Students and faculty working at MSV said they are proud to be named the No. 2 college radio station in the country at the Fifth Annual National Student Radio Awards.

Eight students and two faculty members who work at WMSV went to Providence R.I., after being named a finalist in four of the 10 categories offered at the competition.

The station was beaten only by Burlington County College in New York.

Steve Ellis, WMSV station manager, said the competition was very stiff. “To come in second is a very high honor,” he said.

Ellis received the first place award in the Faculty/Staff Achievement category.

News Director Norris Agnew received the second place award in the News Reporting category. Agnew said he was honored even to be nominated for the award, but that to receive second place was even more of an honor. “When you’re doing something you enjoy, the rewards will come,” he said.

Last year WMSV won first place awards for National DJ of the Year and News Reporting, but Ellis feels that the Station of the Year award shows how good they really are. “I might be biased, but I think we should have won first place,” he said.

Eric Fritzius, a student working at WMSV, was one of the seven students who went to Rhode Island, “It was really informative,” he said. “It was interesting to see what other college stations are doing.” Fritzius also said they learned WMSV is one of the largest and best-budgeted stations. “We are very fortunate,” he said.

The station, which was started in March of 1994, is staffed by Ellis, Agnew and 75 to 100 students. Ellis said that many of the students working there are volunteering their time. *We have some great students working here,” he said.

Ellis said the station is not just a campus radio station but a community station which broadcasts up to 70 miles away.

He also said the station is unique from other college stations because of all the alternative music played and the news and public affairs shows. “We are also different because of our size and the fact that we broadcast 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

The station has also started a television show called “Alternative Vision.” It’s a weekly, hourlong, music video show hosted by student announcers Lucas Jensen and Suehyla El-Attar.

The program is shown on cable channel 30 Mondays and Thursdays at 7p.m. and on WCBI, Channel 4, Saturdays at 1:30 a.m. The show is broadcast at various universities and colleges, including Stanford, Pepperdine, Tulane, Clemson and Warren, as well as on channel Copenhagen in Denmark as well.

Ellis said the station will continue to do its best to keep on benefiting the campus and surrounding communities. “We have some very talented students working here,” he said, “Our goal next year is to be the No. 1 college radio station.”