June 18, 2007

Zind’s story on a peace song competition held in Montpelier in December 2006 won top honors in the feature reporting category. Zind also won for broadcast writing with his story on a Topsham woman who was making arrangements for her own coffin.  Zind, along with VPR News Director John Van Hoesen, will accept the awards on behalf of VPR in an award ceremony to be held in October.

In addition to the national Murrow Awards, VPR was honored with five 2007 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding news coverage. Audio of VPR’s award-winning coverage can be heard at vpr.net.

Zind has been with VPR since 1994, most recently serving as a reporter and host of VPR’s weekly news magazine Vermont Edition.  In July, he will become the editor of Vermont Edition, helping shape the program into a daily news magazine that will debut later this summer.  He had served as program director for WNCS for 17 years, and also worked as news director for WCVR in Randolph. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Steve also worked for stations in Phoenix and Tucson before moving to Vermont in 1972.       

The Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA).  VPR won the prestigious awards in the small-market radio category that included stations in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The public radio service has been recognized for outstanding news coverage by the RTNDA annually since 2004.

VPR can be heard at 107.9 FM in Burlington, 89.5 FM in Windsor, 88.7 FM in Rutland, 88.5 FM in St. Johnsbury, 94.3 FM in Bennington, 92.5 in Manchester, 94.5 in Brattleboro, 95.3 in Middlebury, 94.1 in Montpelier and online at vpr.net.  VPR is also available in HD at 107.9-HD1 in northern Vermont, 89.5-HD1 in the Upper Valley and at 94.3-HD1 in Bennington.