Kansas Public Radio (KPR) is back on top! The Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) has named KPR its Station of the Year for 2025. This is the 23rd time the station has earned the coveted statewide award, which was first created in 1996.
No other radio or TV station in Kansas has won the top award more times than KPR.
Now, more than ever, KPR is supported by listeners. Become a KPR listener-member today and tune in for our award-winning programming.
For the purpose of the annual KAB awards, KPR is referred to as KANU. Of course, KANU is just one station in the KPR family, which also includes KANH in Emporia, KANV in Junction City and KANQ in Chanute (as well as smaller translators in Manhattan and Atchsion).
KPR won 13 individual awards in the KAB's annual competition, including four First Place awards, five Second Place awards and four Honorable Mentions.
Individual award winners include:
- KPR's J. Schafer, Kaye McIntyre and Joanna Fewins, who took First Place in the Special Program category for the KPR Community Spotlight.
- Statehouse reporter Daniel Caudill claimed First Place in the News Feature category for a piece titled, "Could Kansas eliminate taxes on tips? It might depend on Congress."
- Sports reporter Greg Echlin claimed First and Second Place awards for two features: "Volunteer Coach Leads Haskell Women’s Basketball Team to NAIA Tourney" and "Salina 4th Grader Draws Inspiration at U.S. Adaptive Golf Championship in Newton."
- The KPR staff took First Place for Best Website, which is nourished and maintained by KPR engineer Danny Mantyla.
- Assistant News Director and host Laura Lorson scored a Second Place award in the Best Newscast category. (Listen Monday through Friday at 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 pm for her look at regional headlines.)
- Program Director Darrell Brogdon scored a Second Place award in the DJ Personality Aircheck category as the host of The Retro Cocktail Hour and Nick Carswell and Jason Slote received an Honorable Mention for the new-ish music show 105 LIVE, hosted by Carswell and engineered by Slote.
- The radio station took Second Place in the category Station Excellence, which requires a staffer to write an essay extolling the virtues of the station. For this entry, KPR submitted an essay written by J. Schafer titled: "Kansas Public Radio – Serving the Public Since 1952."
- KPR Commentator Scott Carlberg landed a Second Place award in the Best Commentary category for a piece titled: "You Are the Public in Public Meetings; Let’s Keep It Civil," edited and produced by J. Schafer. (Check out other KPR commentaries.)
- Darrell Brogdon got an Honorable Mention in the Station Promo category for a spot about KPR’s Virtual Cinema a Go-Go (Bat Crazy).
- J. Schafer collected an Honorable Mention in the category of Severe Weather Coverage for a quick turnaround report titled "Wacky Winter Weather Hitting Kansas Again; 2nd Blizzard this Season."
- Daniel Caudill received Honorable Mention in the Diversity/Equity/Inclusion News category for a piece called "Kansas Universities Face Pressure to Ditch Diversity."
Every year, out-of-state judges sort through the various KAB award entries from radio and TV stations and render their verdicts. This year's judges were broadcasters from Nebraska.
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