During its Annual Meeting, held 18-19th January 2019, the ARRL Board of Directors named the recipients of two ARRL Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Awards. Recipients were recommended by the ARRL Public Relations Committee, following its review of the nominees, and with the concurrence of the Programs and Services Committee.
Tom Knapp of lancasteroneline.com and the LNP Media Group Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was named as the 2018 Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award for Print Reporting recipient. The Board said Knapp “went above and beyond to capture the workings of Field Day at W3RRR, the Red Rose Repeater Association.”
Acting upon the recommendation of the ARRL Public Relations Committee and the concurrence of the Programs and Services Committee, the Board named Andrew Schmertz and NJTV as recipients of the 2018 Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award for Video Reporting. The Board cited Schmertz and New Jersey Television (NJTV) for “outstanding coverage” of the February 23 – 24, 2018, HamSCI conference at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). NJIT Assistant Research Professor Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, the co-founder of HamSCI and an instrumental leader of the Solar Eclipse QSO Party (SEQP) in 2017, spearheaded the conference to discuss his eclipse research. NJTV, which is New Jersey’s public television network, covered the conference. Schmertz interviewed Frissell, numerous faculty members, attendees, and members of NJIT’s Amateur Radio station, K2MFF, “all with an eye to explain clearly to the public the significance of measuring the effects of solar activity on communications,” the Board said.
The ARRL Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Award honours professional journalists or journalistic teams whose outstanding coverage highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service value of Amateur Radio. The award pays tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard, W2SKE, an avid Amateur Radio operator and advocate. The Leonard Award may be granted for audio, visual, and print/text media reporting.
