photo by Will Moss

William Marcus, director of UM's Broadcast Media Center, has won the Governor's Humanities Award.

William Marcus, director of the Broadcast Media Center and station manager of KUFM-TV and KUFM-FM, received the Governor's Humanities Award on March 1 in Helena.

Marcus, an adjunct professor for radio production, said that while he is honored to receive the award, he accepts it on behalf of Montana Public Radio.

"I like being able to bring resources to the creative staff," said Marcus, who has been working for Montana Public Radio for 31 years. "I always say the pictures are better in radio…much more intimate and immediate."

Michael Ober of the Montana Committee for Humanities nominated Marcus for the award.

"He's the most deserving soul," Ober said, library director for Flathead Valley Community College. Though Ober has never met Marcus, he admires his work and watches Marcus on his award-winning TV show "Backroads of Montana," which airs on Montana PBS.

- Rachel Cook

"Hoop Dreams" filmmakers visit Radio-TV department

Steve James

Three accomplished filmmakers visited the Radio-Television Department's senior documentary class on Feb. 16. Steve James, Jerry Blumenthal, and Adam Singer all worked on the famous mid-1990's documentary “Hoop Dreams.”

But that documentary about the frustrations and successes of two teenagers from Chicago trying to improve their lives through basketball was not the main topic of discussion. The filmmakers also shared some experiences and work methods for making documentary films. They all agreed that one of the key elements of working in documentary film is to understand and be involved with as many facets of the filmmaking process as possible.

Students asked questions about their upcoming documentary project as well. The trio have worked together on many projects over the years at the Chicago-based production company, Kartemquin Productions. James, Blumenthal and Singer visited Missoula to take part in the fourth annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. All three showcased their work in the festival, which ran from Feb. 15 through 21.

James, who directed “Hoop Dreams,” had two films at this year’s festival: “The War Tapes,” which he produced along with Singer, and “Reel Paradise,” which he directed. Blumenthal co-directed and Singer co-produced “Vietnam, Long Time Coming.”

- Aimee Velk

photo by Lizz Rauf

Journalism Dean Jerry Brown

Journalism Dean Jerry Brown has been selected for the 2007 Distinguished Auburn University Journalism Alumnus Award. He will receive the award on April 6 at a luncheon in Auburn, Ala.

"I owe Auburn too much not to be humbled and delighted with this award," Brown said. Brown taught at Auburn University for 20 years and served as head of the journalism department for his last seven years there.

"We appreciate Jerry a lot," said John Carvalho, director of the journalism program at Auburn. "He's responsible for so many good things that happened here." The best thing Brown did for the journalism program was help it get accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, Carvalho said.

Brown's academic work in Auburn and Montana distinguished him for this award, according to Carvalho.

- Rachel Cook