WMSV staffers take national awards

Reporter Jay Houts of Birmingham, Ala., and on-air personality Genniver E. McKey of Port Gibson each won first-place honors at the annual awards ceremony of the National Association of College Broadcasters. Held over the weekend in Providence, R.I., the competition drew radio and video entries from colleges and universities around the nation.

The awards are not the first for WMSV. Since going on the air in March, the FM station has received major honors from the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and College Music Journal. The 24-hour-a-day, student-staffed operation received five first-place MAB awards this summer and was named in September as one of CMJ's 50 most influential stations.

"Even though we received the earlier honors, we're simply floored by these latest awards," said station general manager Steve Ellis. "This is just an example of the fine work being done by all of the more than 75 student volunteers."

Houts, a junior political science major, won for a news story on the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. McKey, a sophomore communication/theater major, is currently on the air 6-8 p.m. each Monday. She also is host for the "Homegrown Show," which showcases local and regional bands 10 p.m.-midnight each Thursday.

"It still hasn't sunk in yet," said McKey, who was the lone female and Southeastern U.S. student from among the five finalists in her category. "We haven't been on the air for very long and I haven't been a DJ for very long, so I wasn't expecting anything like this."

Houts also expressed surprise. "It says everything we have been doing is right and we are on the right track," he added.

The 14,000-watt station at 91.1 FM broadcasts year-round to a 50-mile radius of campus.