KCLU-FM wins awards

KCLU-FM dominated the small market radio category at the 58th annual Golden Mike Awards Jan. 26 at the Universal Hilton.

The National Public Radio station received six awards from the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California, a nonprofit group representing broadcast newsrooms throughout the region.

News director Lance Orozco, program director Jim Rondeau and reporter John Palminteri received the Best Live Coverage of a News Story award for "Zaca Fire Flare-Up."

The other five awards went to Orozco for his individual work:

•"The Hidden Inferno" on the Ranch Fire won Best Spot News Story.

•"Election '06," a series of reports on local propositions and races, won Best News Special.

•"Americorps," a feature about Santa Barbara volunteers assisting with literary programs in schools, won Best Individual Writing.

•"It Can Happen To You," a story about a local breast cancer survivor and the Wellness Center of Westlake/San Fernando Valley, won Best News Public Affairs Program.

•"Women's Economic Ventures Program," about a nonprofit organization that helps women in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties start their own businesses, won Best Business and Consumer Reporting.

All the awards were in the Division B category for stations with news staffs of five or fewer people.

KCLU broadcasts in Ventura County on 88.3 FM.