From fall to spring, a lot changes across the board, but such growth is rarely documented and scored. For Coppell High School’s student broadcast program KCBY-TV, its fall and spring shows are placed under a magnifying glass for numerous competitions.

On March 17, KCBY-TV was awarded the distinction of Outstanding Achievement alongside seven other schools by the Student Television Network (STN) at its national convention in Long Beach, Calif. The announcement came 10 days after KCBY-TV was named a finalist in the competition.

“I was just so happy,” senior executive producer Lauren Beach said. “It is an amazing award, and the fact that KCBY is such a prestigious program without us even realizing it—because it is just something that we are so passionate about and love—is great.”

STN judges and determines finalists, and thereby awards winners, by measuring the growth from a submitted show from the fall semester to one from the spring semester.  For each and every staffer, it is a reminder and sign that their hard work has paid off. 

“It is really motivating because KCBY is a lot of work,” senior executive producer Betsy Krenek said. “Sometimes you kind of get so drained from all that you do that it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel and all the hard work that pays off, so when we win awards like from STN, it is super rewarding and reminds you how much you enjoy what you do.”

This distinction marks the first time in five years that KCBY-TV has won an award from STN, beyond just a finalist position. According to STN, its Broadcast Excellence Contest is among its most prestigious broadcast awards as well as allows for student programs to be thoroughly evaluated by industry professionals, reinforcing the quality of work KCBY-TV has produced. 

“These awards, especially during my senior year, confirm to me just how much [the program] has grown from where we started,” Beach said. “We have been entering and winning these awards for years, but we continue to receive amazing recognitions, and it is very validating to know that what we work so hard for is of quality.”

According to KCBY-TV Adviser Irma Kennedy, part of what makes KCBY-TV stand out are its vast production techniques. 

“This year, STN requested two shows, and the two shows that we submitted showed a variety in production,” Kennedy said. “The first show was a typical one-shot show we do every week with anchors. The second show that we did had cutaways, wherein we cut away from a one-shot to a two-shot, so it is a higher-level of production and broadcasting.”

Beach furthers that the program’s special features that not only report and act as a channel for information but also includes “hallway talk”—a segment in which student and faculty opinions and reactions are documented—allowed the program to shine.

While awards are not everything, Beach notes that they empower the program’s presence among the Coppell Community and draw interest back into matriculating through the pathway. Dually through competitions and community events, including its Film Festival on March 31, KCBY-TV is able to cement itself as a success and reward to its 120-member staff.

Despite graduating, Krenek hopes that the distinction of Outstanding Achievement pushes staffers new and old to absorb each second in the program. 

“Enjoy every second of it and soak up everything you can,” Krenek said. “It is such a versatile program, and there is so much you can get out of it. But you get out of KCBY what you put into it.”

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