NEWS  RELEASE

HEARST  NATIONAL  BROADCAST  NEWS  FINALISTS  ANNOUNCED

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation has announced the ten college broadcast journalism students from around the country who have been selected to compete in the 49th annual National Broadcast News Championships of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

Currently, there are 110 colleges and universities with accredited undergraduate journalism schools that are eligible to participate in the program.  Funded and administered for 49 years by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, the Program awards more than $550,000 a year in scholarships, grants and stipends, under the auspices of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The 2009 Broadcast News Championship finalists – five in radio and five in television – who were selected from two monthly competitions and a semi-final round and qualify for the Championship Finals are: 

RADIO:

                        ADAM  CAVALIER, Marshall University

                        RYAN  J.  FISHMAN, Syracuse University

                        JILL  KATHLEEN  GALUS, Arizona State University 

                        ALEXANDRA  HILL, University of Florida

                        COLTON  SHONE, Arizona State University 

            TELEVISION:

                        AMBER  DIXON, Arizona State University 

                        MILES  DORAN, University  of Florida

                        RANDY  GYLLENHAAL, Elon University

                        ELIZABETH  MCKERNAN, Arizona State University 

                        MATHEW  MENDEZ, University of Southern California

The finalists will participate in spot assignments – competing for additional awards ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 in the program's National Championships, held in San Francisco, June 2 – 6, 2009.  Also competing in the National Championships will be writing and photo finalists.

The judges, all professionals in radio and television, are:  Fred Young, former Senior Vice President of News, Hearst-Argyle Television, New York, NY;  Barbara Cochran, President, RTNDA, Washington, DC;  and Ursula Reutin, News Director, News Talk 97.3 KIRO Radio, Seattle, WA.

Contact: Jan Watten, program director

415-908-4565

jwatten@hearstfdn.org

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