6-18-14
The honor was bestowed upon the Jimmy de Castro-run station by the Illinois Broadcasters Association at the 2014 IBA Silver Dome Awards. For the seventh year in a row, the IBA recognized WGN Radio as the Chicago Market Station of the Year. WGN also took home six additional awards including Best Radio Series/Documentary and Best Play-By-Play team. de Castro said, ?We are thrilled to have taken home seven awards and to be recognized by our peers at the Illinois Broadcasters Association.?
The radio station competition is divided into three market classifications, allowing stations in similarly sized markets to compete on a level playing field. Out-of-state broadcasters do the judging for the Illinois competition. Entry fees collected for the competition help fund the IBA's College Endowment and Minority Internship Programs.
In addition, WGN Radio earned first place honors in six categories:
- Best Play-By-Play Team for Chicago Blackhawks broadcasters John Wiedeman and Troy Murray.
- Best Radio Series or Documentary for ?Beyond Bartman: The Story of the 2003 Cubs,? produced by David Kaplan, Trey Elling, and Dan Levy.
- Best Radio Feature for ?Halloween Rescheduled,? with Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder.
- Best Station Website for wgnradio.com.
- Best Use of New Media for the ?Graveyard Shift Tours? video with Nick Digilio and Dan Sugrue.
- Best Non-Humorous Commercial for ?Des Plaines Golf Center,? produced by Jason Skaggs.
