WMSC Wins Eight Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards

Montclair State University’s radio station 90.3 WMSC-FM won eight Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Awards on Saturday, February 25, including three first place awards and five finalist awards. 

The three first place awards are:

• Best Live Music Broadcast: “The Happy Fits – “Hold Me Down” (WMSC Unplugged)” by Jared Tauber
• Best Campus/Community News: “Campus Sexual Assault Protest” by JT Bethea
• Best Business Manager, Sabrina Hajsok.

The five finalist awards are:

• Best Station in the Nation with Over 10,000 Students – 90.3 WMSC Upper Montclair
• Best News Director – Hannah Cox
• Best Program Promotion – Heavy is the Crown by Kyle Pepitone, Emily McCormack
• Best Logo – Identity Crisis by JT Bethea, Terry Dickerson
• Best Radio Drama – The Golden Record by Chaz Campbell

Jared Tauber, Film and Television Major (class of ’25), is WMSC’s music director. He is the host and producer of WMSC Unplugged, a live music show highlighting local talent. One of the show’s highlights was having The Happy Fits band on the program. “Them being on our show signified a major leap for the music team at WMSC, kickstarting the current incarnation of WMSC Unplugged — our biggest ongoing project” said Tauber. “It’s an honor to be recognized by IBS this way; I’m so proud of my team and what we’ve been able to accomplish this year. Long live LIVE MUSIC.” 

JT Bethea, whose reporting on students protesting due to a rise of sexual assault cases, was flattered by the award. “I’m incredibly honored,” Bethea said. “It’s never the mission to win an award but to produce quality work.” 

Senior film major Sabrina Hajsok was filming her thesis film, and was not present at the ceremony. Station Manager Ben Petruk accepted the Best Business Manager award  on her behalf.  “I am so honored to have received the award for IBS’s Best Business Director. I would like to thank Anabella Poland and the team for inspiring me and pushing me to be better every single day,” Hajsok said.

About the School of Communication and Media:

Founded in 2012, the School of Communication and Media offers a range of dynamic programs in communication and media to a talented and diverse student population of over 1,700. Offering degrees in film and television, social media and public relations, advertising, journalism and digital media, sports communication, communication and media studies, animation and visual effects, and an MA in public and organizational relations, the School prepares the next generation of communication and media practitioners and leaders. The School houses award-winning student programs that include WMSC Radio, The Montclarion newspaper, Hawk Communications Agency, the Red Hawk Sports Network, Hawk+ OTT streaming platform, and News Lab, as well as the Center for Cooperative Media, which serves the public by working to grow and strengthen local journalism. Recent national School recognitions include an Edward R. Murrow Award, several Marconi Award nominations, and two College Television Awards from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.