MBA Honors Stations at 2025 Sound Bites Awards

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, November 14, 2025 | 2:38pm CT

Massachusetts Broadcasters Association (MBA)

The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association (MBA) recognized outstanding local radio and television work at its annual Sound Bites conference on Thursday, November 13 at the Doubletree Hotel in Milford. The event honored excellence in 21 categories, showcasing the community ties and public service commitment of stations across the state.

Guests included Ray Quinones, Director of Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters, and Jenifer McKim, Senior Editor of Investigations, Equity and Justice at GBH News and a board member of the New England First Amendment Coalition. Longtime Massachusetts radio host and Broadcasters Hall of Famer Candy O'Terry served as emcee.

The MBA opened the ceremony by presenting its third "Broadcast Champion" award to Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, recognizing his decades of advocacy for local broadcasters. Markey was honored for contributions including the creation of the modern retransmission consent framework under the 1992 Cable Act and his sponsorship of the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act, which would ensure AM radio remains standard in all new cars.

Audacy's WWBX-FM (Mix 104.1) Boston and Hearst Television's WCVB Channel 5 repeated as Station of the Year winners in radio and television. Runners-up in the category were WMRC-AM (MyFM 101.3) Worcester and WFXT (Boston 25).

Demonstrating broadcasters' community service efforts, WAQY (Rock 102) Springfield earned the top radio Public Service Announcement award for a PSA supporting Rick's Place, which provides grief support programs for children, teens, and families. Boston 25 won the television PSA category for its Jimmy Fund "Scooper Bowl" campaign.

The #WeAreBroadcasters Awards went to 94.7 WMAS Springfield for its Radiothon benefiting Baystate Children's Hospital and to WCVB Channel 5 for its coverage of the 2025 Boston Marathon. The award honors standout programming that underscores a station's connection to its community.

Now in its fourteenth year, the Sound Bites Awards drew more than 250 entries, reflecting the breadth and quality of local broadcasting across Massachusetts. A full list of winners is available at massbroadcasters.org/winners.