Howie's Best in Local Media, Community Relations

WDIO.com has received the title of Northland's Best Local News, Weather, and Sports Website. The site is renowned for its superior, professional, and reliable hyper-local content. The Lift, airing on 10/13 and hosted by the local media sensation Baihly Warfield, is ranked number one in the magazine show category. Additionally, Spencer Pierce of WDIO Sports holds the position of the top sports anchor.

My Best of Local Media Picks for August 2024 (drum roll, please):

Best Community News Website – WDIO.com

Best TV News Director – Alex Buie, a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica, started her career at WDIO/WIRT-TV in community television in 2016. Excelling in roles such as photographer, producer, senior producer, and assistant news director, she has risen to the position of news director. Her robust leadership continues to steer the Northland's premier news, weather, and sports teams.

Best TV Sports Anchor/Reporter – Spencer Pierce, formerly a high school baseball player from Connecticut and a graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, joined the WDIO sports team in August 2023. “As an athlete in high school, I would always turn on my local news channel and hope that my name would be mentioned,” said Pierce. “I’m excited for Northland athletes to turn on WDIO and hear their names in highlights or stories.”

Best TV Meteorologist – WDIO's experienced meteorologist, Justin Liles, has won this prestigious category by a significant margin. He remembers being motivated to chase a career in weather forecasting as a child, inspired by watching Kermit the Frog give weather updates on Sesame Street. He figured, if a frog could do it, why couldn't he? "The weather in the Northland is always changing; it's never dull and it affects our daily lives," Liles said. Hailing from Ogilvie, Liles graduated from St. Cloud State in 2002 and joined the WDIO team in 2005.

Best TV Magazine Show – The Lift, WDIO. A must-watch.

Best Community Newspaper/Publisher – Pine Knot News (Carlton County), a hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners and lots of local news. Jana Peterson, publisher

Best Radio Talk-Show Host – Brad Bennett, KDAL

Best Sports Columnist – John Gilbert, Duluth Reader (formerly with StarTribune) and Kerry Rodd, Pine Knot News

Best Print Reporter – Jana Hollingsworth, StarTribune, Duluth's only seven-day home-delivered newspaper

Best Still Photographer – Jed Carlson, Duluth Media Group

Best Business Website – BusinessNorth.com

Best College Website – Lake Superior College

Best High School Website – Hermantown Community Schools, the runaway winner in the category

Best Advertising Agency – Swim Creative, a collective of thinkers, tacticians and creatives that build brands through collaboration, insight and, quite frankly, hard work.

Best Radio Sports Broadcaster – Bruce Ciskie, KDAL 610

Best Community Relations Directors – Dana Kazel, St. Louis County; Lucie Amundsen, DECC

Best Marketing (Business) – Mark Mahla, Grandma's Restaurants

Best Communications (Education) – Jesse Robinson, Lake Superior College

Best Advertising Design – Members Cooperative Credit Union, Grandma's Restaurants, Lyric Kitchen Bar