FRS wins a first place, is a finalist multiple times, at IBS national conference

Fredonia Radio Systems picked up a first-place award – Best Music Director - Radio, presented to Jordan Budd – and was a finalist in a bundle of other major award categories at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s 2023 Conference.

By winning the top award, Mr. Budd, a junior majoring in Music Industry and Communication: Journalism from Red Hook, continues FRS’s winning tradition at the nationwide conference.

FRS was also named a finalist in the following categories: Best Station in the Nation, under 10,000 students; Best Online Station, under 10,000 students; Best Documentary; Best Specialty Show – non-music; Best Social Media Director; and Best Campus News.

“Obviously, it was invigorating to hear that we won an award, and it was awesome to be nominated for seven or eight of them – including Best Station in the Nation,” said FRS Production Manager Hunter Halterman, a junior Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Communication: Video Production major, from Cattaraugus. “And hearing that Jordan won an award was awesome.”

Chloe Kowalyk, a junior from Buffalo majoring in Communication: Journalism and Psychology, shared the enthusiasm FRS staffers experienced at the two-day IBS conference held in late February in New York City.

“I would say the whole experience was really cool, seeing that we were one of only a few SUNY schools at the conference, and winning a really prestigious award was awesome,” Ms. Kowalyk, the station’s public relations director, added.

“I would say the whole experience was really cool, seeing that we were one of only a few SUNY schools at the conference, and winning a really prestigious award was awesome.” - Chloe Kowalyk

"I'm obviously very proud of my students,” said Department of Communication Associate Professor Michael Igoe, FRS faculty adviser. “They realize the importance of producing professional quality work to eventually land a job in today's media. This recognition from professionals proves the students have embraced industry standards!"

This year’s conference was the first in-person IBS conference since the coronavirus pandemic. Twelve FRS students – Josh Ribakove, Mel Fajardo, Natalie Wilks, Christopher Sill, Johnny Zareski, Ash DeHarder, Alex Erwin, Hunter Halterman, Chloe Kowalyk, Cascio Fonseca and Cebastian Spisak attended the conference. Mr. Fonseca attended the 2020 conference.

Budd’s Best Music Director award comes on the heels of the 2022 first-place award in the Production category, for Best Liner/Sweeper, won by Mel Fajardo, a Business Administration major who’s now a senior. Line/sweeper is a less formal recorded station identification that airs in rotation several times an hour. That FRS Production team was led by Spencer Eisenhower, who graduated in 2022 with a B.S. in Communication: Audio/Radio Production.

Credit for winning the Best Liner/Sweeper award in 2022 goes to the entire production team at Fredonia Radio Systems, said FRS Station Manager Alex Erwin, a senior Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Communication: Video Production, from Bellport. “We were up against some massive schools, like Kansas State University and Rutgers University, so to see SUNY Fredonia (excel) among those massive schools was awesome, to say the least.”

FRS was also named Best College Radio Station, under 10,000 students, at the 2017 and 2018 conferences.

This year’s program also featured several keynote speakers and individual seminars devoted to promotion advertising, FCC rules for college radio stations and news anchoring, among other areas, Mr. Hunter noted. “There was something for everyone’s interest.”

“Fredonia Radio [Systems] was able to attend several impressive conferences held by IBS,” Kowalyk added. “We got to learn more about leadership, social media, production and even more tips on how to run a radio station! I personally really enjoyed getting to fine tune my social media skills, and I plan to apply what I learned to FRS’ various social media accounts.”

Rest assured, FRS is not resting on its laurels.

“We’re already compiling stuff for next year’s award ceremony; we’re ready to back and hopefully win some more,” Halterman added.