Media

Written By Danielle Stanfield

No news is newsworthy when it comes to honoring the media personalities who continue to impress, charm and earn respect from Cary Magazine readers.

When they’re not reading the latest issue of Cary Magazine, our readers have their radio dials set on 105.1 FM to listen to Top 40 music, garnering them a hat trick in categories: Best Radio Morning Show, Best Radio Talk Show Host and Best Radio Station. Bob & The Showgram continues to entertain morning commuters, and Bob Dumas tops the charts as the favored morning radio personality with pizzazz, controversy and commentary.

WRAL 5 has never relinquished its reign year after year as Best TV Station, making it the most trusted source for news, weather and sports. King of local TV news is Best TV News Anchor David Crabtree, who is humbled by the honor and says he is in the greatest business in the world — and he has been for 32 years now.

“I get to learn something new every day,” he said. “The people I meet, I travel and hear marvelous stories. I feel like the luckiest guy with the best job in broadcast journalism.”

Along with the job come times when Crabtree must report on bad news, which he said can be hard to handle. He does his best to maintain his composure, but says he is affected by sad news and he wears his heart on his sleeve.

In the good and bad news reporting, Crabtree believes he works for the best TV station in the country because of its commitment to the community, not necessarily the awards it wins. Personally, he’s not interested in winning awards and stopped competing for them 10 years ago. Becoming ordained in the Episcopal Church 6 years ago and covering Mother Teresa’s funeral in 1997 has shaped his new perspective in life where awards are not important.

Even still, he’s award-wining and a favorite among Cary Magazine readers who also show their love by voting his colleague Greg Fishel as Best Meteorologist and Tom Suiter as Best Sportscaster.

Youngsters Peyton Kennedy, 7; Hayden Miller, 10 months old; Ava Moran, 4; Katie Craven, 5; and Ava Grivalski, 3; from Primrose School of Cary, which was awarded Best Preschool, visit radio host Catherine Brand at WUNC, which was awarded Best Afternoon Drive Show for All Things Considered.   Photo By Jonathan Fredin

Best Afternoon Drive Radio Show kudos goes to All Things Considered. Catherine Brand, the radio talk show host of WUNC’s NPR program, thinks her show’s winning formula is quality local news plus committed reporters equals news you can use and won’t find anywhere else.

All Things Considered is the flagship newsmagazine from NPR and includes world news, features, reviews, analysis, commentary and WUNC’s local news and weather reports.

According to program director David Brower, the show has a huge local following as does the entire WUNC station. “People love this radio station and they give freely to it.”