TROY Public Radio’s Carolyn Hutcheson has been named a recipient of the 2025 Alabama Broadcaster’s Association “Alabama’s Best in Broadcasting” (ABBY) for Public Affairs Programming in a Medium Market. 

“In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson” focuses on conversations with artists, historians, experts, environmentalists, musicians, authors and more. She joined TROY Public Radio, then Southeastern Public Radio, in the fall of 1996. 

After working in broadcasting for four decades, she shared that her inspiration comes from the opportunity to learn from guests and share their knowledge with listeners. 

“The ‘In Focus’ program covers a broad range of topics, and I’m fortunate to be able to explore them for the listeners,” Hutcheson said. “My role is to connect the guest with the listeners and simply be the conduit. And with the loss of many newspapers, radio is more important than ever as a strong community voice.”

Interviewing guests has become a way of life for Hutcheson as she finds herself interviewing new acquaintances out of habit.  On receiving her award, Hutcheson emphasized teamwork and the role that it plays in making a show like “In Focus” happen.

“Receiving this award is an unexpected honor, because it really is a reflection of our TROY Public Radio team and the leadership style of our Radio Director, Kyle Gassiott, who is an encourager,” she said. “Everyone on the team is dedicated and great to work with.”

Kyle Gassiott, Director of Radio, host and reporter for TROY Public Radio, believes that there is not anyone more deserving of this kind of recognition than Hutcheson.

“For so many years, she’s been the trusted voice welcoming listeners to the noon hour — not just sharing stories but helping us all feel connected to the people and places that make our region special,” he shared. “Every episode of ‘In Focus’ reflects her thoughtfulness, her curiosity, and her genuine care for others.”

Hutcheson also reflected on the impact of digital media on her station’s reach and community engagement.

“Podcasting has extended the geographic reach of TROY Public Radio, and it is gratifying to have the privilege of serving listeners wherever they are located,” she shared. “As we serve this wider community of listeners, I’ve learned that our In Focus podcast downloads now exceed fifty thousand.”

The program has also received awards from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Alabama Forestry Commission, Better Business Bureau, Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission.

“In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson” airs on TROY Public Radio at 12:40 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 12:45 p.m. on Friday. You can also listen to “In Focus” on PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Podchaser and BoomPlay.