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Alumnus Kyle Schassburger, WGIL Radio, AP Best Spot News
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Broadcasting Students, Alumnus Earn Top Awards at INBA Convention

May 10, 2012

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MACOMB, IL- Hosting the Illinois News Broadcasters Association (IBNA) semi-annual convention in Macomb made it convenient and productive for Western Illinois University broadcasting students and an alumnus who works 50 miles away at a Galesburg (IL) radio station.

Six students received awards at the convention, which was held April 27-29 at the Spoon River College Outreach Center.

Three senior broadcasting majors were honored in sports categories: Joshua Gleason (Memphis, NY), took home first as the Outstanding Radio Sports Reporter; Matt Fischer (Plainfield, IL) placed first for Outstanding Radio Sports Play-by-Play; and Michael Patrick Broskowski (Jefferson, WI) placed second in Outstanding Radio Sports Play-by-Play.

Sean Ingrassia, a senior broadcasting major, and freshman broadcasting major Andrew Bacon (both of Chatham, IL) received first place in Outstanding TV Sports Program for "Pigskin Preview."

Kelsey Wolfe (Oregon, IL), a senior journalism major with a broadcasting minor, placed third for Outstanding Radio News Reporting. She also received an INBA scholarship.

The Associated Press presented Kyle Schassburger, a May 2011 broadcasting-news/performance graduate, with first place in the Best Spot News category for his August 2011 coverage of President Obama's unscheduled stop in Galesburg (IL). Schassburger was in his third week on the job at WGIL Galesburg Radio, and the only news reporter at the station because the rest had gone to the president's scheduled stop site barely 20 miles north. The rookie reporter received a gold star that day from WGIL News Director Will Stevenson.

"I'm proud of Kyle, and glad to have him on our award-winning team," Stevenson said. "When we planned live coverage of President Obama's visit to Alpha (IL), I told Kyle that if the president somehow made a surprise trip to Galesburg, to get out of the studio immediately and get to him. He did, and provided compelling live coverage. WGIL won Station of the Year, an award for which I must give Kyle a good portion of the credit."

Schassburger said he was only trying to capture the moment for the station's listeners. He also said
the award is a reflection on his four years of preparation in Western's broadcasting department and his tenure as a news reporter at Tri State Public Radio under the guidance of News Director Rich Egger.

"I can't thank the professors enough for putting me in a position to succeed and instilling the wisdom necessary to bring to life a moment like that on the air, and the experience I got with Rich Egger is a big reason why I stand where I am today," Schassburger said. "Meeting deadlines, establishing professional contacts in the community and writing quality stories have proven extremely valuable."

Egger, the INBA executive secretary, served as host of the convention, which including broadcasting media students from Illinois universities, workshops, keynote speaker Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Kilbride and the awards banquet.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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