Awards | Site | wdel.com

2022 Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards (presented in June, 2023)

WDEL took home ten awards at the regional Associated Press conference in Ocean City, MD – including Outstanding News Operation, in the Radio II (Non-Metro) division.

In winning the top honor, the AP judges wrote:

We were impressed with the broad scope of coverage the station offered to its community. It is clear that they have an internal goal to provide focused news coverage of their community and their entry demonstrated that they executed on that vision.

WDEL.com was named Outstanding Website, to which the judges wrote:

Assertive reporting of breaking news and dogged follow-up reports made this entry stand out. WDEL seems to have established itself as a thorough source for local news, sports and more in its community.

Delaware’s Morning News with Peter MacArthur won the award for Outstanding Newscast.  Peter was also named Best Anchor.

Sean Greene won the award for Outstanding Spot News Reporting for his coverage of chaos at a high school football game.

Mike Phillips was awarded the honor of Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story for chronicling of controversy over the redevelopment of Fort DuPont.

Rick Jensen took home the award for Outstanding Talk Show. 

WDEL also won first place awards Outstanding Election Night Coverage, Outstanding Public Affairs for its efforts in the Feed a Friend Food Drive, and Outstanding Documentary Reporting for vignettes on WDEL’s 100th anniversary. 

WDEL was honored with the award for Best Newscast in DPA’s 2023 communications contest.

Mark Fowser won the first place award for Prepared Report for his story on “The Delaware Dinosaur.”

Chris Carl won the first place award for Special Programming for his vignettes on WDEL’s 100th anniversary.

2021 Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards (presented in June, 2022)

WDEL took home ten awards at the regional Associated Press conference in Ocean City, MD – including Outstanding News Operation, in the Radio II (Non-Metro) division.

WDEL also won the following first place awards:

• Outstanding Newscast
• Outstanding Website
• Best Reporter – Amy Cherry
• Best Anchor – Chris Carl
• Outstanding News Series – Amy Cherry
• Outstanding Enterprise reporting – Amy Cherry
• Outstanding Sports feature – Sean Greene
• Outstanding Talk Show – “The Rick Jensen Show”
• Outstanding Public Affairs, for WDEL’s “Feed a Friend” program

WDEL was honored with the award for Best Newscast in DPA’s 2022 communications contest.

2020 Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards

WDEL took home 5 awards at the regional Associated Press conference for 2020-–including Outstanding News Operation-Radio II (Non-Metro).

WDEL also won the following first place awards:

• Best reporter – Amy Cherry
• Best Spot News coverage – Mike Phillips & Sean Greene
• Best Enterprise reporting – Amy Cherry
• Best Sports feature – Sean Greene

WDEL was voted by readers of Delaware Today as the upstate winner in the following categories for their annual Best of Delaware awards: 

• Radio Station for News
• Radio Station for Sports
• Radio Talk Show Host – Rick Jensen

The Radio Television Digital News Association honored WDEL with a national Edward R. Murrow Award in the Breaking News category for coverage of the Chemical Leak/Traffic Nightmare which unfolded when the Delaware Memorial Bridge shut down at the height of Thanksgiving travel due to a toxic gas leak at the Croda chemical plant. 

WDEL also won regional Murrow awards for:

• Overall Excellence
• Breaking News Coverage – Chemical Leak/Traffic Nightmare
• News Documentary – Wrongfully Accused: The Story of Elmer Daniels

Delaware Press Association 2019 awards

 1st Place – Best Newscast, Commercial or Noncommercial station – Radio: “Delaware’s Morning News with Peter MacArthur”
2nd Place – Best Newscast, Commercial or Noncommercial station – Radio: “Delaware’s Afternoon News with Allan Loudell”
3rd Place – Best Newscast, Commercial or Noncommercial station – Radio: “Delaware’s Afternoon News with Chris Carl”

Chris Carl – 1st Place – Videos for Web, Web reporting feature or continuing coverage: “WDEL’s Wide World of Eating”

Allan Loudell – 1st Place – Interview, Radio or Television: “Innocent man released from prison” 

DJ McAneny – 2nd Place – Website Edited/Managed by Entrant – Corporate or For Profit: “WDEL.com”

Amy Cherry – 3rd Place – Special Programming – Radio: “Harassment among the Highest Ranks”
Amy Cherry – Honorable Mention – Special Programming – Radio: “Living in Turmoil: Ongoing Issues at Glasgow Court Mobile Home Park”

Mark Fowser – Honorable Mention – On-the-scene report – Radio: “Eagles Plane Lands”
Mark Fowser – Honorable Mention – Prepared report – Radio: “A lifetime of dedication to high school performing arts”

The Radio Television Digital News Association is honoring WDEL with seven regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including the top award of Overall Excellence.

WDEL also won the awards for:

• Newscast – for our newscast featuring team coverage of the summer eclipse
• Breaking News – our coverage of the shooting of Trooper Ballard
• News Series – Amy Cherry’s reporting on efforts to open a high school in Del. for recovering addicts
• Hard News – Amy Cherry’s report on a flawed app sponsored by New Castle County which put personal information at risk
• Investigative reporting – Reports from Amy Cherry, with support from Joe Irizarry, on personnel improprieties in NCCO government
• Video – the piece we put together on DJ McAneny’s star turn as Mr. Celery

Overall Excellence – WDEL 

Amy Cherry – 3rd Place – Prepared Report – Radio: “Gordon Cover-up”

Allan Loudell (and staff) – 1st Place – Best Newscast – Radio: “Delaware News at Noon” (11/09/16)

Allan Loudell (and staff) – 2nd Place – Best Newscast – Radio: “Delaware Afternoon News” (07/27/16)

Allan Loudell — Honorable Mention – Web & Social Media – Blogs – Corporate or for-profit — “Cautionary note for the holidays: Speed traps in Delaware” & “Trump’s conversation with Taiwan”

Allan Loudell (and staff) – 1st Place – Best Newscast – Radio: “Delaware Afternoon News” (12/11/15)

Allan Loudell – 2nd Place – Web & Social Media – Blogs – Corporate or for-profit – “Allan Loudell Blog”

Outstanding News Series
“Overcoming Odds,” Amy Cherry

Judges’ comments: “Great interviews that really hightlight what Chimes is all about.”

Outstanding Year-Round Local Sports Coverage
“WDEL Sports,” WDEL Staff

Judges’ comments: “WDEL does a great job covering the big guys and the little guys, too. It sounds like the station has dedicated reporters who go out and cover a wide variety of stories from the area the station serves, both on the college and high school scenes. Particularly impressive that a station not only calls games, but produces pieces to air before, during and after the games it covers, rather than showing up, calling the game, then going home.”

Outstanding Documentary or In-Depth Reporting
“Cabbie Complaints,” Amy Cherry

Amy Cherry’s Cabbie Complaints series, highlighting issues cabdriver’s face regarding parking issues, city law, and the like, took home an award.

Outstanding Enterprise Reporting
“Councilman Lies,” Amy Cherry

Judges’ comments: “Way to stay with the story!”

Outstanding Specialty Reporting
“WDEL’s Delaware EducationWatch,” Amy Cherry

Judges’ comments: “Cherry has a great radio voice and a knack for finding diverse characters for her stories. Her quick pace and high energy keep the listener engaged.”

Outstanding Newscast
“WDEL’s Delaware Morning News,” WDEL Staff

Judges’ comments: “Fast-paced news with everything you need to know. Lots of sound! Great job!.”

Outstanding News Operation of the Year
WDEL-AM, Wilmington, Del., WDEL Staff

Outstanding Website
“WDEL.com,” WDEL Staff

Judges’ comments: “There’s a lot of great coverage here. Keep up the good work.”

Outstanding Talk Show
“The Rick Jensen Show,” Rick Jensen

Judges’ comments: “Lots of production value. Went to caller quickly. Good, local topics on a local station. Thank YOU!”

Best Reporter
Amy Cherry

Judges’ comments: “The entry includes a wide range of assignments, including investigative work, hard news, politics, and feature stories executed beautifully.“

WDEL competes in the Baltimore-Wilmington Metro region against other Associated Press radio stations in Baltimore and Wilmington.

2015 Delaware Press Association Communications Contest

• First place: “Delaware’s Afternoon News” – Allan Loudell
• Second place: “Delaware’s News at Noon” – Allan Loudell
• Honorable Mention: “Delaware’s Morning News” – Peter MacArthur

Best On-the-scene Report

• First Place: “495 closure” – Amy Cherry
• Third Place: “Election Day Reports” – Allan Loudell

Best Prepared Report

• Second place: “EducationWatch” – Amy Cherry
• Honorable Mention: “Cabbie Complaints” – Amy Cherry
• Honorable Mention: “Secret Uber” – Amy Cherry

Best Special Programming

• First place: “Overcoming Odds” – Amy Cherry

Best Blog – Corporate/For-profit

• First place: Allan Loudell – Politcs
• Second place: Allan Loudell – Crime/Justice

Best Newscast
Delaware’s Afternoon News with Allan Loudell

Best Corporate or For-Profit Blog
Allan Loudell

2015 Radio Television Digital News Association
Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

Newscast
“Delaware’s Morning News”

WDEL was honored for its March 11, 2014, morning newscast, co-anchored by Peter MacArthur and Mellany Armstrong. The newscast featured coverage of the missing Malaysian airliner, the Ukrainian-Crimean conflict, Common Core impact on Delaware Schools, efforts to ban indoor e-cigarette use, and Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson visiting Kuumba Academy, as well as WDEL TrafficWatch, WDEL Sports, WDEL’s Delaware EducationWatch and The Loudell Report.

Website

WDEL was honored for WDEL.com