College of the Desert earns three Golden Mic awards for student radio station
NEW YORK CITY (KESQ) - College of the Desert's online radio station, COD Roadrunner Radio, received multiple Golden Mic awards at the 2025 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Conference, the school announced today.
Held Saturday in New York City, the ceremony's top honor for Best Streaming Online Community College Radio Station was given to COD, according to a statement.
In addition to that honor, two COD students also secured first place Golden Mic Awards for individual programs -- Dante Grasseschi (winner of Best Specialty Music Show for ``Music Seeking Movie'') and L. Angelo Benevides (winner of Best Podcast for ``The Popcast'').
"These students come to us eager and ready to learn, dedicating hours to perfecting their skills and creating relevant content for the station,'' Roadrunner Radio Manager Scott Colwell said. "They truly deserve this honor."
Several other COD students were named as finalists in their respective categories, including Martha Hackett (Best Student On-Air Personality), Cynthia Portillo-Rodriguez (Best Sports Pre-Game/Post-Game Show for "The Firebirds -- Hockey") and Vanessa Braden (Best Student Social Media Director). Celina Gentry, a lab technician at COD Media Center, was also named as a finalist in the Best Community Volunteer Program category.
Although COD students have earned several Golden Mic awards in the past and multiple nominations for Best Community College Radio Station, this was the school's first time taking home the top prize.
"This year, we did it,'' Associate Professor of Media Production Laurilie Jackson said. "Our students, faculty, and staff are incredibly creative and talented, and their hard work has paid off."
The awards ceremony included a keynote speech from Al Roker, a culmination of a five-day conference schedule that featured networking and professional development opportunities, in addition to other speakers.
Broadcast information can be found at codroadrunnerradio.com.
