WBTV reporter David Whisenant, producer Brian Stephenson, and sports producer Nate Wimberly, won a Gold First Place Award at the recent meeting of the Radio- Television News Director Association of the Carolinas at its annual meeting in Charlotte.
The award winning entry was a locally produced Lowe’s Motor Speedway 50th Anniversary Special that aired in conjunction with WBTV’s coverage of race week events during May, 2009.
Whisenant’s contributions included a story about the death of Fireball Roberts following a crash in the 1964 World 600 and the safety changes that came about in NASCAR following that accident. Whisenant also took a trip down his own memory lane for a story that highlighted his personal reflections of visiting Lowe’s Motor Speedway both as a fan and as a broadcaster.
The WBTV Lowe’s Motor Speedway 50th Anniversary Special has also been nominated for an Emmy Award.
David Whisenant covers local news for WBTV and lives in Salisbury with his wife Jan and son Kyle.