Student Productions

Many students in the Department of Communication Studies are actively involved in radio and television production projects, either as part of a class assignment or through their work at WEIU-TV and FM. Several students have received recent recognition for excellence:


  • WEIU-TV News Watch, Eastern's student-produced TV newscast, won first place for Best TV News Show in the Society for Collegiate Journalists national competition in 2011.  News Watch place second in the nation for Best Student Newscast in the Broadcast Education Association's Media Festival of the Arts in 2011.  News Watch placed third in the nation in the 2011 Emmy Foundation College Newscast Competition.  News Watch has also won three consecutive Midwest Regional Emmy Awards (2009, 2010 and 2011) as well as top student newscast in Illinois in four separate contests from 2009-2011.  News Watch also was a national finalist for Best Newscast in the Society of Professional Journalists competition in 2010.
  • Dustin Tylman won first place for Best TV News Videography in the 2011 Illinois News Broadcasters Association competition.
  • Monica Becker received second place in the 2011 Be a Buckle Buddy radio PSA contest, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation and Children's Hospital of Illinois.  (Listen to the spot)
  • WEIU-TV Sports Watch End Zone received first place for Best Longform TV Program at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Awards.
  • Gabe Przygoda and Dustin Tylman teamed up to win a $10,000 first place prize for best TV Public Service Announcement in the Ready.Illinois.gov College Challenge in 2010.  (Watch the spot)
  • Tom Bickham received second place and Ethan Kruger and Nathan Schwalm tied for third place for Best Radio Aircheck at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Awards.
  • Monica Becker was named as a finalist in the Donate Life Illinois statewide radio production contest in 2011.  (Listen to the spot)
  • Avery Drake received first place for Outstanding TV Sports Program at the 2010 Illinois News Broadcasters Association student awards and third place for Best TV Photojournalism at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome awards.
  • Kevin Jeanes received third place for Best TV Weathercaster in the nation three years in a row (2008, 2009 & 2010) in the Broadcast Education Association's Media Festival of the Arts.  He was also named Best Weathercaster in Illinois at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Awards.
  • Kate Kelley and Phil Norton received first place for Best Radio Promotion at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome Awards.
  • Emily Mieure received third place for Outstanding TV Sports Reporting at the 2010 Illinois News Broadcasters Association student awards and third place for Best TV Photojournalism at the 2010 Illinois Broadcasters Association Student Silver Dome awards.
  • Phil Norton received second place and Claire Dennis third place in the 2010 Be a Buckle Buddy radio PSA contest, open to students throughout Illinois.
  • Kevin Ratermann received third place for Outstanding Videography at the 2010 Illinois News Broadcasters Association student awards.
  • Katie Rufener received first place for Outstanding TV News Reporting at the 2010 Illinois News Broadcasters Association student awards.

Students in some Communication Studies courses are required to maintain blogs as part of their assignments.  Here are some examples from 2011.