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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Rural radio station among winners of NAB Crystal Radio Awards for community service

UPDATE, Sept. 21: WKDZ also won the NAB's 2013 Marconi Award for Small Market Radio Station of the Year. Other finalists were: KCLR-FM, Columbia, Mo.; KCVM-FM, Cedar Falls, Iowa; KICD-AM, Spencer, Iowa; and WLEN-FM in Adrian, Mich.

A rural radio station was among the 10 winners of the National Association of Broadcasters' NAB Crystal Radio Awards that recognize outstanding, year-round commitment to community service. Holding its own with stations from New York City, Washington, D.C., and Seattle was WKDZ in Cadiz, Ky. The other winners included WCVQ in nearby Clarksville, Tenn., KUZZ in Bakersfield and WYCT in Pensacola.

WKDZ, a country-music station, serves listeners in Trigg and Christian counties in southwestern Kentucky, along the Tennessee border. General Manager Beth Mann said the award, is “the top honor you can receive in the radio industry,” Justin McGill reports for The Cadiz Record. “The community makes it happen,” Mann said. “It’s really their generosity that makes it appear that we’re as driven as we are. It’s a partnership, and I was really happy to bring the award to our staff, but even more proud to bring it home to our community.”

WCVQ is only about 40 miles southeast of Cadiz. Both areas cover Fort Campbell, which is in Kentucky and Tennessee. The pop-music station is owned by the 5 Star Radio Group, which owns five radio stations in the area. General Manager Katie Gambill said hee "staff really has a heart for this community, and to be able to reward them for their generosity was really nice,” Nicole June reports for Clarksville Now. “The NAB award is an honor and we are humbled to be recognized for something we enjoy doing.”

KUZZ plays country music in Bakersfield, at the southern tip of the San Joaquin Valley, and has many rural listeners. Its website says the "recognition is gratifying and humbling," but even more so because they are the No. 1 station in the market and the "rich tradition of country music is alive and well in Bakersfield and doing quite nicely." The list of winners is here.

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