Just three months ago, the Federal Communications Commission got an earful from an auditorium full of Asheville-area citizens with mighty strong opinions about the media. Whether we’re tuning in to radio or TV, turning the pages of a newspaper or surfing the Web, it’s clear our mountains are populated by news and information junkies.

Ken Hanke: Best Arts Writer / Best Xpress Feature. photo by Roxanne Turpen

And while Xpress staff administer the “best of” polling, we leave it to you, dear reader, to tell us your local media picks - whatever they may be.

That said, allow us to toot our horn just a bit: You selected our own Ken Hanke, movie reviewer extraordinaire, as the best local arts writer, and our veteran writer Alli Marshall nabbed second place. Hanke’s reviews were also deemed the best feature in our pages.

On the broadcast-media front, public radio stations - namely WNCW and WCQS - loomed large in several categories, and the low-power, volunteer-run WPVM garnered a respectable third place in the “best radio station” category.

Of course, you tossed some darts with all the laurels - and let us know what stories the media is dropping the ball on. In the “most underreported story” category, you chose development, crime in Asheville, and scandals involving a certain North Carolina politician (we won’t mention his name here, but it rhymes with “snarls trailer”).

- Jon Elliston

Local arts writer

Ken Hanke
Xpress film critic
Alli Marshall
Xpress reporter
Tony Kiss
Asheville Citizen-Times

Local columnist

Susan Reinhardt
Asheville Citizen-Times columnist
Ken Hanke
Xpress film critic
Cecil Bothwell
Xpress reporter/garden columnist

Local radio DJ

Martin Anderson
Music director/announcer, WNCW 88.7 FM
Kim Clark
Morning host, producer, WNCW 88.7 FM
Ken and Tammy
Morning show hosts, WOXL 96.5 FM

Local radio show

Local Color
WNCW 88.7 FM
Ken and Tammy in the Morning
WOXL 95.6 FM
Take a Stand! with Matt Mittan
WWNC 570 AM
Conversations with David Hurand
WCQS 88.1 FM

Local radio station

WNCW 88.7 FM
WCQS 88.1 FM
WPVM 103.5 FM

Most underreported story

Development
Crime in Asheville
Charles Taylor scandals

Free newspaper other than Xpress

Asheville Global Report
Asheville Disclaimer
WNC Woman
Rapid River

Best feature in Xpress

Cranky Hanke (movie reviews)
News of the Weird
Print edition only
Asheville Disclaimer

Worst feature in Xpress

Top Drawer (fashion feature)
Food section
Freewill Astrology
Print edition only