2023 SOUND BITES AWARDS HELD BY MASSACHUSETTS BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION
MA stations receive accolades for work in news, sports, advertising and public service
November 16, 2023 – Awards were handed out to broadcast radio and television stations in nineteen categories at the Sound Bites Awards sponsored by the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association on Thursday, November 16 at the Framingham Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center. Guests included National Association of Broadcasters Senior VP of Government Relations Josh Pollack and CPT Alexander Lindsay of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Comedian Jimmy Dunn performed in front of more than 200 radio and television broadcasters in attendance. Longtime Massachusetts radio personality Jordan Rich hosted the event.
The association began the awards by awarding a first-time “Broadcast Champion” award to MBA counsel Jim Smith, of Smith, Costello, and Crawford. Smith was recognized for his decades of service to the state’s radio and television members in guiding advocacy efforts in both Boston and Washington, DC.
The winners in the Station of the Year category were MyFM 101.3 WMRC-AM and Boston 25 WFXT-DT for radio and television, respectively. Cape Cod’s Pixy 103 and Springfield’s 22 News WWLP-DT were runners up in the Station of the Year category.
Highlighting broadcaster’s commitment to their communities, 94.7 WMAS won the radio Sound Bites Award for best Public Service Announcement for their “94.7 WMAS Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon” PSA. WCVB-DT won the television Public Service Announcement award for their Jimmy Fund PSA “I Am Jimmy 2023.”
The MBA highlighted the best in broadcast localism with #WeAreBroadcasters awards to radio’s WMEX 1510 AM for station owner Tony Lagreca’s work to helping end addiction and the stigma around it, and in television for WCVB-TV’s “50 Years Special” celebrating the station’s golden anniversary.
Now in its twelfth year, the Sound Bites Awards received 260 award entries, highlighting the excellent work done each year by local broadcasters in Massachusetts. See a complete list of winners below.
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Category
Type
Place
Call Letters
Headline or Title
Individual Commercial
Radio
Merit
WMAS-FM
Phil Beaulieu & Sons Home Improvement – Introducing PBHI Roofing
Individual Commercial
Radio
First
WRSI-FM
That Great Gretsch Sound Now at Downtown Sounds
Commercial Campaign
Radio
Merit
WAQY-FM & WLZX-FM
Rocky’s Ace Hardware – Good People, Rock Solid Service
Commercial Campaign
Radio
First
Audacy Boston
Find Mass Money
Commercial Campaign
TV
Merit
WGGB/WSHM
Western Mass News Surprise Squad: Cool Schools
Commercial Campaign
TV
First
WCVB
South Shore Health “Here”
Station Imaging
Radio
Merit
WBGB FM
Station Imaging
Radio
First
WEEI-FM
Station Promotional Announcement
Radio
Merit
WMAS-FM
94-Foot Christmas Tree & Nights at The North Pole
Station Promotional Announcement
Radio
First
WWBX-FM
Taylor Swift Ticket Winners
Station Promotional Announcement
TV
Merit
WCVB
Christmas Day NBA Here on Channel 5
Station Promotional Announcement
TV
First
WFXT
Zip Trips 20th Season promo
Air Personality
Radio
Merit
WMJX-FM
Back to the 80’s Saturday Night w/ Joe Cortese
Air Personality
Radio
First
WBZ-AM
Matt Shearer
Air Personality
TV
Merit
WWLP
Duncan MacLean
Air Personality
TV
First
WCVB
Antoinette Antonio
On-Air Contest
Radio
Merit
WXLO-FM
XLO and Rota Spring Farm Team Up for Lavender Haze Ice Cream to Welcome Taylor Swift to New England
On-Air Contest
Radio
First
WBQT-FM
$96,000 Birthday Payday
Sports Feature
Radio
Merit
WAMQ-FM
UConn Rolls to Second Round as NCAA Men’s Tournament Returns to Albany; Pitino’s Future Unclear
Sports Feature
Radio
First
WATD-FM
WATD Interview with John Bucyk on Boston Bruins History
Sports Feature
TV
Merit
WGGB
Western Mass News: Female LAX Player
Sports Feature
TV
First
WCVB
Kevin Stevens Gives Back
Sports Play-by-Play
Radio
Merit
WMEX 1510 AM
Div. 2 Boys Hockey MIAA State Finals 2022-23
Sports Play-by-Play
Radio
First
WBZ-FM
Bruins vs. Toronto January 14, 2023
Spot News Story
Radio
Merit
WMVY-FM
Vineyard Harbors Venezuelan Migrants – Confusion Quelled by Humanity
Spot News Story
Radio
First
WATD-FM
Hingham Apple Store Crash
Spot News Story
TV
Merit
WCVB
Apple Store Crash
Spot News Story
TV
First
WBTS
Hingham Apple Store Crash
Investigative Reporting
TV
Merit
WWLP
Xylazine: The Damaging Affects of a Flesh Eating Drug
Investigative Reporting
TV
First
WBTS
NBC10 Investigators: Trapped and Trafficked
Feature Story
Radio
Merit
MyFM 101.3
2023 Boston Marathon: Who Are You Running For?
Feature Story
Radio
First
WMJX-FM
Morning MAGIC Explains The Husband Calling Competition
Feature Story
TV
Merit
WGGB
Western Mass News: Liver Donor Meet Up
Feature Story
TV
First
WWLP
Spread The Love
Meteorologist
TV
Merit
WCVB
Cindy Fitzgibbon
Meteorologist
TV
First
WFXT
Kevin Lemanowicz
Photographer
TV
Merit
WBTS
Shira Stoll
Photographer
TV
First
WBTS
Aaron Strader
Excellence in Sound
Radio
Merit
WMEX 1510 AM
Jeff Lawrence’s Top 1510 Countdown on WMEX
Excellence in Sound
Radio
First
WATD-FM
The Singing Sheriff
Recurring Segment
Radio
Merit
WLZX-FM
Did You Know?
Recurring Segment
Radio
First
WBQT-FM
Second Date Update on the :10s
Recurring Segment
TV
Merit
WBZ
WBZ’s Eye on Earth
Recurring Segment
TV
First
WCVB
Ben Has Your Back
Digital Media
Radio
Merit
MyFM 101.3
MyFM’s Annual Stuff-a-Bus
Digital Media
Radio
First
WBZ-AM
WBZ NewsRadio – TikTok
Digital Media
TV
Merit
WBTS
Bilingual Coverage of Cows, Community and Conversation Starters
Digital Media
TV
First
WCVB
127th Boston Marathon
Public Service Announcement
Radio
Merit
MyFM 101.3
MyFM’s Hometown Hope
Public Service Announcement
Radio
First
WMAS-FM
The 94.7 WMAS Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon
Public Service Announcement
TV
Merit
WWLP
Toys for Tots
Public Service Announcement
TV
First
WCVB
Jimmy Fund “I Am Jimmy 2023”
#WeAreBroadcasters
Radio
Merit
WPXC-FM
21st Annual Homeless For The Holidays
#WeAreBroadcasters
Radio
First
WMEX 1510 AM
Local Station Owner Helping End Addiction and the Stigma Around It
#WeAreBroadcasters
TV
Merit
WFXT
One Boston Week
#WeAreBroadcasters
TV
First
WCVB
50 Years Special
Station of the Year
Radio
Merit
WPXC-FM
Station of the Year
Radio
First
MyFM 101.3
Station of the Year
TV
Merit
WWLP
Station of the Year
TV
First
WFXT
About the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association
The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association (MBA) is the only voluntary, statewide trade organization serving the Bay State’s over-the-air television and radio stations. The Association’s key responsibilities include assisting its members with general and broadcast-specific business challenges and assisting in the networking of fellow broadcasters. Please visit www.massbroadcasters.org for more information.