Tommy Rezac of Valparaiso places second in Hearst radio competition

2016 Feb 12

Tommy Rezac, a junior broadcasting major in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications, placed second in the Hearst Journalism Awards radio competition.

He will advance to the championship in San Francisco in June.

Rezac, a Valparaiso native, is a news/sports reporter and producer at 1400 AM KLIN in Lincoln and KRNU sports staff director. Previously, he was an intern at the sports office at KLKN-TV Channel 8 in Lincoln.

He is a member of the UNL chapter of the National Broadcasting Society and Friends of KRNU and is on the CoJMC Student Advisory Board. Rezac also works with BTN Student U Productions and the Newman Center Lectors and Readers.

His winning piece, a news package exploring the possibility of serving alcohol at Pinnacle Bank Arena during basketball games, included interviews with a member of the West Haymarket Joint Public Agency who did a study on the effect of alcohol sales, Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, NU Regent Tim Clare and several UNL students.

The 2015-16 Hearst Journalism Awards Program is held in 108 member colleges and universities of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication with accredited undergraduate journalism programs. The awards program consists of five writing, two photojournalism, one radio, two television and four multimedia competitions. The program awards up to $500,000 in scholarships, matching grants and stipends annually.