2018 E.B. Craney Award Winners
Made possible by the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.
Radio On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Hot Rod Thompson, KCTR Radio, Billings
Runner-Up:
Charene Herrera, KYSS Radio, Missoula
Radio Copywriter of the Year
Winner:
Kevin Skaalure, KMXM Radio, Helena, “Living Color”
Runner-Up:
Julie Moore, KIMO Radio, Helena, "Twas a Cold Night at Dinner"
Radio Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Donald Thoma, KOJM Radio, Havre, "Crystal City & Dan's Auto"
Runner-Up:
Troy Mellinger, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "Sound Pro Cajunman -- Boston's Force -- Max Sports Bar Valentine"
Radio News Story of the Year
Winner:
Peter Christian, KGVO Radio, Missoula, "I-90 Shootout Following Murder of Broadwater County Deputy"
Runner-Up:
Nate Hegyi, Yellowstone Public Radio, Billings, "Biologists With Drones And Peanut Butter Pellets Are On A Mission To Help Ferrets"
Radio Newscast of the Year
Winner:
Troy Mellinger, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "STARadio Minute-To-Minute News Link"
Runner-Up:
Peter Christian, KGVO Radio, Missoula
Radio Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Nicky Ouellet & Eric Whitney, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "SubSurface: Resisting Montana's Underwater Invaders"
Runner-Up:
Annie Garde, Beth Anne Austein & Cherie Newman, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "Kids Like You And Me: Busting Myths About Autism"
Radio Public Service
Winner:
Dan Manella, Cherry Creek Radio, "Raising Readers Twas the Night Before"
Runner-Up:
Jesse Drahos, KWGF, Great Falls, "Act Normal Theater Group, Ox & Sons Towing"
Radio Sports Coverage
Winner:
Ron Bruschi, KOJM/KRYK/KPQX Radio, Havre
Runner-Up:
Troy Mellinger, KIMO Radio, Great Falls, "The Rundown"
Radio Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Ron Bruschi, KOJM/KRYK/KPQX Radio, Havre
Runner-Up:
Paul Panisko, KBOW Radio, Butte
Radio Station Promotion
Winner:
Angel Hughes, KAMM Radio, Missoula, "Alt 101.5 Tattoo Cover Up"
Runner-Up:
KC Cloppel, KBAZ Radio, Missoula, "Blaze Dodgeball League"
Radio Program of the Year
Winner:
Lynne Turner Fitzgerald & Casey Paul Stephan, KWMY Radio, Billings, "Boomers:
Runner-Up:
Jack Seymour & Matt Brubaker, KRKX Radio, Billings, "Garth Brooks Concert Warmup"
Radio Website of the Year
Winner:
Josh Burnham, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "mtpr.org"
Runner-Up:
Charene Herrera, KYSS Radio, Missoula, "kyssfm.com"
Television Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Carley Rainey, KBZK-TV, Bozeman, “Commercials”
Runner-Up:
Dillon Davies, Shawn Newton & Matthew Wheat, KRTV/KXLH-TV, Great Falls/Helena, "Under the Big Sky Episode 2"
Television Writer-Commercial & Public Service
Winner:
Colin Cashin, KXLH-TV, Helena, "Mountain Ranch House - Spokesperson Auditions"
Runner-Up:
Andy Ashcraft & Jody Rempel, KRTV-TV, Great Falls, "Rural Dynamics Inc.-Cost of Living, Meltdown"
Television Writer - News & Long Form Programming
Winner:
Cyndy Koures, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Jill Valley, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Television Newscast of the Year
Winner:
KULR-8 News Team, KULR-8, Billings
Runner-Up:
KTVQ-2 News Team, KTVQ-TV, Billings
Television Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Mikenzie Frost, KTVH-TV, Helena, "Rural education in Montana; charm, challenges and uncertainties"
Runner-Up:
Ray Ekness, Gus Chambers, John Twiggs & William Marcus, MontanaPBS, Missoula, “Backroads of Montana"
Television Pubilc Service
Winner:
Shawn Newton & Dillon Davies, KRTV/KXLH-TV, Great Falls/Helena, "Suicide Prevention"
Runner-Up:
Jim Sanders, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Television Sports Story or Series
Winner:
Brandon Sullivan, KTVQ-TV, Billings. "Klepps: Pursuit of Four"
Runner-Up:
Jake Jones, KULR-TV, Billings, "For the Love of the Game"
Television Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Richie Melby, KTVH-TV, Helena
Runner-Up:
Ben Wineman, KTMF-TV, Missoula
Television Station Promotion
Winner:
James Rafferty, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Carley Rainey, KBZK-TV, Bozeman
Television On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Jeanelle Slade, KTVQ-TV, Billings
Runner-Up:
Jay Kohn, KTVQ-TV, Billings
Television Feature News
Winner:
Brandon Sullivan, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "As Dementia Takes Hold - Nardo's Story"
Runner-Up:
Sarah Gravlee, KMTF-TV, Missoula, "SCAD"
Television Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, Blake Koemans & Joe Lesar, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "Prison Ball"
Runner-Up:
Sarah Gravlee & David Winter, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "Out of the Woods"
Television Hard News
Winner:
John Sherer, KBZK-TV, Bozeman, "Bear Attack"
Runner-Up:
Jeanelle Slade & Paul Humphrey, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "Use of Deadly Force"
Television Weathercaster of the Year
Winner:
Erin Yost, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Curtis Grevenitz, KTVH-TV, Helena
Television Breaking News
Winner:
Bridgette Larsen, David Kaplan, Ken McGrath, Andrea Lutz, Wesley Richard & Evelyn Schultz, KULR-TV, Billings, "Big Timber Fire Coverage"
Runner-Up:
NBC Montana News Team, KECI-TV, Missoula, "Western Montana wildfire breaking news"
Television Website of the Year
Winner:
William Miller & Maria Whisenhunt, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Mark Thorsell, KPAX-TV, Missoula