OCHS Media Program Wins Student TV Award

Ocean City High School’s television/media program recently won the Jerry Trently Prize, a $1,000 award given to the high school in the Mid-Atlantic region for excellence in a newscast.

Ocean City was awarded for its February edition of the new show “Current OC.”  

The program was honored May 7 at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, where the awards were announced, and again by the Ocean City Board of Education on Wednesday (May 22).

The winning crew included:

• Teleprompter: Amanda Leonetti
• Camera: Ryan Casey, Angela Guido, Austin Camp
• Audio: Aimee Ferenz
• Floor Director: Marly Logue
• Technical Director: Dan Reinhold
• Graphics: Zach Donahue
• Director: Zack Fox
• Producers: Shannon Farrell, Amanda Leonetti, Paige Broadley (Anchor), Erick Ely (Anchor)

The Jerry Trently Prize is named in memory of the award-winning former photojournalist and news director at WHP-TV in Harrisburg, Pa. The awards program, now in its 11th year, recognizes outstanding student achievement in production and is intended to be an incentive for the continued pursuit of excellence by those studying media and journalism.

The “Current OC” was recognized in a category for regularly scheduled newscast based on overall content, presentation, enterprise, writing, format and teases. The competition included 116 entries from two dozen high schools competing in nine categories.

"Current OC," is Ocean City High School's own monthly television news magazine. It is produced by the students enrolled in the TV/Media program. On a daily basis students are in the field gathering ideas and creating show content. The show is staffed by: producers, writers, editors, reporters, photojournalists, anchors, directors, technical directors, tape control operators, floor directors, studio camera operators, prompting assistants, and audio engineers.

Students in Ocean City High’s TV/Media program have access to a full working news studio, post production facilities, and the encouragement of a professional, experienced staff. See www.oc-tv.org for more information.

The public gets a chance to see the work of the Ocean City High School media students at the first annual Media Festival 7 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the Bill and Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center.  

Tickets at the door are $5.

A parent-run TV/Media Boosters organization is also soliciting businesses to help with the Media Festival. For a $50 donation, businesses will be recognized on the Media Festival program and receive admission for two to the show.

Donations will go toward:

• Senior scholarship awards
• Purchasing items to sell at the Media Festival
• Field trips to tour local broadcasting & film production & theater facilities
• Professional on-air jackets for the newscast
• Other educational events

To donate, contact www.oc-tv.org/boosters.

You can view the students’ latest media and print productions at www.oc-tv.org.