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UTVS News, Husky Productions earn six Crystal Pillars

Students at 2017 NATAS/Crystal PIllar Awards

Thirteen St. Cloud State students were honored for their television broadcast production skills by the Upper Midwest Emmy® Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

St. Cloud State’s six awards were tops at the March 31 ceremony in Bloomington, Minnesota.

University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University, Moorhead; and Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, each garnered three awards. Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, and Century College, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, earned two awards each.

Megan Hedstrom with a Crystal Pillar Award
Megan Hedstrom, a senior from Palatine, Illinois, with a Crystal Pillar Award.

These UTVS News and Husky Productions students earned Crystal Pillar awards:

Newscast – UTVS News

  • Sarah Rudlang (Pequot Lakes), news director
  • Lyanne Valdez (St. Cloud), news director
  • Piper Shaw (St. Cloud), producer

General Assignment, Serious News – UTVS News

“Terror Trials”

  • Ubah Ali (Rochester), writer/editor

Arts and Entertainment/Cultural Affairs – UTVS News

“5 Second Rule”

  • Josie Spry (Walker), executive producer/host
  • Ashley Terry (Apple Valley), host
  • Eric Jacobs-Andresen (Lino Lakes), associate producer/camera operator
  • Anthony James “AJ” Larson (Vadnais Heights), editor/camera operator
From left are Crystal Pillar Award winners Ashley Terry, Josie Spry and Ubah Ali.
From left are Crystal Pillar Award winners Ashley Terry, Josie Spry and AJ Larson.

 Sports – UTVS News

“True Grit”

  • Megan Hedstrom (Palatine, Illinois), writer/editor/producer

Sports, Program/Series – UTVS News

“Husky Mag”

  • Joe Scarrella (Delano), producer
  • Alexis Pearson (Inver Grove Heights), producer

Sports, Live Event – Husky Productions

“Men’s Huskies Hockey vs University of North Dakota, 11/18/2016”

  • Austin Tema (Stacy), producer
  • Josie Spry (Walker), associate producer
  • Neil Lommel (St. Cloud), director

The March 31 Crowne Plaza AiRE Hotel ceremony was emceed by Sean Lewis, weekend anchor at WGN-TV in Chicago, and Around the Town Media founder and owner, Carla Beaurline.

The Upper Midwest Emmy® Chapter, which includes Minnesota and four neighboring states, is part of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The 5 p.m. and 6 p.m “UTVS News” broadcasts are carried by Charter Communications in the St. Cloud area and streamed live weekdays during the academic year.

Husky Productions (HP) manages broadcasts of Huskies Athletics events, including women’s and men’s Huskies Hockey games.

HP broadcasts are sometimes carried by regional and national networks. Derrick Silvestri ’06 is the UTVS advisor and studio manager. Brian Stanley ’93 is executive producer of Husky Productions.

Ubah Ali, reporting from downtown St. Cloud
Ubah Ali, reporting in downtown St. Cloud.
Jeff Wood '81 '87 '95
Jeff Wood '81 '87 '95
Living on one Minnesota river or another since 1959.
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