WSTO TV wins four awards at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest 2024.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

STOUGHTON, WI: WSTO TV wins four awards at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest 2024.  Stoughton’s Community Media Center, WSTO TV won an Achievement Award and three Merit Awards in the regional competition open to community media centers in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas.  All of the programs that WSTO TV submitted won an award.

There are three levels of awards including Excellence, Achievement and Merit with around 25% of 179 total submissions not receiving any awards.  WSTO TV is very proud of the awards received this year.

Achievement Award: WSTO TV’s lone Achievement Award went to Fresh Faces: Eat at Joe’s which was produced in February of 2023 and was the inaugural episode of the Fresh Faces series on WSTO TV.  Fresh Faces is a program designed to introduce new businesses to the Stoughton Community.

Merit Awards: WSTO TV won three Merit Awards for the City of Stoughton Curbside Leaf Collection PSA, Discover Downtown Stoughton: Water Street Tavern, and Stoughton Merchants Baseball vs the Lake Mills Grays from 6/18/23.

“We are very proud of the content we produce for our viewers here in the City of Stoughton and it took a great deal of debate to narrow down the submissions to only four,” remarked Derek Westby, who oversees the staff of WSTO TV.  “WSTO TV produced almost 200 programs for TV, Social Media and Internal use in 2023, many of which we considered submitting.  We look forward to the quality of content we will be producing in 2024!”

WSTO TV Staff will be attending the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet on May 16th, 2024 in Eau Claire to collect the awards.

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Click the image to watch on YouTube

Click the image to watch on YouTube

Click the image to watch on YouTube

Click the image to watch on YouTube

TDS Moves Stoughton Channels to 980 & 981 Effective 8/31/23

For Immediate Release:

TDS TV Moves Stoughton Channels to 980 and 981 on August 31st.

The staff at WSTO TV were notified by TDS Telecommunications Inc., Director of Content Management Kristi Ramsey that effective August 31st, 2023 the Stoughton Channels will move from Channel 12 and 20 to 981 and 980 matching the channels that Spectrum has assigned each channel. TDS will continue to carry the channels in high-definition but the move will make it more difficult to find the channels as they will no longer be amongst the larger broadcast channels such as NBC15, WKOW 27, PBS Wisconsin, FOX47 and Channel 3000.

With just 35 days notice the window to notify viewers of the change is difficult. WSTO will continue to populate our SmartTV and Smartphone apps with local content for those that find that easier to view content as well as our YouTube Channel.

WSTO TV wins TWO Merit Awards at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest

WSTO TV continues the tradition of producing award-winning community media pieces bringing home two more awards from the Best of the Midwest Media Fest.

Wisconsin Community Media hosts the Best of the Midwest Media Fest open to any media producer or community media center in the area covered by Wisconsin Community Media and the Midwest Region of the Alliance for Community Television including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. With over 190 entries from this area WSTO TV is proud to announce that they won two Merit Awards for productions created in 2022. Wisconsin Community Media considers a Merit award as a “Bronze” level award with Excellence being “Gold” and Achievement being “Silver”

The first program awarded was one of the many Shop Local Promos created to help draw people to shop in Downtown Stoughton for the holiday season. This program was edited by Derek Westby with camera work by Spencer Meier. This video is available on YouTube as well as on all of our apps in the Shop Local category.

The second program awarded was produced in cooperation with the Stoughton Area School District for Veterans Day 2022. The video was created with only a few weeks notice to provide Stoughton Area School District Students a glimpse into the stories of Stoughton Area Veterans. Several area veterans were interviewed and collectively told a story. This project was recorded and edited by Spencer Meier with the assistance of Abbey Sharp of the Stoughton Area School District. This program is available on YouTube as well as on our apps. Long-form interviews are of each veteran are also available. This was a very special project and WSTO is very proud of it.

WSTO TV staff will accept the awards at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet and Show on May 4th, 2023 in Madison, WI.

WSTO TV Launches SmartTV and Mobile Device Apps

To keep up with the changing technology WSTO TV launched a full array of smart apps to allow a much wider viewership on WSTO TV. WSTO TV worked with TelVue Corporation to launch a WSTO TV app for nearly every device. Those interested in local events, local government or local businesses can watch WSTO TV on the SmartTV Platforms of Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Android TV as well as any mobile device that is either Android or Apple iOS.

The applications feature a simulcast of our over-cable channels as well as on-demand content such as government meetings, school and community concerts and local interest programming. WSTO TV’s new programs are also available on the apps including Council Catch-Up, Discover Downtown Stoughton and Fresh Faces.

For more information check out the How to Watch section of our website.

WSTO TV and the Stoughton Information Channel are now on TDS TV

WSTO TV and the Stoughton Information Channel are now on TDS TV in full HD! WSTO TV is located on TDS channel 12 (1012 in some areas) and the Stoughton Information Channel is on TDS Channel 20 (1020 in some areas) also in HD.

TDS is a communications company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. WSTO Staff are excited to be broadcasting on this network as they are allowed to use modern equipment sending high-definition signal and broadcasting in high definition on channel numbers that are easy to find.

WSTO TV and the Stoughton Information Channel will continue to broadcast on Spectrum Channels 980 and 981 as well as live streaming online in HD at https://www.wsto.tv/live into the future. WSTO also is planning on developing smart tv applications to make it easier for non-cable users to watch WSTO on their televisions in their living rooms. As they say in the industry, stay tuned!

WSTO Restructures Broadcast Channels

The Stoughton Community Media Channels have been restructured. Video content produced by WSTO Staff will air exclusively on WSTO TV (Spectrum 981 / TDS 12) making way to launch Stoughton’s Information Channel on Spectrum 980 and TDS 20.

This change in the channel lineup reflects the discontinuation of sports coverage and the need to get information out to the citizens of Stoughton. Many community media centers throughout the state now include dedicated information channels.

The Information Channel will house information about city services, city career opportunities, local and non-profit events going on around Stoughton.

This channel is open to all non-profits in the City of Stoughton’s municipal boundaries free of charge.

For more information on this new channel contact Spencer Meier, Media Manager at smeier@ci.stoughton.wi.us or by calling WSTO at (608) 873-7523

SSN wins Achievement Award for Football Coverage in Best of the Midwest Media Fest

STOUGHTON, WI - Stoughton Sports Network wins another Achievement Award for Football Coverage in the Best of the Midwest Media Fest.

The annual Best of the Midwest Media Fest honors top-scoring videos and LPFM radio programs created for play on public, education, and government (PEG) access channels, PEG websites, and LPFM radio stations in a nine-state area. Entries came from 24 Wisconsin-based centers and fourteen from out-of-state. This year, 41 programs scored high enough to earn an Excellence Award, 52 programs earned an Achievement Award, and 55 programs were recognized with a Merit Award.

SSN’s Football Coverage from September 20th, 2019 scored high enough to be awarded an Achievement Award. Judges from professional media centers throughout the Midwest scored the program ranging from 62.5/100 to 89.5/100 averaging out to 76.875/100.

We are proud of our coverage here in Stoughton. We work with a very limited staff to produce high quality content for our citizens. We are particularly proud of this football game as it was Homecoming and our team was really on the ball that night. We ran multiple replays, had timely graphics, excellent camera work and our fabulous announcer.

The crew of a football game consists of only two people in the production truck, two camera operators and one announcer. The crew in the truck includes a Director/Producer and a Graphics Operator. The Director/Producer is responsible for coordinating the entire production as well as rolling produced video content, switching cameras, running sound several channels of sound, cutting, queuing and taking replays as well as queuing the graphics operator. The graphics operator is responsible for all of the graphic overlays you see on the air. This also a quite complex job that involves listening to the announcer for ques, following each play for the down and yardage remaining and basically keeping track of all of the aspects of the game to ensure proper graphic content.

Our announcer, James Wyngaard is one of the best community media announcers in the county working with WSTO/SSN for well over 15 years. During a Football Game he generally either brings a friend to assist him with keeping stats or he will do it all by himself without missing a beat. In 2018 James was awarded a Wisconsin Community Media Friend of Access Award after being nominated by two different community media centers including Stoughton and McFarland. James has done sports commentary for WSTO/SSN, OCA Media in Oregon, WMCF in McFarland, The Sun Prairie Media Center and others.

Overall we are extremely proud of what we are able to produce here in Stoughton with such a small staff.

See the Wisconsin Community Media Press Release Here

You can watch the award winning game below

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WSTO TV adds the Stoughton Sports Network on Channel 980!

For Immediate Release
Contact Derek Westby - Communications Manager & IT Operations Specialist
608-873-7523
info@wsto.tv

STOUGHTON, WI - The City of Stoughton Information Technology and Media Services Department is proud to announce the launch of the Stoughton Sports Network on Spectrum Channel 980. Over the past few years the IT/Media Department has been planning the launch of a second channel. Last year the we were able to acquire channel space previously used by the Stoughton Area School District and paired that with funding from the City’s budget process to get the broadcasting equipment necessary to broadcast two channels.

As part of the upgrade, WSTO TV (981) and the Stoughton Sports Network (980) both are now streaming online in full HD and live sports will be be broadcast online live in full HD (starting the 2019-20 School Year). Adding this equipment will also allow for us to simulcast two live events. Starting in February of 2019, Sports will broadcast exclusively on SSN (980) with some sports also broadcasting live on WSTO (981) if needed. SSN will also feature past years sports and come from deep within our archives.

We hope you tune in to SSN 980 for all of your Stoughton Sports Needs!

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Long-time WSTO TV Volunteer and the voice of Hockey and Football Coverage wins Statewide Appreciation

WSTO TV's James Wyngaard will be honored at the Wisconsin Community Media Best of the Mid-West Media Fest Banquet as one of their Friend of Access Award recipients.

Wyngaard was nominated by Derek Westby, Communications Manager and IT Operations Specialist for the City of Stoughton as well as Brian Utter, the former director of WMCF - McFarland Cable TV.

Wyngaard has spent likely thousands of hours volunteering in community media for WSTO TV in Stoughton, WCFM in McFarland, The Sun Prairie Media Center both on television and radio and MANY more places.

Wyngaard will receive his recognition on May 10th at the Oshkosh Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center

Congratulations James!

READ THE FULL LETTER HERE

WSTO TV wins another Merit Award

STOUGHTON, WI - 

WSTO TV received notification that it had won a Merit Award for Stoughton High School Football Coverage in the LIVE category.  WSTO TV was notified by Wisconsin Community Media Executive Director Mary Cardona that they received a Merit Award for their Coverage of the Stoughton vs. Oregon Football Game on September 22nd, 2017.  WSTO entered the program in the Best of the Midwest Media Fest for 2017.  Derek Westby, City of Stoughton Communications Manager stated that "This was likely the best football coverage we've done since I began working for the city 12 years ago."  Westby continued "We hope to continue to improve our coverage and transmission methods in hope of winning an excellence award."

Westby will recieve the award at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet on May 10th in Oshkosh.

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For more information Contact:
Derek Westby
Communications Manager & IT Operations Specialist
City of Stoughton IT/Media Services Department
derek@wsto.tv
608-873-7523

School Board Meetings not carried LIVE

WSTO TV and the Stoughton Area School District agreed to have Stoughton Area School District Staff cover the School Board Meetings.  Live broadcasts of the Stoughton Area Schools Board Meetings can now be found on the school districts YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXAzanKU-1EFE3c2HunURw.  School Board Meetings are no longer carried live on WSTO TV effective December 5th, 2017.

If you have any questions please contact derek@wsto.tv. We appreciate your understanding in this change

City of Stoughton Hires an IT/Media Director

The City of Stoughton hired John Montgomery to oversee all aspects of Media and Technology for the City of Stoughton.  Montgomery comes to the city with many years of experience in IT.  Montgomery will oversee the Communications Manager & IT Operations Specialist, Derek Westby while Westby manages WSTO as well as assists in IT support.  We would like to welcome Director Montgomery to the city and to community television!

STOUGHTON’S WSTO WINS REGIONAL AWARD

WSTO wins Merit Award in the Best of the Midwest Media Fest

Stoughton, WI, March 20, 2017– Each year, Wisconsin Community Media holds the Best of the Midwest Media Fest – a competition which recognizes the best in community programming. This year drew in nearly 200 entries from almost 40 Media Centers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota.  Stoughton’s WSTO TV (Channel 981) won a Merit Award for Tom Richardson’s Screen Time, a local television series reviewing box office hits as well as older movies.

“I’ve been working on the concept of this program for a few years, but until the beginning of 2016 I couldn’t find the right host,” said Derek Westby, Media Production Specialist for the City of Stoughton.  “Tom Richardson had been reviewing videos for his YouTube series and was the perfect fit for our program.”

Tom Richardson’s Screen Time is a studio show shot using virtual sets in WSTO’s HD studio.  The show features movie trailers along with Tom’s review and rating of each movie, and the final segment often reviews an older favorite or “hidden gem.”

The series won a Merit Award that will be presented at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet and Show on April 6th at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in Milwaukee.

Fall Sports are taking to the air in August!

As fall is coming we all know what that means, FOOTBALL SEASON!  WSTO has been covering Stoughton High School Football for decades but did you know that WSTO covers more sports than that?  We actually cover eleven different sports!  Football, Volleyball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Girls Hockey, Boys Hockey, Wrestling, Girls Swimming (If available) and Boys Swimming (If Available).  We strive to bring you the most coverage we can with our extremely limited staff!  If you are interested in volunteering to announce Volleyball, Boys Soccer or Swimming this fall please contact us, we would LOVE to have you help us out!

For more information on announcing click here!

WSTO to be at the Stoughton Community Expo

WSTO TV will have a booth at the Stoughton Community Expo to promote community television in our area.  WSTO wants to let the community know that we are still here and still providing great community and regional events coverage as well as providing many other services to the community that community members might not be aware of.

Be sure to stop by and see us!

More information

Posted Thursday March 31st, 2016

STOUGHTON’S WSTO WINS TWO REGIONAL AWARDS

Stoughton, WI, March 21, 2016– Every year Wisconsin Community Media holds an annual Media Fest competition open to media centers in the Midwest. There were 185 entries this year from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota. Stoughton’s very own WSTO (Channel 981) submitted two videos and were awarded for both submissions. The Video Fest has three levels of awards, Excellence, Achievement and Merit in several different categories.

WSTO won a Merit Award for coverage of the Stoughton City Council Meeting on October 27th, 2015 in the Professional Meeting Coverage Category. Additionally WSTO won an Achievement Award for coverage of the November 28th, 2015 Stoughton High School Boys Hockey Game in the Professional LIVE category. The awards ceremony for the 2016 Best of the Midwest Media Fest will be on April 28th at 6:30pm at the Sheraton Hotel in Madison. 

Posted Tuesday March 29th, 2016