Excellence Personified With Two Latest KPEL Awards [OPINION]

Excellence personified with two latest KPEL broadcasting awards

Two broadcasters earned recognition from the Associated Press in New Orleans for the Best Sports Broadcast/Sports Show for the Friday night broadcast of Lafayette High School football on KPEL. These two individuals personify the excellence in radio broadcasting that is common to all seven radio stations here in the Townsquare Media building at 1749 Bertrand Dr. in Lafayette.

Congratulations to Ian Auzenne (play-by-play) and Brandon Comeaux (color analyst) who were awarded first place in the Associated Press Sports Broadcasting category for the Louisiana/Mississippi region.  The guys have been broadcasting high school football on KPEL for six years, and with each passing year, they sound progressively better with the timing of their calls and their broadcast chemistry.  Hard work and dedication is the hallmark of how both Brandon and Ian have achieved their award-winning excellence.

Brandon Comeaux has been on the staff of KPEL for over a decade.  He graduated from UL, Lafayette in the late 2000s.  While a student at UL, he worked in the Athletic Department as Chief Videographer for football and baseball, and wherever his talents were needed.  Brandon videoed and produced game film, which UL’s coaches used to assess and analyze the teams’ performances.  And yes, Brandon played offensive line at Northside High School, which also complements his ability to analyze football plays in real time.

Ian Auzenne graduated from Princeton University in the early 2010s.  He graduated from Beau Chene High School. He began his “broadcast career” at Lafayette’s open access television station, Acadiana Open Channel, going back to when he was just a teenager.  I first met Ian back in the early 2000s when I was a volunteer producer at AOC.  He is a keen observer of life in general, which naturally makes his sports calls all the more entertaining.  Ian was on the broadcast team at WPRB radio, which is the flagship radio station for Princeton University sports in Princeton, NJ.  He  broadcasted football, basketball, baseball, softball, and ice hockey during his four years at Princeton.

And speaking of awards garnered by our seven stations at Townsquare Media, the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters recently bestowed excellence on the following stations with their “2018 Prestige Awards”: (1) Best On-Site Remote Radio Broadcast, “KPEL Goes to the Big Apple”; (2) Best Use of Social Media, HOT 107.9; (3) Large Market Radio Station of the Year, HOT 107.9; and (4) Community Service Award to “Jay-Cee Falcon’s Jeep Jaunt” [fundraiser for the American Lung Association], 99.9 KTDY.

Whether it’s Rob Kirkpatrick, Brand Manager of KPEL, or Townsquare Media’s General Manager, Mike Grimsley, daily excellence is encouraged and inspired by our management team.  It’s a pleasure working with a group of people who constantly aspire to excellence.  We’re tuned in to you, our listeners and users of our websites and social media, so please stay tuned in to us.

-Mark Pope