Monthly Archives: April 2011

Regimbal named news director at WDAZ in Grand Forks, N.D.

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Chris Regimbal

Chris Regimbal has been named news director at WDAZ Channel 8 in Grand Forks, N.D., a Forum Communications Co. station.

Regimbal, a 19-year veteran of the station, was previously an assignment editor and chief photographer at WDAZ. He started at WDAZ in 1991 as a sports photographer.

Regimbal is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared frequently on national television. In addition to contributing to the station’s daily news coverage, Regimbal has covered many of WDAZ’s biggest stories: In 2000, Regimbal was part of the WDAZ team that first reported from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where troops from Grand Forks Air Force Base were among those patrolling the Iraq border after the Gulf War. In 2002, his news coverage for WDAZ was the first from Base X, the secret staging grounds for U.S. military attacks in Afghanistan. In 2003, he helped break the national story of the arrest of Alphonso Rodriguez Jr, later convicted in the abduction and murder of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin.

Regimbal has been honored numerous times by the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Associated Press Broadcasters Association in both Minnesota and North Dakota and received the North Dakota Broadcast News Association’s Teddy Award for the state’s best news report of the year. In addition, Regimbal’s work during the 1997 Grand Forks flood helped the station win a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award, one of journalism’s highest honors.

Regimbal is a native of Stephen, Minn. and a graduate of Moorhead State University.

Burton named advertising director at Daily Republic

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Rustan Burton

Rustan Burton has been hired as the new advertising director at The Daily Republic in Mitchell, S.D., a Forum Communications Co. newspaper. He joins the newspaper May 2.

Burton previously was the retail advertising manager at the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News. Prior to that he worked in sales, property management, project management and independent real estate ventures. He is a native of Rexburg, Idaho. He and his wife, Anna, have four children.

“Rustan comes to us with a diverse background, which should give him a head start in his new position in Mitchell,” said Korrie Wenzel, publisher of The Daily Republic. “But what’s really intriguing is his interest and evident passion for media sales, both in print and online. He said he’s excited to be in South Dakota and we’re excited to have him here.”

The Daily Republic also has promoted Lorie Hansen to the position of assistant advertising director. Among her new duties, Hansen will oversee sales for the Advisor Advantage, another Daily Republic publication.

Daily Republic garners top awards in two newspaper contests

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The Daily Republic of Mitchell, S.D., won the “General Excellence” award in its division of the recent South Dakota newspaper contest and received the most awards in its division of another contest open to newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

In all, The Daily Republic won 33 awards from the South Dakota Newspaper Association’s Better Newspapers Contest and the Associated Press Managing Editors Great Plains News and Photo Contest. Both contests covered work published in 2010, and the awards were announced in April.

In the SDNA contest, The Daily Republic won the “General Excellence” award, meaning it was judged to be the best newspaper in the state with a circulation of up to 14,000. It was The Daily Republic’s second consecutive year winning the award.

In the Great Plains contest, The Daily Republic won 13 awards in its division, medium-sized daily newspapers.

The Daily Republic is owned by Forum Communications Co., headquartered in Fargo, N.D.

Following are the awards won by The Daily Republic and its staff:

SDNA advertising awards:

- Best Advertising Section: second, staff; third, staff.

- Best Use of Color: third, Janet DeRouchey.

- Best Classified Section: first, Classified Department.

SDNA news/editorial awards:

- Best News Story: third, Seth Tupper.

- Best News Series: first, Melanie Brandert; second, Austin Kaus; third, Tom Lawrence.

- Best Feature Story: first, Ross Dolan; second, Tom Lawrence.

- Best Sports Reporting: first, Travis Mester; second, Luke Hagen.

- Best Sports Column: second, Luke Hagen.

- Best Editorial Writing: third, Seth Tupper.

- Best Local General Interest Column: first, Tom Lawrence; second, Terry Woster.

- Best Spot News Photo: third, Chris Huber.

- Best Special Issue: second, staff.

- Best Typography and Design: third, Publisher Korrie Wenzel and Editor Seth Tupper.

- General Excellence: first, Publisher Korrie Wenzel and Editor Seth Tupper.

Great Plains News and Photo Contest:

- Spot News: 1. Tom Lawrence and Laura Wehde, The Daily Republic, “Dam busting rain socks Springs area.” 2. Austin Kaus, The Daily Republic, “House explodes in Mitchell.”

- Enterprise: 1. Ross Dolan, The Daily Republic, “The federal stimulus brought $124 million to the Mitchell area, but some wonder: Was it worth the cost?” 2. Melanie Brandert, The Daily Republic, “For American Indian families, a dilemma: Tribal or public school?” 3. Seth Tupper, The Daily Republic, “Discerning the role of women in church.”

- News Column: 2. Tom Lawrence, The Daily Republic, “Politics and good looks tend to go hand in hand.” 3. Korrie Wenzel, The Daily Republic, “Microburst memories.”

- Sports Column: 1. Luke Hagen, The Daily Republic, “A Target Field memento.”

- Sports Feature: 2. Travis Mester, The Daily Republic, “Coaches as caregivers.”

- Website: 3. Chris Huber, The Daily Republic, “The Daily Republic Photo Blog.”

- Spot News Photo: 3. Chris Huber, The Daily Republic, “House explodes in Mitchell. ”

- Sports Action Photo: 2. Luke Hagen, The Daily Republic, “Gau, Alexandria take ‘B’ Legion title.” 3. Korrie Wenzel, The Daily Republic, “Title run.”

Driscoll and Tolliver to run ad operations team

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Cory Tolliver

Jeremy Driscoll

Jeremy Driscoll and Cory Tolliver will lead the newly formed ad operations department for Forum Communications Co.

The ad operations department will focus on assisting advertisers and advertising sales representatives with digital advertising campaign creation, placement and reporting.

Driscoll will be the ad operations manager. He previously managed HQ Productions, the company’s digital video production department. HQ production services will continue under the ad operations department.  Driscoll has worked at WDAY since 2000. He has held a variety of positions there, including director, production supervisor, and, most recently, the manager of HQ Productions. He has a BS in Mass Communications from MSUM. He is married with three children.

Tolliver will be the client services manager, working directly with advertisers in regard to campaigns and reporting.  Tolliver has worked at Forum Communications for close to five years.  Tolliver started in the WDAY TV Control Room and soon moved up to 5pm Weekday Director before moving to HQ Productions.

When an opportunity arose to join HQ Productions while the department was starting up, Tolliver leaped at the opportunity.

Other members of the ad ops team include Christopher Flynn, Justin Kavlie, Neil O’Laughlin and Cammie Wright.

King named Bemidji ad director

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Jaclyn King

Jaclyn King

Jaclyn King has been hired for the position of advertising director of The Bemidji Pioneer.

King has worked for the past three years as a digital media sales and marketing specialist in the interactive division of Forum Communications Company in Fargo.

King has been an instrumental part of the growth and success of the digital sales team the past three years.

“It has been her knowledge, hard work and success which has positioned and rewarded her with this opportunity to lead and manage her own sales team,” said Steve McLister, vice president of newspapers.

King is originally from Frazee, Minn.  She has a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in advertising from Minnesota State University- Moorhead.

King was previously an events manager for Casino Enterprise Management Magazine which is based in  Fargo.