgia. A native of Hartwell and  a UGA alumnus, Jimmy began his 37-year career in broadcasting  at WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, SC, and went on to oversee programming and promotion for a chain of thirteen TV stations around the Southeast and Midwest. He worked for WFTV/WRDQ-TV in Orlando Florida before returning to Northeast Georgia as Station Manager at WNEG-TV.  He will now oversee the  transition of  WNEG-TV into public television station WUGA-TV. The change in call letters is awaiting approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

Jimmy Sanders succeeds Steve Bell, who has been General Manager of WUGA (FM) since 2004. Steve continues to direct UGA’s division of Broadcast, Video and Photography, which now has additional responsibilities for the production of television and radio programs for WUGA-TV and WUGA-FM.