KCOU News has won two Communicator Awards of Distinction for its coverage of the 2008 general election.

MU’s student radio station earned the awards in the overall newscast and student-produced program categories.

On Nov. 4, 2008, a team of KCOU reporters covered races for Missouri state representative, governor, U.S. representative, and the presidential race. Anchors were on-air for five hours, eventually witnessing the historic election of President Barack Obama.

“These awards provide yet another example of the vast improvements made at KCOU over the last year,” general manager Jonathan Hutcheson said. “I expect KCOU to continue winning more awards for its programming in the future but, for me, these will always be the most special.”

The Communicator Awards are an annual competition honoring the best in the media industry. Thousands of entries vied for distinction in this year’s competition.

KCOU’s news department will feature expanded coverage of the MU campus and Columbia in the fall semester. KCOU will become a hub for up-to-the-minute, live campus news over the air and on the Web. ◊