The 2017 ARRL Bill Leonard W2SKE Professional Media Award for Audio Reporting was presented in New York on December 6 to the producers and staff of the radio program “The Takeaway.” The program, a joint production of Public Radio International (PRI), WGBH, and WNYC, aired a number of stories about Amateur Radio’s role in supporting disaster relief agencies in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, presented the Leonard Award for Audio Reporting to the program's executive producer, Arwa Gunja, and the show's staff. “The Takeaway” had interviewed Corey about how radio amateurs were supporting the American Red Cross’s efforts to convey “safety and wellness” messages from the island commonwealth to relatives on the US mainland.

Corey and ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, also toured the WNYC studios, where the program is produced.