Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: RMWorldTravelConnection Entry Title: RMWorldTravel - America's #1 Travel Radio Show | "Let's Go America! Tour" - Douro River Cruise & Porto | 29 July 2023 Entry Credit: Robert Carey, Mary Carey, Rudy Maxa, Valerie B Selig, Bob F Bucci Judge Comment: This show features several local voices, and the interaction between the hosts and the interviewees makes the listener feel as if they are in Porto alongside them. The focus on health and wellness among staff and guests at David Braithwaite’s garden hotel was especially strong in this segment. Using a travel show to talk about the workplace conditions of the hospitality industry was not only unique but also necessary as the global conversation about work-life balance continues.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Rick Steves Europe Entry Title: Travel with Rick Steves — Vampires of Eastern Europe; Supernatural Ireland; Haunted Europe Entry Credit: Rick Steves, Timothy Tattan, Kasmira Hall, Donna Bardsley Judge Comment: The audio mixing of this piece is solid, and the music takes the listener from idea to idea and place to place. It, along with the narration, conveys a fun yet authoritative glimpse into haunted Europe. The segment of scary stories from listeners who’d traveled there was especially engaging.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: RMWorldTravelConnection Entry Title: RMWorldTravel - America's #1 Travel Radio Show | "Let's Go America! Tour" - Maui | 30 September 2023 Entry Credit: Robert Carey, Mary Carey, Valerie Selig, Bob Bucci Judge Comment: This is an important broadcast — a timely portrait of Maui after a tragedy. The hosts use a sympathetic tone to bring awareness to the trials of people in Maui while still highlighting the beauty the community is still finding and fostering. This is a stellar example of service journalism and continuing coverage after a tragic event.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Annita Thomas Entry Title: Clotilda - The story of the Last Slave Ship Entry Credit: Annita Thomas Judge Comment: This story captures a part of American history that should not be forgotten. The host’s delivery of this story and the conviction behind its telling is evident. Pairing it with the opening of an exhibit dedicated to remembering Clotilda was especially timely. The interview at this opening conveyed the empowerment of knowing one’s ancestral history — a reality that most Black Americans have unfortunately been denied because of America’s beginnings in slavery.
