Gulf Coast News WBBH earned top honors this week, including the prestigious Medium Market Station of the Year award, in a statewide competition recognizing excellence in broadcast journalism.
During the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists' annual awards, WBBH/WZVN received 13 wins and nine finalist honors, celebrating standout work in categories ranging from environmental and investigative reporting to news anchoring and newscast production.
Gulf Coast News on NBC at 6 a.m. won Best Morning Newscast, while its evening broadcast earned Best Evening Newscast.
Individual honors included Lisa Spooner as Best News Anchor and Jim Dickey as Best Weathercaster. Jaron May was named Best Sportscaster.
Other highlights included recognitions for stories on Southwest Florida environmental issues, a Sanibel Island rescue, and an investigation.
Finalist nods were also awarded for historical features, breaking news coverage, and digital reporting, including the sentencing in the Wade Wilson murder case.
Winners:
- Overall Station of the Year: WBBH-TV
- Best Morning/Midday Newscast: “6 AM Newscast - Sgt. Diaz Funeral” (Lisa Spooner, Alan Campbell, Maddy Chemers)
- Best Evening/Night Newscast: “Bank Hostage Standoff” (Kellie Burns, Peter Busch, Keith Aversa)
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News Anchor:
Lisa Spooner
- Sportscaster: Jaron May
- Weathercaster: Jim Dickey
- Producer: Keith Aversa
- Hard Feature: “Waiting for Closure” (Evan Dean, Kirk Erwin)
- Long Format General Assignment: “Sanibel Rescue” (Christy Soto, John Wix)
- Investigative Reporting (Series): “Investigating the Sheriff” (Dave Elias, Mitch Goerke)
- Environmental Reporting (Series): “Environmental Worries on the Gulf Coast” (Channing Frampton, John Wix)
- Environmental Reporting (Single): “Coral Reef Disease” (Spencer Trabbold, John Wix)
- Cold Open: “Emotional, Urgent & Eye-Catching Cold Opens” (Keith Aversa)
Finalists:
- Weathercaster: Rob Duns
- Producer: Dylan Foster
- Feature – Cultural/Historical: “The Last Fishermen” (Evan Dean, Kirk Erwin)
- Series/Franchise Reporting (Light): “Story 2 Share” (Britt Leoni, Todd Ofenbeck)
- Digital Reporting: “Wade Wilson Murder Sentencing” (Derrick Shaw, Samantha Serbin, Summerleigh Stones)
- Reporter: Ryan Arbogast
- Breaking News – Individual: “Plane Crashes on I-75” (Kyla Galer)
- Continuing Coverage: “Kayla Rincon Miller’s Murder” (WBBH News Team)
- Use of Sound: “End of Watch” (Sebastian Gonzalez)
- Photojournalist: Alison Hickey