FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
Tempe, AZ, June 9, 2010
SUN SOUNDS OF ARIZONA HONORED WITH SEVEN INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
(Tempe, AZ) Sun Sounds of Arizona received top honors with six programming awards and a Public Awareness Award at the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) Conference in June 2010. The annual IAAIS awards recognize quality programming and technical achievement among nearly 100 reading and information access services world-wide.
Program of the Year, Interview or Call-In Show, went to BookWorld, for volunteer Joyce Totlis' interview with Alberto Rios, author of the 2010 OneBookAZ selection, Capirotada: A Nogales Memoir. Bruce Halperin engineered the interview, which aired before and after Ms. Totlis’ reading of the book.
Two Sun Sounds of Arizona newspaper programs received top honors in their categories. The Yuma Sun, read by Tempe volunteer Laura Miner, won Newspaper (Recorded), and Arizona Daily Sun, read by Flagstaff volunteers Carol Cummings and Kelly Gibbs got the nod for Newspaper (Live Reading).
In the Information category, Program of the Year went to Catalog Shopper, a weekly program highlighting catalog sales and advertisements, read by Tempe volunteer Janice Plado Dalager.
Limericks walked away with Program of the Year, Thematic Production (Short Program) category. It was produced by Doug Martz and recorded by Shaw Kinsley in Tucson.
The Economist, read by Tempe volunteer Roger Downey, received an Honorable Mention in the category of Magazines II.
Sun Sounds also received the 2009 Public Awareness Award for their 30th Anniversary publicity campaign which culminated in an Open House reception and tour of the broadcast studios in Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson. This is the second time in four years that Sun Sounds’ marketing and public relations efforts have garnered this recognition.
“Receiving Program of the Year recognition underscores the quality and dedication that Sun Sounds’ volunteers bring to our station,” said Andrea Pasquale, Manager of Programming and Volunteers. “Without volunteers, many of whom have worked at Sun Sounds for more than 10 years, we simply couldn’t provide access to information for thousands of Arizonans who cannot use printed material.”
Each year the IAAIS Program Awards competition receives more than 100 entries in 17 different categories, ranging from pre-recorded entertainment and news to live, on-location productions.
These six award-winning shows, and the nearly 100 others produced by Sun Sounds, provide a vital link to current print information for the disability community. From news and entertainment to the weekly grocery ads and obituaries, the programs on Sun Sounds help thousands of Arizonans with disabilities live more independent and self-directed lives.
For additional information about this release, contact:
Heidi Capriotti
Marketing Coordinator, Sun Sounds of Arizona
2323 W. 14th St., Tempe, AZ 85281-6950
480-774-8300
heidi.capriotti@riomail.maricopa.edu
About Sun Sounds of Arizona
Sun Sounds of Arizona, established in 1979, is a radio reading and information access service for people who cannot read print due to a disability. A community outreach of Rio Salado College’s Division of Public Service, Sun Sounds and 500 volunteers across the state provide information access free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using special radios, designated cable systems, telephone and the internet.
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