WXUT Nominated for Prestigious National Media Awards

WXUT Nominated for Prestigious National Media Awards

Seven student staff members at 88.3 FM WXUT "Toledo's Only Alternative" received nominations from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) for their work at the station.

The students nominated are: Trip Floyd, Best Station Manager; Payton Schmitz, Best Promotions Director; Logan McCrory, Anthony Kruszka and James Ensley for their coverage of the 2025 MAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semi-Final Game, Toledo vs Ohio, Best Men's Basketball Play-By-Play; Andrew Hoffman, Cameron Fahnestock and Logan McCrory for their coverage of the 2025 MAC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game, Toledo vs Ball State, Best Women's Basketball Play-By-Play.

The IBS Media Awards recognize the achievements of college radio stations and broadcast students worldwide with more than 3,000 entries submitted from more than 100 schools.

Schmitz, WXUT's promotions director, said the station's growth over the past year and the dedication of its student staff have enabled the success.

"It's really been a collaborative effort," Schmitz said. "We've really come to rely upon each other. Everyone has come together to build upon the foundations of those who came before us."

Since joining the station, Floyd, now WXUT station manager, has seen membership increase from 12 members to 85 active members and expanded just three on-air programs to over 30.

"It's continually amazing to see how far we have come as a station since my first year at UToledo," he said. "The connections we have made in the community and beyond, the diversity of our student programming and the support we have begun to see from UToldeo itself is something I will never forget when I graduate. I am confident that we will keep this awesome momentum going into the future, and I am excited for what's next for student media on campus."

Dr. Benjamin Myers, chair of the Department of Communication and Media, said that the students' success was no surprise.

"The faculty and staff in the Department of Communication and Media are not surprised by this success - WXUT has been on a tear lately," Myers said. "The students are committed, they're excited and they've built a team that pushes each other to get better. These nominations are well-earned and showcase what our students are capable of."

"I am so proud of our students and the work they've done to grow WXUT," said Tisha Mays, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Communication and Media. "They've grown in the community, through collaboration across programs of study and as professionals. I'm excited for them to experience the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards in New York; they truly deserve this moment. We celebrate them for their hard work with WXUT and the impact they've had here at UToledo."

The winners of the awards will be announced during the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in New York City from Friday, Feb. 20, to Saturday, Feb. 21. With the support of the Student Allocation Committee and the Department of Communications and Media, the nominees will be able to attend the conference in person.