Broadcast professionals from across Alabama attended the twelfth annual Alabama Broadcasters Association’s “Best in Broadcasting Awards”, otherwise known as the ABBYs, on Saturday, March 24th at the Hyatt Regency in Hoover. A record number of entries were received and the number of stations participating increased once again. WXFL-FM of Florence was named Radio Station of the Year and WALA-TV of Mobile received the TV Station of the Year honor.
The following awards are listed in the order they were presented. These awards were given in recognition of work that was broadcast in 2017.
| ABBY PSA Radio SM MKT | WQSB-FM | Hurricane Relief Effort |
| ABBY PSA Radio MED MKT | WVAS-FM | Angel Tree Project: Renardo Smith |
| ABBY PSA Radio LG MKT | WRSA-FM | Ditto Landing Dog Days of Summer |
| ABBY PSA TV | WCOV-TV | River Region United Way: United |
| Award of Merit Station Promotion TV | WBMA-TV | Good Morning Alabama – Back to School 2017 |
| Award of Merit Station Promotion TV | WDHN-TV | Something New |
| ABBY Station Promotion TV | WBRC-TV | Weather Never Stops |
| ABBY Event/Client Promotion TV | APT | 2017 AASB Video Contest |
| ABBY Station Promotion Radio SM MKT | WQSB-FM | Howl-O-Ween Pet Photo Contest |
| ABBY Event/Client Promotion Radio SM MKT | WQSB-FM | Monster Ducks/ Wholesale Cars & Von Braun Center |
| Award of Merit Station Promotion Radio MED MKT | WHHY-FM | Y102 Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach Promotion |
| ABBY Station Promotion Radio MED MKT | WQLT-FM | The Year of the Q |
| ABBY Event/ClientPromotion Radio MED MKT | WZBQ-FM | House of Prom |
| Award of Merit Station Promotion Radio LG MKT | WDXB-FM | Little Big Town Road to the Ryman |
| ABBY Station Promotion Radio LG MKT | WQRV-FM | Good Lovin’/Bad Lovin’ Valentine Weekend |
| ABBY Event/ClientPromotion Radio LG MKT | WKSJ-FM | Heroes Among Us |
| Award of Merit Commercial TV | WVUA-TV | Capstone Village |
| ABBY Commercial TV | WIAT-TV | Royal Cup: Your Backyard |
| Award of Merit Commercial Radio SM MKT | WKKR-FM | Niffer’s Kids Night |
| ABBY Commercial Radio SM MKT | WQSB-FM | Wade Cahela Tax Service: “Deer Season” |
| ABBY Commercial Radio MED MKT | WKXX-FM | Bob’s Tires: “If Tires Could Talk” |
| ABBY Commercial Radio LG MKT | WRSA-FM | U.S. Space & Rocket Center Spooky Space Spectacular |
| ABBY Website TV | WHNT-TV | whnt.com |
| ABBY Website Radio SM MKT | WYEA-AM | sylacauganews.com |
| ABBY Website Radio MED MKT | WSBM-AM/FM | foxsportsshoals.com |
| ABBY Website Radio LG MKT | WLRH-FM/HD | wlrh.org |
| ABBY Social Media TV | WHNT-TV | Where’s WHNT at Panopoly |
| ABBY Social Media Radio SM MKT | WYEA-AM | WYEA Social Media |
| ABBY Social Media Radio MED MKT | WSBM-AM/FM | WSBM Social Media |
| ABBY Social Media Radio LG MKT | WZZK-FM | WZZK Social Media |
| Award of Merit Use of Emerging Technology TV | WHNT-TV | Sky 19 |
| ABBY Use of Emerging Technology TV | APT | FBI: Inside the Crime Lab |
| ABBY Use of Emerging Technology Radio SM MKT | WQSB-FM | WQSB Podcasts |
| ABBY Use of Emerging Technology Radio MED MKT | WXFL-FM | WXFL: Multi Platform Media Company |
| ABBY Local Sports Program TV | WHNT-TV | 2017 Iron Bowl Special |
| ABBY Sports Show/Sports Talk Show Radio SM MKT | WANI-AM/FM | The Lunch Break |
| ABBY Sports Show/Sports Talk Show Radio MED MKT | WNPT-FM | The Game with Ryan Fowler |
| Award of Merit Sports Show/Sports Talk Show Radio LG MKT | WLXY-LPFM | Chelsea High School Football Games |
| ABBY Sports Show/Sports Talk Show Radio LG MKT | WUMP-AM/FM | Cube Show |
| ABBY News Feature TV | WALA-TV | Sunken Treasure |
| Award of Merit Franchise TV | WAKA-TV | Alabama Football’s Cutting Edge Technology |
| ABBY News Franchise TV | WKRG-TV | News 5 Web Center Report |
| ABBY Sportscaster Radio SM MKT | WAFN-FM | Adam Ward |
| ABBY Sportscaster Radio MED MKT | WSBM-AM/FM | Chuck Hammer |
| ABBY Sportscaster Radio LG MKT | WZZN-FM | Steve Moulton |
| ABBY Sports Reporting TV | WSFA-TV | Maria Martin |
| Award of Merit Sports Anchor TV | WTVY-TV | Rocco DiSangro |
| ABBY Sports Anchor TV | WIAT-TV | Chris Renkel |
| ABBY Reporter Radio MED MKT | WTSU-FM | Kyle Gassiott |
| Award of Merit Reporter Radio LG MKT | WBHK-FM | Bryant Oden |
| ABBY Reporter Radio LG MKT | WERC-FM | Angie Norvell |
| Award of Merit Reporter TV | WKRG-TV | J.B. Biunno |
| Award of Merit Reporter TV | WSFA-TV | Michael Doudna |
| ABBY Reporter TV | WALA-TV | Kati Weis |
| Award of Merit Photojournalist TV | WAFF-TV | Matthew Smith |
| ABBY Photojournalist TV | WALA-TV | Franz Barraza |
| ABBY REG Scheduled Newscast Radio SM MKT | WANI-AM/FM | Auburn Opelika This Morning News |
| Award of Merit REG Scheduled Newscast Radio MED MKT | WFXO-FM | 98.3 Fox FM Newsbreak |
| ABBY REG Scheduled Newscast Radio MED MKT | WVAS-FM | WVAS News: Marcus Hyles |
| ABBY REG Scheduled Newscast Radio LG MKT | WERC-FM | Brigette Cannon: Feb. 6, 2017 6:30am |
| ABBY Public Affairs TV | WPMI-TV | Mobile’s Opioid Crisis |
| ABBY Public Affairs Radio SM MKT | WUAL-FM | Help Wanted: Alabama’s Rural Health Care Crisis |
| Award of Merit Public Affairs Radio MED MKT | WTSU-FM | “In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson” |
| ABBY Public Affairs Radio MED MKT | WXFL-FM | KIX 96 DJ of Hope |
| ABBY Public Affairs Radio LG MKT | WLRH-FM/HD | The Public Radio Hour |
| Award of Merit Documentary TV | WALA-TV | Quest for Answers |
| ABBY Documentary TV | WVTM-TV | WVTM13 Black History Special |
| ABBY Weather Anchor TV | WBMA-TV | James Spann |
| ABBY Personality or Team Radio SM MKT | WGZZ-FM | Rich and Jeremy in the Morning |
| ABBY Personality or Team Radio MED MKT | WXFL-FM | M. Fletcher Brown |
| ABBY Personality or Team Radio LG MKT | WDXB-FM | Dollar Bill and Madison |
| Award of Merit Local Programming TV | WIAT-TV | CBS42 Morning Show Races to Dega |
| ABBY Local Programming TV | WAAY-TV | Guerrilla Politics |
| ABBY Investigative Reporting TV | WALA-TV | Toxic Release |
| Award of Merit Hard News TV | WKRG-TV | Mobile Woman Caught in Lies About Arson |
| Award of Merit Hard News TV | WVTM-TV | Water Board Issue |
| ABBY Hard News TV | WALA-TV | Who’s Tracking You? |
| ABBY Breaking News Weather TV | WBRC-TV | Fairfield and Ensley Tornado |
| ABBY Breaking News TV | WBRC-TV | Governor Resigns |
| ABBY Talk Show Radio SM MKT | WANI-AM/FM | Auburn Opelika This Morning |
| ABBY Talk Show Radio MED MKT | WACV-FM | News & Views: Candidate Fail |
| ABBY Talk Show Radio LG MKT | WERC-FM | Candidates Old and New Bring Change to Birmingham |
| ABBY News Anchor TV | WBMA-TV | Pam Huff |
| ABBY Morning Show Radio SM MKT | WGZZ-FM | Rich and Jeremy in the Morning |
| ABBY Morning Show Radio MED MKT | WKXX-FM | The Morning Mix with Shane and Suzanne |
| ABBY Morning Show Radio LG MKT | WMJJ-FM | Rob and Hilary |
| ABBY News Series TV | WKRG-TV | Cyber Safe with J.B. Biunno |
| ABBY REG Scheduled Newscast TV | WVTM-TV | Newscast 11/14/17 |
| ABBY Special Election Radio | WERC-FM | WERC-Alabama’s Station of Political Record |
| ABBY Special Election TV | WBRC-TV | Special Election |
| ABBY Service Project Radio | WDRM-FM | Josh Turner Concert Benefit for the Great Diaper Drive |
| ABBY Service Project TV | WVTM-TV | State of Addiction |
| ABBY TV Station of the Year | WALA-TV | WALA-TV |
| ABBY Radio Station of the Year | WXFL-FM | WXFL-FM |
The Alabama Broadcasters Association has served as the official voice of the broadcasting industry in Alabama since 1946.
The organization is dedicated to protecting and enhancing broadcasting and promoting the professional status of members. The Association also provides programs and services beneficial to the individual broadcaster and to members as a group.
