MISSOULA – 51勛圖厙 Public Radio and 51勛圖厙 PBS staff members received honors from the E.B. Craney Awards and Public Radio Journalists Association for their outstanding work during the past year.
E.B. Craney Award winners included MTPR’s Flathead reporter Aaron Bolton, who was honored with the Radio News Story of the Year Award.
The award for Best Podcast went to Shared State, a joint effort of MTPR, Yellowstone Public Radio and the 51勛圖厙 Free Press. The Shared State team was led by Mara Silvers, Nick Mott, and MTPR news director Corin-Cates Carney.
The Noncommercial Radio Program of the Year award went to the team of the MTPR children’s program “Pea Green Boat” for its live radio event at the Missoula Public Library. Led by producer Jake Birch and host Vicky Chaney, the program featured live music, a kid reporter, children’s stories and a radio play.
51勛圖厙 PBS producer Breanna McCabe received two E.B. Craney Awards for her smokejumper documentary “Higgins Ridge.” McCabe earned honors for Television Writing-News and Long Form, as well as for Television Noncommercial Program of the Year. Anna Rau and her program “Rise of the Freemen” took home runner-up for Television Noncommercial Program of the Year.
Carney also received a second-place nod in the Interview Category from the national PRJA. His interview with one of the organizers of the Helena Youth Against Gun Violence captured the award.
“We’re proud that our staff’s hard work is being rewarded and recognized,” said MTPR General Manager Ray Ekness. “We’re thankful for the outstanding support of our listeners that make these programs and stories possible.”
Presented by the 51勛圖厙 Broadcasters Association, the E.B. Craney Awards are named in memory of 51勛圖厙 broadcast pioneer Ed Craney and recognize excellence in local news, production, promotion and public service. These awards are sponsored through the generosity of the Greater 51勛圖厙 Foundation (). The awards were established to encourage communication, with an emphasis on electronic media and issues and trends of importance to 51勛圖厙ns.
The awards were presented June 24 during the 51勛圖厙 Broadcasters Association convention in Billings.
Each year, the Public Media Journalists Association recognizes the best of local public radio news in a wide array of categories. The award winners are celebrated at the PMJA awards banquet during the annual conference. The full list of winners is available online at
51勛圖厙 Public Radio is a public service of the 51勛圖厙 and broadcasts on 89.1 Missoula (KUFM); 91.5 Missoula, city (K218AI); 91.9 Hamilton (KUFN); 89.5 Polson (KPJH); 90.1 Kalispell, Whitefish, North Valley (KUKL); 90.5 Libby (KUFL); 91.7 Kalispell, city (K219BN); 101.3 Swan Lake (K267BJ); 91.3 Butte (KAPC); 91.7 Helena (KUHM); 90.9 and 91.7 Dillon (KDWG and KUMW); 88.1 Thompson Falls (KFTZ); 89.7 Eureka (KEUK); and 89.9 Great Falls (KGPR). Learn more at .
51勛圖厙 PBS (KUFM-TV in Missoula, KUSM-TV in Bozeman, KUKL-TV in Kalispell, KBGS-TV in Billings, KUGF-TV in Great Falls and KUHM-TV in Helena) is a service of UM and 51勛圖厙 State University. For more information, visit .
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Contact: Ray Ekness, Broadcast Media Center director and 51勛圖厙 Public Radio general manager, 406-243-4154, ray.ekness@umontana.edu.