MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) - UWEC TV-10, the student-run television station at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, has been named the recipient of the 2017 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tom Butler Award.

The Tom Butler Award has been presented annually since 1998 to a representative of the print or electronic media for outstanding coverage of WIAC athletics (former WIAC sports information directors may also be considered). The league's sports information directors select the winner. The award is dedicated to Tom Butler, who served the conference faithfully as its sports information director from 1967-96.

UWEC TV-10 is the second student television station to win the Tom Butler Award, joining UW-Oshkosh's Titan TV from last year. It signed on the air in the fall of 1975 with an intent to provide students the opportunity to explore the field of television production and to promote interest in this type of media. TV-10 airs on the campus cable system. In addition to sports broadcasts, the station airs a variety of student produced shows.

TV-10 began producing broadcasts of Blugold football, men's and women's basketball, men's ice hockey and softball during the 2014-15 school year, aired both online and on the campus cable system. Partnering with the athletic department and the Learning and Technology Services department, video streaming for athletic events went from a one-camera, standard definition production to a multi-camera, high-definition broadcast with commentary. In addition, TV-10 has played a key role in live-streaming media days for Blugold football and basketball.

In the Fall of 2016, TV-10 and Blugold Athletics began partnering with local NBC affiliate WEAU to bring HD broadcasts to the La Crosse/Eau Claire market over the air on channel 13.2 and on various cable and satellite providers.

The 2016-17 TV-10 sports department was led by Kyle Naber, Bree Meier, Dalton Hessel and Travis Nyhus. The group rotated announcing duties. Production Director Matt Peterson managed sports broadcasts for the year. He was assisted on the production side by directors Blake Enerson, Natalie Hegna, Riley Dougherty and Rachel Schmidt. TV-10 was led by Station Manager Anna Wischmann.