Radio and television stations from across Wisconsin were honored Saturday with numerous awards at the 2023 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards Gala. The awards were handed out at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton with more than 400 in attendance.
Competition for this year’s awards was as strong as ever with 1,502 award entries. A total of 113 stations participated. Entries were judged by professional broadcasters outside Wisconsin.
“The amount of interest in this year’s awards gala, as seen by the number of people there and the buzz in the ballroom, sets a new precedent,” said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. “We are so incredibly proud of Wisconsin broadcasters and the important work they do every day in the communities they serve.”
Photos of the event can be found on the WBA’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Professional photos will be published soon.
The stations listed below are the News Operation of the Year, and Station of the Year awards. These are awarded based on a station’s placement in the single category awards and determined through a point system.
The outcomes for three News Operation of the Year Award races announced at the WBA Awards Gala were affected by a point tabulation error.
- WMTV-TV in Madison won the News Operation of the Year award in Medium Market TV. WISC-TV in Madison was erroneously named the winner.
- WSAW-TV in Wausau won the News Operation for the Year award in Small Market TV. WKBT-TV in La Crosse was erroneously named the winner.
The stations have been informed and awards will be produced and delivered to the stations.
“We are very sorry for the error,” said WBA President Michelle Vetterkind. “The points awarded for social/digital media categories were not attributed the News Operation of the Year award calculation. In previous years, points for those categories did not go toward News Operation of the Year. That rule change was made for the 2022 contest, but wasn’t incorporated into the tabulation process.”
The recalculation didn’t affect the outcomes for any of the other News Operation of the Year or Station of the Year award winners. It doesn’t affect any outcomes in individual awards.
The corrected list of winners is below.
The 2023 awards will be given out at the Awards Gala on May 11, 2024. NOTE: This is a week later than our traditional date.
