Susquehanna University’s student-run radio station, WQSU, earned several awards this spring from the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.
In its first year competing in the international BEA awards, WQSU finished second overall in the Dr. Marjorie Yambor Signature Station Competition. The competition celebrates outstanding college radio and television stations for programming, audience engagement, community involvement and leadership.
A BEA judge, who praised WQSU’s balance between professional oversight and student autonomy, remarked, “The organizational structure provides excellent guidance from the top through the involvement of a seasoned media professional, while still allowing students the freedom to make decisions, trust their ‘gut’ and take ownership of their individual responsibilities.”
After Hours with Smokey K allows me to not only play my favorite songs, but also interact with my audience and get them involved in the show.
Harrison Karsch ’27
Two Susquehanna students earned individual BEA honors in the Student Audio Competition categories:
- Harrison Karsch ’27, third place in Air Personality for After Hours with Smokey K.
- Benjamin Boeshore ’27, third place in PSA, Promo or Commercial for Phi Mu Delta Haunted House.
“When I started on WQSU, I never thought I would be the student engineer for the station or an award-winning on-air personality. It’s really a testament to what we have here at Susquehanna,” Karsch said. “After Hours with Smokey K allows me to not only play my favorite songs, but also interact with my audience and get them involved in the show.”
The students will be recognized by BEA during the Student Winners Celebration on April 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
At the state level, the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters recognized WQSU with two Excellence in Broadcasting Awards:
- Karsch, Brai Tate ’27 and Matt Kaufman ’28, PA Pigskin Preview, Sports Talk Show Multi-Platform Broadcast.
- Boeshore, Sebastian Caraballo ’27, Katherine DeCamp ’27 and Lillian Mandalas ’27 and students in the Professional Sales class, Salute to Selinsgrove, Marketing Campaign.
WQSU has won 19 PAB awards since 2018. Awards were presented at the PAB Awards Luncheon on April 10 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
According to Dawn Benfer, station manager, the accolades reflect a sustained culture of excellence, with WQSU students earning more than three dozen awards over the past eight years across international, national and state competitions. Since 2018 alone, WQSU has earned 19 PAB awards and 15 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards.
That momentum extends beyond the airwaves. Recently, two podcasts created by Susquehanna academic deans — and produced by WQSU — earned top honors for creative excellence from CUPRAP, showcasing how students collaborate with faculty to produce professional-caliber storytelling that brings the university’s ideas and discoveries to life.
“Our students are not just learning; they’re creating work at a professional, award-winning level,” said Benfer. “Being part of broadcasts and podcasts gives them invaluable real-world experience while elevating the voices and stories that define Susquehanna.”
