St. Cloud State’s Husky Productions Honored by Broadcast Education Association

St. Cloud State University’s Husky Productions has earned Best of Festival for Sports in the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts awards.

St. Cloud State senior Matt Szymanski receives BEA’s Best in Festival Award for his work with Husky Productions.

Husky Productions producer and St. Cloud State senior Matt Szymanski will be honored for a Dec. 9 broadcast of a St. Cloud State men’s–ice-hockey game versus University of Nebraska-Omaha. The award will be presented at a ceremony at BEA2013, which is held in conjunction with the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

“This is a team effort,” says Szymanski, “everyone on the crew assisted in the production of this game. I couldn’t be more proud of my crew.”

Husky Productions broadcasts all St. Cloud State men’s–ice-hockey games locally on Charter channel 87 in St. Cloud and on Comcast in nearby St. Paul and Minneapolis markets. St. Cloud State mass-communications students manage the group.

“It is a real treat working with the students,” says Brian Stanley, executive producer of Husky Productions and owner of ARCTEK Satellite Productions. “The progress that is made throughout the season is a testament to the students’ dedication and desire to continue to get better at producing live sports.

“I have been pushing them all season,” he adds. “From producing to replays to cameras and graphics, everyone has stepped up to the challenge, and they are creating network-quality television as college students.”

At the BEA Festival of Media Arts, more than 160 awards are given in eight media divisions, 11 deemed Best of Festival.

Other student winners in the sports division:

Radio Sports Story/Feature/News
Hayden Packwood, Arizona State University: Halloween Baseball

Radio/TV Sports Event, Play-by-Play Talent
Ball State Sports Link, Ball State University: Sports Link Radio vs. Ohio

TV Sports Story/Feature/Show Element/Segment or News Program
Rachel Polansky, College of Communications, Penn State University: “Jake Schrom: Power Lifter”

TV Sports Talent (Anchor/Host)
Rich Pierce, Kent State University: Sports Reel

TV Sports Event Production
Andrew Asp, Reid Anderson, Anthony Miller, and Isaac Rice, Bethany Lutheran College: Maverick Hockey Weekend, UAA @ MSU

Receiving a faculty award is Terry Likes of Tennessee State University for his radio piece called “Headache to Heartache.”

The BEA Festival of Media Arts is an annual competition for faculty and students. BEA’s 58th Convention and 11th Festival of Media Arts is April 7-10 at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.