CREDIT: SUE DAVIS-MCPHADEN
Fanshawe’s award-winners: Megan McPhaden (left), Frazer Snowdon, Christian Aumell, CNN political correspondent Tom Foreman, Elise Copps-Smith and Isabelle Raghem.

Fanshawe students are at it again, adding five more Radio, Television and Digital News Foundation awards to their already impressive haul over the last 33 years.

Five students from Fanshawe's School of Contemporary Media were the recipients of the RTDNF scholarship awards. The RTDNF is a foundation in conjunction with the Radio, Television and Digital News Association, an American news association that is committed to maintaining the standards of journalism and the right of journalists to free speech.

The award winners submitted audio and video features to a variety of categories and were chosen from over 200 applicants from across the country.

Of the eight scholarships up for grabs, Fanshawe students came away with five. Isabelle Raghem, a student in the Media, Theory and Production collaborative program between Fanshawe and Western University, won the Canadian Press Eric Murray award. Broadcast Journalism student Megan McPhaden won the 660 News Diversity Scholarship. Television Broadcasting student Elise Copps-Smith won the BNN/Jim O'Connell business scholarship. Fanshawe College television broadcasting student Frazer Snowdon was the recipient of two awards: the RTDNF Scholarship and the coveted George Clark award for best overall entry.

Christian Aumell is a student in the Media, Theory and Production program, a collaborative program between Fanshawe and Western University. He won the first-year Marketwired scholarship for his documentary about a lost cat finding his way home.

“I was shocked when I found out I would be heading to Toronto to receive an award. The conference itself was a fantastic learning experience. There were a lot of eyeopening seminars, something that someone as green to the industry as myself could really benefit from,” said Aumell.

For a lot of young people looking to break into the industry, winning an RTDNF scholarship is a great starting point.

“There are a lot of talented people in the industry,” Aumell said. “I realize now that I will have to work very hard if I want to be successful, and what I have learned from this conference has started me in the right direction.”

The winners also attended the RTDNA conference that was held in Toronto in June and accepted their awards at a scholarship luncheon in their honour.

During the three-day conference, award winners networked and socialized with some of the best in television and radio broadcasting. One workshop gave winners the opportunity to pitch a show to news directors, an invaluable experience that some winners won't soon forget.

Each winner received money and an engraved plaque. Fanshawe's winners will have their plaques displayed on the Fanshawe newsroom's wall of fame.

Fanshawe College became the first educational institution to receive the Bill Hutton Award of Excellence at the conference. This award recognizes an organization's commitment to the RTDNA and betterment of broadcast journalism in Canada. Broadcast Journalism program coordinator Jim Van Horne accepted the award on behalf of the Contemporary Media faculty and was thrilled with the win. “We are very honoured to be recognized with the Bill Hutton award,” said Horne.

These wins serve to reinforce Fanshawe's role as a broadcasting hub that has produced talent such as Entertainment Tonight's Cheryl Hickey, CTV Toronto's co-anchor Michelle Dube and other local talent such as AM980 news director Nathan Smith.