WXOU radio once again named "College Station of the Year"

Second time’s the charm for Oakland University’s student radio station WXOU-FM. Student participants brought in numerous awards from the annual Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation (MABF), including the College Station of the Year Award for the second year running.

“WXOU is now considered a top contender in communication programs across the state and radio programs as well,” said Sean Varicalli, WXOU general manager. “This is a validation award for us. Last year people might have seen the award as a fluke because it came out of nowhere. Well this year we did it again, and people know that we're the real deal. It's an amazing feeling.”

The MABF awards gauge the skill and talent of students in broadcasting across the state, and are judged by industry professionals and national radio experts.

Oakland students were recognized in nearly every category. Patrick Cymbalski and Sean Varicalli took first and second place for Air Check, and the team of Sean Varicalli, Ashley Allison, and Don Tottingham took second place in the Daily Newscast/News Feature category.

Ashley Allison and Nicholas Rolling took first place for MIARNG Current Events Program, and the team of Sean Varicalli, Ashley Allison, and Josh Nagy received an honorable mention for Public Service Announcement.

In the Sports Play-by-Play category, Matt Pocket and Bryan Everson took first place while Don Tottingham and Marc Jacobs received an honorable mention. OU students dominated the Promotional Announcement category, with Sean Varicalli and Josh Nagy in second place, and Christina Venditti and Josh Nagy tied with Kyle Bauer for honorable mention.

Lastly, Sean Varicalli and Ashley Allison took second place for the Station Activities Report. For more information, view the complete list of winners. 

“The amazing people on this staff prepare students for the real world,” Varicalli said. “We teach each other, listen to each other, and give constructive feedback to each other. We all make each other better. That said, more of us are leaving this great station with professional jobs. We don't have the mass amount of resources that many schools have, and that says a lot about our continued success.”

The Station of the Year honor recognizes the increasing quality of students and programs at WXOU, which was established in 1966. The awards will be officially recognized on Wednesday, March 13, at the Michigan Association of Broadcasters at the Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference in Lansing Michigan.

For more on WXOU-FM (88.3), visit the website at wxou.org.