Multimedia
By Linda Falkenstein

Remember that old joke about how many Madisonians it takes to change a light bulb? The answer was something like nine, including one to write the environmental impact statement and another to broadcast the entire event on community radio. By now, we’d have to add at least a couple of participants to the roster, including one to liveblog it and another to post the whole event to Vimeo.

Local reporter

1. Bill Lueders
2. Jason Shepard
3. Nathan Comp

Isthmus’ own Bill Lueders bested the field as favorite local reporter, perhaps not coincidentally in a year when he also won top honors from the Milwaukee Press Club for "best topical column." Jason Shepard, who broke the story in Isthmus of the mishandled 911 call from Brittany Zimmermann before she was murdered, was second. And Nathan Comp, who has written for both Madison dailies and Isthmus, was third. Sadly, Comp has decamped for the City of Brotherly Love.

Local television personality

1. Charlie Shortino (WMTV)
2. Bob Lindmeier (WKOW)
3. Christine Bellport (WMTV)

WMTV’s Charlie Shortino does broadcast the weather on NBC-15’s morning show — every 10 minutes, as a matter of fact — but it’s his affability that’s endeared him to the peanut gallery. Somehow, another foot of snow doesn’t seem quite so bad when he’s breaking the news. His WMTV compatriot Christine Bellport joins him at third, with WKOW meteorologist extraordinaire Bob Lindmeier coming within the 4-degree guarantee at number two.

Local radio personality

1. Mel and Floyd (WORT)
2. Vicky Mc Kenna (WIBA-AM)
3. Jonathan and Kitty (WMMM-FM)

The Mel and Floyd Show, broadcast on WORT-FM every Friday at 1 p.m., is Madison’s answer to The Daily Show. Mel and Mr. Smartypants (Floyd is on vacation...always) sound like a couple of guys you might overhear at a backyard barbecue, cracking themselves up while jawing on the absurdities of national and local politics.

Local radio station

1. WORT 89.9 FM
2. WMMM 105.5 FM
3. WXXM 92.1

WORT’s eclectic mix of folk, jazz, blues, indie rock, prog, soul, electronica, world music, women’s music, local news, public affairs and international reporting from the BBC has helped the station win this category since the beginning of time. The eclectic-leaning WMMM (Triple M) is your second-favorite on the preset. Progressive talk lives at 92.1 "The Mic," where national shows like Stephanie Miller and Rachel Maddow are enhanced by the work of excellent local hosts like Lee Rayburn and Stuart Levitan.

Film/video made in Madison

1. Chad Vader
2. Public Enemies
3. Madison

He’s a lovable but hapless Sith Lord who finds himself toiling at a Madison supermarket. Chad Vader takes a light saber to the competition — as well as anybody manhandling the beets at the Empire Market — in this latest series of training videos by Blame Society Productions. Runner-up Public Enemies, the forthcoming motion picture starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, filmed on locations in and around Madison, will likely do better after the movie is actually released. Brent Notbohm’s Madison (starring American Players Theatre veterans James DeVita, Brian Mani and Sarah Day, among others) took third.

Local website

1. TheDailyPage.com (Isthmus)
2. Madison.com (Capital Newspapers)
3. Dane101

When it comes to local content on the web, you like the Isthmus website, TheDailyPage.com, a.k.a. TDP. Runner-up Madison.com, from Capital Newspapers, is also an important resource for city info. For even more insight into the mysterious collective mind of Madison, see Dane101.com.

Local blogger

1. Paul Soglin (Waxing America)
2. David Blaska (Blaska’s Blog, TheDailyPage.com)
3. Nichole Fromm & JonMichael Rasmus (Eating in Madison A to Z)

Madison’s former mayor, Paul Soglin, remains in the public eye with his cleverly named blog "Waxing America," where he weighs in on everything from politics to the local business climate to baseball. And even more crucial issues like Chicago hot dogs. Blunt opinions from David Blaska on the just as bluntly named "Blaska’s Blog" fared nearly as well. Indefatigable diners Nichole Fromm and JonMichael Rasmus ("Eating in Madison A to Z") were third.