2019 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:
Brian Lee & Chris Wolfe, KZOQ Radio, Missoula
Runner-Up:
KC Kloppel, KBAZ Radio, Missoula
Radio Copywriter of the Year
Winner:
Jesse Drahos, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "Maid In Montana"
Runner-Up:
Kevin Skaalure, KBLL Radio, Helena, "Legal Tender Pub and Bistro"
Radio Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Robb Reel, KGGL Radio, Missoula, "Treasure State Tree, RS Aesthetics, Magic Touch"
Runner-Up:
Brian Braunberger, KOFI/KZMN/KOLK Radio, Kalispell, "Ernie Does The Wave"
Radio News Story of the Year
Winner:
Peter Christian, KGVO Radio, Missoula, "Miracle Rescue of Baby Abandoned in Woods"
Runner-Up:
Dan Manella, KMON.KAAK/KVVR/KLFM RADIO, Great Falls, "Civil Emergency - Flood 2019"
Radio Newscast of the Year
Winner:
Peter Christian, KGVO Radio, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Troy Mellinger, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "STARadio Minute-To-Minute News Updates"
Radio Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Sarah Kanter Brown, Yellowstone Public Radio, Billings, "Field Days"
Runner-Up:
Denise Dowling, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "Alex, Not Amy: Growing up Transgender in the Rural West"
Radio Public Service
Winner:
Angela Terry, Whitney Dorr, Scott Keith & Jim Diamond, KIMO/KMXM/KBLL/KZMT/KMTX RADIO, Helena, "Shop Local Helena"
Runner-Up:
Ryan Nelson, KYSS RADIO, Missoula, "KYSSMAS for Kids"
Radio Sports Coverage
Winner:
Ron Bruschi, KOJM/KRYK/KPQX Radio, Havre
Runner-Up:
Ryan Tootell & Colter Nuanez, KKVU Radio, Missoula, "Tootell and Nuanez"
Radio Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Ron Bruschi, KOJM/KRYK/KPQX Radio, Havre
Runner-Up:
Paul Panisko, KBOW Radio, Butte
Radio Station Promotion
Winner:
Carin Sullivan, KMBR/KAAR Radio, Butte, "Mining City Legends & Legacies-Red Cross"
Runner-Up:
Robb Reel, KGGL Radio, Missoula "If... Your Station"
Radio Program of the Year
Winner:
Lynne Turner Fitzgerald, KWMY Radio, Billings, "Boomers"
Runner-Up:
Donald Thoma, KOJM Radio, Havre, "Today In Music History"
Radio Website of the Year
Winner:
Angel Hughes, KAMM Radio, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Josh Burnham, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "mtpr.org"
Television Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Crystal Meeks, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "Q2 Creative Services Commercials"
Runner-Up:
Frank Palazzi, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "UM Western, Horsemanship - UM Western, Experience One - Stifel Future of Business in MT"
Television Writer-Commercial & Public Service
Winner:
Lindsay McNay, KFBB-TV, Great Falls, Lewistown Chamber/Enjoy Lewistown - The Land Is Life"
Runner-Up:
Matt Reid, KBZK-TV, Bozeman
Television Writer - News & Long Form Programming
Winner:
Cyndy Koures, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Kevin Maki, KECI-TV, Missoula
Television Newscast of the Year
Winner:
KTVQ-2 News Team, KTVQ-TV, Billings
Runner-Up:
KPAX News Team, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Television Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Anna Rau, MontanaPBS, Missoula, "Safe Enough?"
Runner-Up:
Ray Ekness, Gus Chambers, John Twiggs & William Marcus, MontanaPBS, Missoula, “Backroads of Montana"
Television Pubilc Service
Winner:
Healy Lyons & Shirstie Gaylord, KRTV-TV, Great Falls, "Watch Me"
Runner-Up:
Ben Croft, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "The Nate Chute Foundation "Save A Life"
Television Sports Story or Series
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, Joe Lesar & Blake Koemans, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "The Wrestler"
Runner-Up:
Brandon Sullivan, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "The Need for Speed"
Television Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, KTMF-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Tom Wylie, KRTV-TV, Great Falls
Television Station Promotion
Winner:
James Rafferty, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
James Sally, KBZK-TV, Bozeman
Television On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Maritsa Georgiou, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Jill Valley, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Television Feature News
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "You Are My Sunshine"
Runner-Up:
Zoe Zandora & Justin Hosa, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "Heart Mountain Pilgrimage"
Television Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Sarah Gravlee, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "Second Chance"
Runner-Up:
Jill Valley & Jill Valley, KPAX-TV, Missoula, "Humor and Harmony: The John Dunnigan Story"
Television Hard News
Winner:
NBC Montana News Team, KECI-TV, Missoula, "YMCA closes day care after meth found"
Runner-Up:
Megan Lewis, KFBB-TV, Great Falls, "Flooding Across Montana"
Television Weathercaster of the Year
Winner:
Mark Heyka, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Elizabeth Copeland, KRTV/KXLH, Great Falls/Helena
Television Breaking News
Winner:
NBC Montana News Team, KECI-TV, Missoula, "Homes evacuated as major flooding hits western Montana"
Runner-Up:
Eric Gaylord, Shannon Newth, Tim McGonigal & Jason Laird, KRTV-TV, Great Falls, "Sun River Flooding"
Television Website of the Year
Winner:
Kendra Fike, KTVQ-TV, Billings
Runner-Up:
William Miller & Maria Whisenhunt, KECI-TV, Missoula