WMLU, the Longwood University campus radio station, has for the sixth consecutive year won the top prize for outstanding sports coverage for a station in its category from the Virginia Association of Broadcasters.
The station took home the first-place award for a public or noncommercial station, as it has done every year since 2009. Accepting the award June 20 at the VAB’s 77th annual summer convention in Virginia Beach were Steven Sommer ’14, the station’s sports director for the last two years, and Brandon Kelly ’14, also a member of the sports committee.
"To be recognized by your peers through the Virginia Association of Broadcasters is an incredible accomplishment for a student-run radio station," said Jeff Halliday, associate professor of communication studies and co-adviser to the station. "Longwood has been the only school recognized by the VAB in recent history, which speaks to the quality of the student programming and their continued leadership."
WMLU reintroduced sports broadcasting in 2008 with support from Longwood’s athletics department.
"This is a group award. Everybody plays their part and pitches in," said Sommer, who will soon start an internship with Wofford University’s sports information office, while Kelly is working as a communications specialist for Southside Electric Cooperative. "I just kept the ball rolling."
The sports staff for the coming year will include sports director Derrick Bennington and Paloma Alatorre, Ben Blumenthal, Nick Conigliaro and Eric Hobeck.
WMLU, a student-run organization, started in 1981 and features live streaming of music and original student programming. The station has a contractual agreement to air WMRA’s National Public Radio content and Longwood student programming. WMLU can be found at 91.3 FM.
WMLU’s other advisers are William Lynn of Conferences and Scheduling, who has advised the station for 14 years, and Bryan Roethel ’13, a former disc jockey and executive board member who now works for Information Technology Services.
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