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MEDIA Best Newspaper Reporter Brendan J. Lyons Times Union Although we have the tendency to hate on the TU, Lyons is a prime example of a principled, hard-working reporter who knows what his job is. This year, Lyons broke stories about the Albany Police Department and gangs that have helped move the city toward more responsibility in the APD and a better understanding of crime on Albanys streets.
Best Breaking News TimesUnion.com So were on our way to an uptown Albany bank on a recent afternoon, and we spot a helicopter hovering over a neighborhood where, usually, one doesnt see helicopters. We get back to the office a bit later, and go directly to TimesUnion.com. Reporter Tim OBrien has posted that the helicopter had been searching for a missing Alzheimers patient, and that the woman had been found. Now thats breaking news.
Best Remedial Reporting Times Union Its cute that the Times Union has finally decided to do in-depth reporting about Albanys gang and gun problemcute and a little late to the game. Last year the paper seemed determined to prove that Albanys gun-violence problem was a figment of the citizens of Albanys imagination. But lo and behold, this year the TU has even dared call Chief Tuffey and Mayor Jerry Jennings to task on their poor leadership and their general aversion to talking about Albanys major crime problems. Thanks for taking your head out of the sand TU; hopefully Jennings and Tuffey will join you.
Best Blog Comments The Albany Amp Scandal and intrigue in one- sentence posts is the trademark of this anonymous blog, broadcasting (supposedly) from deep inside the Senate majority bunker. In the months leading up to Sen. Joe Brunos gigantic announcement, this convincingly in-the-know blog offered the daily titillations of supposed resignation sightings and FBI subpoenas. But the real meat was in the comments section, where other apparent insiders of the Albany chattering class dropped names and rumors like they were hot. And they were.
Best TV News NewsChannel 13 WNYT Capital Region stalwarts: Every year we wonder if another newscast will unseat NewsChannel 13and it never happens. Every time we tune in, we are still treated to 22 minutes of solid, insightful reportage from a well-rounded and intelligent crew.
Best News Anchor Lydia Kulbida WNYT Lydia Kulbida is the indisputable heavyweight champion of the 6 and 11 oclock broadcasts. Period.
Best Political TV Show New York Now WMHT-TV Susan Arbetter and company have taken it up a notch, refining the week in review format with sharp panel commentary and great interview gets. (Hello, new Gov. Paterson!) New York Now is a cant-miss for political junkies.
Best TV Weatherman Bob Kovachik WNYT, Channel 13 Part science, part séance, forecasting the weather is a delicate business. For two decades now, Bob Kovachik has been wooing Capital Region audiences with his meteorological ballets, his mystical Doppler, and his charismatic forecast-flanking patter. And if that werent enough, Bob travels regularly to local schools to share his love for meteorology with the kids. Which cumulonimbus crazy tyke will become the next Kovachik? Well have to check our Doppler.
Best Channel-Surfing Wipeout TheGlenn Slingerland Situation Channel My TV 4 The Glenn Slingerland Situation has a mesmerizing effect on us cable-challenged channel surfers. His homemade music videos feature oddly recognizable, glammed-out women-next-door types wandering with intensity through vaguely interesting places to a soundtrack of the kind of offbeat music Glenn Slingerland has a knack for finding. And it captivates us every time. We are, however, beginning to wonder if the throaty-voiced, perpetually- headphoned host actually has ears. Weve never seen them. The gauntlet is thrown: Show us your ears Glenn Slingerland!!
Best Public-Information Officer Sgt. David Dean Troy Police Department This veteran officer in the Troy PD keeps the media abreast of all the newsworthy busts with comprehensive and thorough dedication (and a healthy barrage of very detailed e-mails). We wish that every public employee worked this hard.
Best Food Blog Table Hopping Steve Barnes, timesunion.com When a local celebrity chef recently decided to leave his marquee job for a new restaurant, Steve Barnes was the first to break the shocking news to the local foodies and industry people who faithfully read his blog, Table Hopping. This is typical of Barnes, who is well-connected to the restaurant scene (and also gets plenty of anonymous tips). But its not just the breaking industry news that makes his column fun; its also the give-and-take on food subjects that interest his readers. Fielding questions on anything from where to find a po boy to what to do when your 7 PM table isnt ready until 7:45, Barnes answers thoughtfully and then plays the well-tempered moderator as readers go back and forth with their own often-entertaining comments.
Best News Radio WAMC Northeast Radio WAMC-FM A peerless operation, with reporter-editors in Albany, the Hudson Valley, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country/Vermont, Western Connecticut, Northampton, Mass., and the Berkshires. The most comprehensive view of the region available, and its available all day. Plus, the interviews with newspaper editors on The Roundtable often give an extra dimension to what we read in print.
Best Talk Radio Empire Talk 1300 WGDJ-AM When Paul Vandenburgh left his old AM station to start Talk 1300, there were doubters. But Vandenburgh assembled an old-school dream team of radio vets, including Dan Lynch and Fred Dicker on weekdays, and John Graneys Sportstalk on Sunday evenings. The station is, ahem, considerably more conservative than we are, but its also much more Capital Region- oriented (and savvy) than its competition.
Best Comprehensive Weather Paul Caiano WAMC-FM We were worried when Mike Landon retired from reporting WAMCs epic morning forecasts. Who would tell us, every weekday, what the weather would be like in the Nunavut Territory? Happily, NewsChannel 13s Paul Caiano has taken over this duty with skill and aplomb.
Best Radio Panel Show The Media Project WAMC-FM The Media Project is officially back, after a slump. (We imagine Alan Chartock muttering, Dont call it a comback!) The rotating panel features even-tempered Daily Freeman editor Ira Fusfeld and incisive WTEN-TV anchor Elisa Streeter, balancing out the fierce rants of WAMCs Chartock and the MSM talking points from the Times Unions Rex Smith. Example: Smith regularly dismisses the assertion that NPR covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan more thoroughly than other mainstream media. Well, guess what? They do.
Best Music Radio Station (Non-Commercial) WEXT 97.7 FM What seemed like an experiment has the potential to become an empire: Exit 97.7, as the station is colloquially known, has cemented its spot on the Capital Region dial with an great mix of music (technically Triple A, or Adult Album Alternative, according to radio- formatting standards, though that classification spans the divide between Radiohead and Dylan), a strong commitment to the local music scene (theyre playing roughly two regional acts per hour by our count), and interesting syndicated programming (everything from the Putamayo Radio Hour to Nic Harcourts Sounds Eclectic). The listener-supported station was recently nominated for a R&R Triple A award for Best Non-Commercial Radio Station in a small(er) market. Were just going to go ahead and say theyre the best around.
Best Music Radio Station (Commercial) WEQX 102.7 FM Not every station relies on the public for funding. And usually the ones that dont, suck. But WEQX doesnt suck, and its managed to avoid sucking for more than 20 years. (Were overlooking the gray, Hootie-filled mid-90s.) The Manchester, Vt.-based station has stayed true to its brand, presenting the latest alternative music in whatever form that might take this week. That can be good and badright now the station is spinning new tracks from Black Kids, the Hold Steady, and Bauhaus (!), which is almost enough to make us forget that theyre also playing Flobotsbut at least theres one station around that doesnt feel the need to get the Led out three times a day.
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