Yellow Springs resident Basim Blunt received a First Place award from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI) for his story, “Boogie Nights: A History of Funk Music in Dayton.” The national award was presented recently in the Student Soft Feature category at the annual PRNDI Conference in Cleveland.
Blunt said, “I just want to thank the musicians who are long overdue for recognition and who took the time to help me put together this story. I want to dedicate this award to them.” Blunt’s story was also recognized by the Ohio Associated Press, taking First Place in the Best Feature Reporting category.
The Ohio Associated Press honored Will Davis, also of Yellow Springs, for his feature on Springfield filmmaker Justin Russell’s “The Sleeper,” an homage to the 80’s slasher film genre. Davis took First Place 
in the Best Use of Sound category.
Both Blunt and Davis were participants in WYSO’s 2012 Community Voices training course; a project to teach local people how to make radio stories. Over six months trainees learn to record and edit digital audio, conduct interviews, write radio scripts, and ultimately produce a feature story.
WYSO celebrated the completion of its third Community Voices training course in June with public radio producer and StoryCorps founder Dave Isay. Isay gave a public presentation at the Mathile Theater in Dayton, and lead a private Master Class with Community Voices Producers at the WYSO studios. Stories produced in the 2013 training will be presented in two hour-long radio specials, and at a Screenless Screening at the FilmDayton Festival in August.
Public radio station WYSO 91.3 is licensed to Antioch College with studios in Yellow Springs. It broadcasts on multiple platforms: 91.3 FM, live streaming at WYSO.org, on HD radio and on the Public Radio Player, a mobile application. WYSO is the Miami Valley’s only NPR News station with programming from NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media, PRX and the BBC as well as the work of local and independent radio producers.
