Third Coast International Audio Festival Honors the Year's Best Radio Stories

Third Coast International Audio Festival Honors the Year's Best Radio Stories

CHICAGO, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Third Coast International Audio Festival ("the Sundance for Radio") chose nine outstanding audio pieces for this year's Third Coast Festival/Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition.

This year's prestigious Audio Luminary Award went to veteran Canadian producer Chris Brookes, whose work with the CBC has richly documented the history of his native Newfoundland and expanded the modern radio documentary across the globe.

Top honors for Best Documentary went to writer Starlee Kine and producer Alex Blumberg for Dr. Phil, originally produced for Chicago Public Radio's This American Life. Starlee finds so much comfort in break-up songs that she tries to write one herself - and turns to a rather surprising expert for help - the legendary Phil Collins.

This American Life's Giant Pool of Money episode explaining the U.S. housing crisis was voted Director's Choice and received an honorable mention for Best Documentary.

A new award for Best News Feature went to Melissa Block and Andrea Hsu of NPR News for Shattered School. Among the victims of this year's earthquake near Chengdu, China are hundreds of students who are trapped in the rubble of their middle school.

Winning pieces will be broadcast on public radio stations nationwide over Thanksgiving weekend. View the broadcast schedule, listen to excerpts and learn more about the producers at http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/.

AUDIO LUMINARY: Chris Brookes (Canada)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (GOLD): Dr. Phil - by Starlee Kine, edited by Alex Blumberg for This American Life (USA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SILVER): Growing Up in the System - Reported by Shirley Diaz, produced by Melissa Robbins, with Marianne McCune, Kaari Pitkin, Sanda Htyte for WNYC's Radio Rookies (USA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (BRONZE): Hearts, Lungs and Minds - by John Wynne for BBC Radio 3 (UK)

DIRECTORS' CHOICE AND BEST DOCUMENTARY (HONORABLE MENTION): The Giant Pool of Money - by Alex Blumberg, Adam Davidson for This American Life (USA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (HONORABLE MENTION): Searching for Farming's Future in its Past - by Rachel Leventhal for NRDC's OnEarth Magazine podcast (USA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (HONORABLE MENTION): Dreaming of Osama - by Pejk Malinovski for BBC Radio 3 (UK)

BEST NEWS FEATURE: Shattered School - by Melissa Block, Andrea Hsu for NPR News (USA)

RADIO IMPACT: The Diary of Leanne Wolfe - by Ciaran Cassidy with Peter Woods for RTE Radio 1 (Ireland)

BEST NEW ARTIST: Except Me - by Erin Davis for prx.org (USA)

Source: Chicago Public Radio

CONTACT: Cindy Hansen of Chicago Public Radio, +1- 312-893-2950,
chansen@chicagopublicradio.org

Web Site: http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/
http://www.thirdcoastfestival.org/

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