KQAL Recognized for Outstanding Regional Journalism

Winona State University radio station KQAL was recently honored with three Eric Sevareid Awards at the 2019 Midwest Journalism Conference.

Public Administration major Will Huyck ’21 (St. Louis Park, Minn.) was honored with two Awards of Merit for his work on KQAL’s Culture Clique. In the Student Market category for audio storytelling, Huyck’s feature “Tom the Barber” highlighted the career of long time Winona barber Tom Schneider.

Huyck’s second award came in the area for documentary storytelling for his production of “Voices of the Past Cemetery Walk,” as Huyck captured the sounds of the annual Woodlawn cemetery walk.

In Small Market Radio, KQAL Program Coordinator Bill Stoneberg was awarded First Place for his interview with singer/songwriter and Winona native Matt Browne, which was featured on KQAL’s “The Live Feed.”
“I’m thrilled for Will & Bill,” said KQAL General Manager Doug Westerman. “Will has a real passion for radio and audio production and has demonstrated great skill in a very short time. His ability to develop and produce quality stories is worthy of the recognition.”

Westerman also remarked on the “homespun” quality of Stoneberg’s interviews, and the large selection of local talent available to feature on “The Live Feed.”

“So many unique and talented people surround us here in Winona,” he observed. “It’s a combination that produces great content.”

All three award-winning programs are available via a podcast online at KQAL.org.

KQAL is the only full service, independent radio station in Winona and has been serving the area since 1975. KQAL is operated by the Mass Communication Department at WSU and is staffed primarily by student volunteers. It has a dual mission: to provide career training for students interested in radio broadcasting as well as to provide the residents of southeastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin with quality educational and entertaining programming.

Each year, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association presents awards to the best work done by broadcast news operations and and journalists working in small, medium and large markets in our six-state region on radio, television and online. The awards are named after Eric Sevareid, the North Dakota-born and University of Minnesota-educated journalist best known for his work for CBS radio and television. The Northwest Broadcast News Association (NBNA) sponsors the awards. The panel of judges is made up of journalists and educators who live outside of Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa and Nebraska to help ensure impartiality.

For more information, contact Doug Westerman at DWesterman@winona.eduor visit kqal.org.