KSMU Wins Top MBA Awards For Feature, Public Affairs Programs; Randy Stewart Honored For Talent

KSMU | By Jennifer Moore

Published April 21, 2020 at 5:54 PM CDT

For the KSMU series, "Let's Talk About It: Normalizing Mental Health Conversations," KSMU's Mike Smith talks with a community member about her journey with Depression.

KSMU has been awarded the 2020 Missouri Broadcasters Association First Place Awards for both Feature Reporting and Documentary/Public Affairs categories, the MBA Announced Tuesday afternoon.

Additionally, longtime KSMU arts and music host, Randy Stewart, was awarded a Certificate of Merit from MBA for his program, “Arts News with Randy Stewart” and his unique hosting contributions in classical and arts programming to the Ozarks region for over four decades.

The Missouri Broadcasters Association is the largest professional association for broadcasters in the Show-Me State, with members representing a total of 351 radio and television stations.

KSMU's First Place MBA awards went to:

"Let's Talk About It: Normalizing Mental Health Conversations" in the Documentary/Public Affairs Category for Medium Market Radio; produced by Mike Smith with support from Jamie Henline as part of our "Making a Difference" series.
- After Greene County, Missouri data revealed skyrocketing rates of depression and suicide, we invited community leaders and neighbors to talk about their own mental health challenges in this remarkable, first-person series. Produced in cooperation with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, these poignant conversations on Depression, PTSD, Suicide and Bipolar Disorder aired throughout the year. With every "conversation," KSMU also provided resources like phone numbers, websites and addresses where listeners could go for help. Click here to listen to one part in the series, in which a popular morning radio host talks about her journey with Depression.

"Remembering a Dark Day in Springfield's Past," Feature Reporting Category for Medium Market Radio; produced by Michele Skalicky.
- The city of Springfield, Missouri, takes the painful but necessary step to remember in vivid detail the lynching of three black men on the town square in 1906. This feature story highlighted the mass exodus of African Americans that followed, leading to a lack of diversity that remains in the city today. The ceremony featured in the story showed a community finally owning this painful chapter so that it can, at long last, heal and address issues of equity and tolerance. Listen to the winning piece by clicking here.

Certificate of Merit is awarded to:

Randy Stewart was awarded Certificate of Merit in the category of Air Talent, Medium Market Radio for Arts News With Randy Stewart and his extensive, live, on-air contributions of classical and arts programming to the Ozarks region for over four decades.

Every Friday morning at 10:00, Randy Stewart talks with artists, performers, directors and administrators from the regions's visual and performing arts scene. He also provides the Ozarks region with a comprehensive calendar of upcoming arts events. His program, Arts News, has continued even during the coronavirus pandemic, during which he has temporarily switched his focus to the struggles and stories of performing and visual artists navigating the pandemic. You can listen to one of his recent "Arts News" features on opera star Michael Spyres by clicking here.