Southeastern Louisiana University student named state's top broadcaster by Broadcast Association
Tuesday, May 12, 2015 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
STATE’S TOP STUDENT BROADCASTER – Paul Rivera, a Southeastern Louisiana University senior from Slidell, was named Student Broadcaster of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters recently at its 2015 Prestige Awards luncheon in Baton Rouge. It was only the second time that the LAB has bestowed the student award. A Southeastern Channel news anchor/reporter has won the award both years.
HAMMOND – For the second consecutive year, a news anchor/reporter at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Southeastern Channel has been named the top student broadcaster in the state of Louisiana.
Paul Rivera, a senior from Slidell, was named Student Broadcaster of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters (LAB) recently at its 2015 Prestige Awards luncheon in Baton Rouge.
Rivera, a communications major with a concentration in electronic media, was selected over all other college undergraduate, graduate and high school students in television and radio from throughout the state by LAB, made up of all television and radio stations in Louisiana. Rivera was presented the award by LAB chair Sandy Breland, Raycom Media vice-president and former general manager of WVUE- FOX 8 in New Orleans, WWL-TV in New Orleans and WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge.
“It’s a great honor because I was chosen out of all of the schools in Louisiana,” Rivera said. “When you receive an award like this one, you’re recognized with all of the news stations in Louisiana. To be recognized by an organization as prestigious as LAB, makes it a huge honor when you’re a college student.”
It was only the second year the award has been given by LAB. Last year the Southeastern Channel’s Erika Ferrando of Mandeville, now a news reporter for KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, was named the first-ever winner. Last year at the Prestige Awards, Rivera was presented one of two Louisiana Association of Broadcasters scholarships worth $2,000 to further his studies as a student broadcast journalist.
Rivera is an anchor, reporter and producer for the Southeastern Channel’s student newscast “Northshore News,” named one of the top four college television newscasts in the country by College Broadcasters, Inc. He recently won “Best in the South” recognition as “Best College Television Journalist” given by the Southeast Journalism Conference made up of all universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. He also won first place in the SEJC onsite competition for “Best TV Anchor.”
“The Southeastern Channel has helped me in so many aspects of broadcasting- from reporting, anchoring and producing to videography and editing,” Rivera said. “They have supported and guided me and given me the chance to show my work to organizations like the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.”
“We’re thrilled that Paul has been recognized as the top student broadcaster in the state, but I’m not really surprised,” said Rick Settoon, general manager of the Southeastern Channel. “Paul is an exceptional on-camera talent and an outstanding reporter-anchor. He has the necessary focus and drive along with that special commitment to excellence that will lead to great success in the television news industry.”
Upon graduation Rivera will be looking for a job as a television news reporter at a television station somewhere in the country.
