WGTD FM, the area Wisconsin Public Radio and National Public Radio affiliate owned by Gateway Technical College, had a big night at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards ceremony, winning eight total awards.
The ceremony recognizes the best work in Wisconsin media for 2021. WGTD General Manager Dave Cole said he was proud of the station and staff and the awards illustrated the station’s commitment to community service.
“These awards partially reflect WGTD's continuing commitment to public service and our desire to support local arts as much as possible,” said Cole. “They also speak to the talents, dedication and experience of our staff.”
WGTD won first-place awards for the following content in the Medium Market Music Radio category:
- The Best Original Digital Content category for “Inside The Rittenhouse Trial” podcast. The nightly podcast featured daily developments and analysis of the 2021 Kyle Rittenhouse trial and reached thousands of people nationwide. Troy McDonald hosted and longtime Kenosha criminal defense attorney Robert Sfasciotti provided the commentary.
- Two first place finishes for the WGTD Radio Theater, now in its 18th year of providing live productions, in the following categories:
- The Best On-site Broadcast Remote category for “Radio Theater Holiday Extravaganza Live from Lake Lawn Resort”
- The Best Use of Audio Non-News category for “2021 Cartoon Mashup: Wanted, a Kingdom”
- The Best Interview category for “The Morning Show” with Greg Berg. This was an interview highlighting a local connection to the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
- The Best Original Feature category for “Noon Tunes” with Dave McGrath for “Classical Music Station Finds Way to Support Local Musicians of all Stripes.” With years of experience in supporting nationally-known musical acts in a variety of ways, McGrath was honored for a daily segment that highlights local artists from all genres.
The station also garnered two second-place awards:
- Best Original Feature category, WGTD Radio Theater, for “The 17th Season of the WGTD Radio Theater”
- Best Interview category, The Morning Show with Greg Berg for “Local Musical Connection to Biden Inauguration”
The station rounded out its top three finishes with two third-place awards:
- The Best Specialty Programming category for WGTD Radio Theater, “Eleanor R.: The First Lady of The World”
- Best Significant Community Impact for the “Inside The Rittenhouse Trial” podcast.
