2026 EIB Award Winners

DALE B. MILLER DISTINGUISHED BROADCASTER AWARD

• Sean Banks

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best Community Outreach

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Latasha Saunders - Town Hall: WV Water Infrastructure Crisis
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Joshua Bolden - Two Virginias, One Mission Telethon

Best Locally Produced Television Show

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Patrick Murphy - WSAZ Good Neighbors
• Small Market: WOAY TV - Danny Delanty - Water Crisis in Wyoming County

Best News Special

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Brad Rice - Letters to Death: West Virginia's Bluebeard
• Small Market: WTRF TV - Kerri Brown - "It Happened in a Flash" Ohio County WV Deadly Flood

Best Sports Special

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Jay Melvin - Fired Up Friday: Hometown Hype
• Small Market: WBOY TV - Nick Ferrell - Mountaineer GameDay 2025 Baseball Special

Best Coverage of Breaking News

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - WSAZ NEWS TEAM - January Ice Storm
• Small Market: WOAY TV - Micah Leith - Severe flooding slams Southern West Virginia

Best Feature News Report

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Jay Melvin - Historic Restoration of Prichard Building
• Small Market: WVVA TV - A.P. Harreld - EAST RIVER MT. TUNNEL

Best Hard News Feature

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Leslie Rubin and Matt Durrett - When Justice Reopens Grief
• Small Market: WVNS TV - Matt Cassada - Future of Rural Healthcare

Best Investigative News Story

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Kristen Bentley & Kimberly Keagy - Child Welfare Changes
• Small Market: WOAY TV - Danny Delanty - Water Crisis in Wyoming County

Best AM Newscast

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Michelle Carroll - Eyewitness News This Morning
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Joshua Bolden WVVA Today

Best News Series or Continuing Coverage

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Kristen Bentley - Bunny Holmes Parole
• Small Market: WTRF TV - Alex Taylor - Not Your Average Neighbor

Best PM Newscast

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Ryan Murphy - WSAZ 6 PM
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Seth McVey - WVVA News at 6

Best Producer

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Kailey Stark
• Small Market: WVNS TV - Valerie Sullivan - Veterans Voices

Best Sports Anchor

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Keith Morehouse
• Small Market: WTAP TV - Griffin Albright

Best Weathercaster

• Large Market: WOWK TV - Spencer Adkins
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Katherine Thompson

Best Anchor

• Large Market: WOWK TV - Amanda Barren
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Reanna Rosenthal

Best Reporter

• Large Market: WOWK TV - Jackson Rozinsky
• Small Market: WTRF TV - Annalise Murphy

Best Digital Reporter

• Large Market: WCHS TV - Payton Marshall

Best MMJ

• Large Market: WOWK TV - Jackson Rozinsky
• Small Market: WBOY TV - Jaylyn Lamp

Best News Photographer

• Large Market: WCHS TV - John Yoast
• Small Market: WOAY TV - Larry Marrs

Best Television Promotion

• Large Market: WOWK TV - John Fawcett - WOWK PLUS APP LAUNCH
• Small Market: WDTV TV - Alan Dye - 5 News First at 4:00

Television Emerging Journalist

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - Hannah Buzza
• Small Market: WVVA TV - Reanna Rosenthal

Television Station of the Year

• Large Market: WSAZ TV - HUNTINGTON/CHARLESTON, WV
• Small Market: WTRF TV - WHEELING, WV

RADIO CATEGORIES

Country Station of the Year

• Ranked: WJLS - FM
• Unranked: WVMD - FM

CHR and Urban Station of the Year

• Ranked: J104 WHAJ
• Unranked: Star 95 FM

Hot AC/AC Station of the Year

• Ranked: WVAF - FM

Classic Oldies/Adult Hits Station of the Year

• Ranked: WMXE - FM
• Unranked: COOL 92.9 WXDC

Rock Station of the Year

• Ranked: WKOY 100.9 The Eagle

Best News/Talk/Sports Station of the Year

• Ranked: WAJR
• Unranked: WEPM - AM

Best Newscast

• Ranked: WKMZ - FM - Alex Wiederspiel
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Luke Wiggs

Best Breaking News

• Ranked: WCHS AM - Chris Lawrence - Missing Miner Found
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Clint George - Sarah Beckstrom Announcement

Best Hard News Feature - Tie Unranked

• Ranked: WCHS AM - Daniel Woods - Barack Williams Trial
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Luke Wiggs - Jeff County Firefighter
• Unranked: WMOV - Tom Susman - Trump Cut Local Farmers

Best Sportscast

• Ranked: WHIS-AM/FM - Dan McMahon
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Riley Griffith

Best Play-by - Play

• Ranked: WFBY - Alex Wiederspiel
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Luke Wiggs

Best Morning Show

• Ranked: WKWS - Robb Reel - Up REEL Early on 96-1 KWS
• Unranked: WLTF - FM - Rona Mensah - Rise & Shine with Rona

Best On - Air Radio Personality

• Ranked: WKKW - FM - Mike Vincent
• Unranked: Star 95 - Micah Strader

Best Radio Program

• Ranked: WRVC - AM - Paul Swann - College Football Wrap-up
• Unranked: WRRR-FM - Eric Little

Best Talk Show

• Ranked: METRONEWS - TALKLINE - Dave Wilson and TJ Meadows
• Unranked: WEPM - AM - Clint Gaige - Trigger Talk Tuesday

Best Significant Community Impact

• Ranked: WKWS - FM - Robb Real - WKWS Drop Events
• Unranked: STAR 95 FM - Micah Strader - MERMAID ALEXIS

Best Use of Social Media

• Ranked: WKLC - FM - Chili Walker - OZZ-TOBER
• Unranked: STAR 95 FM - Micah Strader - MONKEY LOVE

Best Radio Commercial

• Ranked: WKLC FM - Slim Chance
• Unranked: WMTD - AM - Kathy StJohn

Radio Rookie Professional of the Year

• Unranked: WJLS - FM - Felicia Cochran

Radio Station of the Year

• Ranked: WHKX Kicks Country
• Unranked: Panhandle News Network - WEPM