The Michigan Association of Broadcasters presented WNMU-FM with three 2023 Broadcast Excellence Awards. News Director Nicole Walton won “Best in Category” for Hard News and Current Event Story for Social Media Extortion, about a case that ended in the suicide of a Marquette teenager. Classical Music Host and Producer Kurt Hauswirth won “Merit” awards in both the Musical Programming and Music Feature categories. Both are NMU alumni.
Walton shared the story of Jordan DeMay, one of hundreds in the United States targeted by two Nigerian brothers accused of operating a sextortion ring. They were the first subjects extradited from another country to the U.S. to face related charges, according to the FBI. In addition to interviewing members of law enforcement, Walton spoke with DeMay's parents, who have been open about the incident in the hope of helping others avoid similar scams.
Hauswirth's award in the Music Feature of Special category honored his long-form interview titled Crossing Genres and Traditions with the 2023 Beethoven and Banjos 2023 Music Festival. His locally produced show, The Local Shuffle 3: Saturday May 13, 2023, won a merit award for the category of Musical Programming.
Listen to all three winning entries here. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters' Broadcast Excellence Awards is a statewide contest that is divided into commercial and non-commercial radio stations. WNMU-FM competes against all other Michigan Public Radio stations that operate on a budget of $2 million dollars or less.
Walton graduated from NMU in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in English. She began her career at WNMU-FM as a student and has spent the last 21 years as news director. Hauswirth earned a bachelor's in music education in 2009. He has been with the station as a host and producer for the past seven years.
WNMU-FM, Public Radio 90 is a listener-supported public service of Northern Michigan University that can be heard throughout the Central Upper Peninsula and Northeast Wisconsin.