Aspen Public Radio has been recognized with multiple awards from the Colorado Broadcasters Association (CBA). The CBA publicly made the awards announcements Saturday night at its 2021 Awards of Excellence Gala in Denver.
The CBA was founded in 1949 as a non-profit trade organization to represent broadcasters, both public and private, and to formally interact with state and national officials and trade groups to further the business of broadcasting. Their annual awards recognize excellence in radio and television throughout Colorado.
Aspen Public Radio’s submissions for work done in 2021 was judged by out-of-state professional broadcasters against entries from other radio stations in the medium-sized radio market. The medium-sized radio market includes public and commercial stations in 36 diverse communities across the state, including Vail, Steamboat Springs, Durango, Alamosa, Delta, Craig, and more.
Aspen Public Radio was recognized with top honors in the following categories:
- Best News Feature, Report or Series: ‘Ute people are alive, we exist:' Skyler Lomahaftewa brings his culture home to the Rocky Mountains by Eleanor Bennett
- Best Sports Feature: New skier with ALS tackles Snowmass, proving the disease can't hold her back by Halle Zander
Additionally, Aspen Public Radio received Certificates of Merit as honorable mentions in the following categories:
- Best Morning Show: “The Outdoor Report” with Eleanor Bennett
- Best Use of Digital/Social Media: “Get To Know Our Team" campaign by Lisa DeLosso
- Best Station Website: aspenpublicradio.org, managed by Lauri Jackson, Lisa DeLosso, and the Aspen Public Radio news team
Aspen Public Radio’s news director Brent Gardner-Smith says, “Eleanor Bennett and Halle Zander are both talented broadcast journalists who worked hard on their award-winning features. I think the judges could hear the heart and soul that went into those stories. I was also delighted that Eleanor’s morning show was recognized, along with our website and the station’s promotional campaign.”
Aspen Public Radio executive director Breeze Richardson says, “Receiving these awards is such an incredible honor. It’s a true reflection of how hard our team has worked to provide high-quality, audio-rich local news coverage for the Roaring Fork Valley, along with easy digital access, during such a challenging time for our community and our country. We’re so proud and humbled to be able to share the voices of our community with a wider audience, and represent Aspen and the valley in this positive way.”
These distinctions come at a noteworthy time for Aspen Public Radio, which celebrated 40 years of broadcasting in the Roaring Fork Valley in 2021. In June 2021, Richardson was named executive director; she met with more than 100 community leaders in the first six months of her tenure, hired Gardner-Smith, and actively reestablished the station’s footing in Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a coalition of 18 non-commercial radio stations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
In fact, Rocky Mountain Community Radio won a combined 21 CBA awards, with Aspen Public Radio claiming five (5), KVNF in Paonia/Montrose winning five (5), KUNC in Greeley winning five (5), KOTO in Telluride winning two (2), KDNK in Carbondale winning one (1), KSJD in Cortez winning one (1), KSUT in Ignacio winning one (1), and KRFC in Fort Collins winning one (1), across all markets.
A complete 2021 CBA awards list by market is available here: https://www.coloradobroadcasters.org/awards-of-excellence/
Richardson adds, “With these honors we’re celebrating the recognition of our locally-rooted team – working hard everyday to serve our community. Whether that’s strengthening the ways you can access our Local Newscast on-demand every weekday; hiring additional reporters and producers to increase the beats we can cover while highlighting important stories from local stakeholders; or partnering with local organizations to host events and more widely distribute key community discussions. These approaches collectively strengthen our reporting, and in turn, make our community a more vibrant, informed place to live, visit, and work. Thank you to the CBA for recognizing our station’s efforts, and most importantly, thank you so much to all our listeners, members, and local underwriters for making these rewarding achievements possible.”