Dear friend of WKAR,
As 2024 draws to a close, I can’t help but look back and marvel at what a remarkable year it has been.
The team at WKAR worked hard to deliver fresh original content like “Inside the Arts,” “ShowTunes Across the Mitten,” “Decoding Disinformation,” “Binary Minds,” “Beyond the Score,” and “Support Line.” The new shows complement our existing lineup of programs like “Off the Record,” “Curious Crew,” “Curious About Careers,” and “Serving Up Science.” And of course, we continued to deliver locally hosted classical and jazz, and award-winning news reporting all created by neighbors, colleagues and friends right in here your community.
Your WKAR News team and Tim Skubick provided state and local 2024 Election coverage to round out the national coverage from our partners at PBS and NPR. The team reported more than 80 stories covering Michigan races. WKAR’s 2024 Election website included a Voter Guide, fact-checking from Politifact, and information and resources in partnership with American Amplified.
In addition to providing exceptional news and information, we worked to provide opportunities for the community to visit WKAR. We were thrilled to welcome more than 1500 visitors to the studios in Communication Arts and Sciences building for PBS Kids Day with WKAR in late January. We also opened the studios to guests for Take Your Child to Work Day, Curious Crew Casting Call, Election Information Day with NPR’s Don Gonyea, and film and show screenings featuring Q&A conversations. We also expanded opportunities for behind-the-scenes station tours.
Our biggest event of the year was serving as an Early Voting Center and Election Day voting site. This was a first-of-its-kind opportunity for WKAR to provide extraordinary service to our community. From late October through November 5, nearly 4,000 East Lansing residents visited Studio B to cast their votes in the 2024 Election.
Through our renewed community engagement efforts, we met many new supporters and connected with long-time fans at festivals and concert venues across mid-Michigan. We connected directly with more than 7,000 fellow Michiganders of all ages and backgrounds at community events across our viewing and listening area.
More than 10,000 young readers received the WKAR Reading Kit with books and fun literacy activities again this year. Families across our viewing area are tuning in to broadcast channel 23.5 for free over-the-air instructional programming on the Michigan Learning Channel, “where families learn together.”
In the fall of 2024 WKAR launched a pilot program providing educational content for classroom and home learning using groundbreaking ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology. Students with no or limited broadband service can access educational content and assignments from home via a free broadcast signal from WKAR. The project is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
This year we launched the WKAR Experiential Learning Program, offering paid internships for Michigan State University students interested in media production for television, radio, and online; marketing and promotion; fundraising, and more. More than 15 students participated in this first year of the program. The WKAR Experiential Learning Program is funded in part by endowments from supporters of WKAR’s commitment to educating the storytellers of tomorrow.
At WKAR Public Media, 2024 has been a year of creating exceptional original content, connecting with community, creating spaces where families learn together, and so much more.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the work of WKAR to educate, inform and inspire. We’ve set a high bar for 2025. I look forward to what we can accomplish together in the new year.
Best wishes to you and yours during this holiday season,
Shawn Turner
WKAR General Manager
Michigan State University
P.S.: Now through the end of the year, every $60 donated will provide books and activities for a young reader in mid-Michigan. Your DONATION HERE is a small act that can create BIG IMPACT for your community.
