NEWS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Jeanie Croope / (517) 353-5982 / Jeanie@wkar.org
Photo available:
WKAR staff members accept MAB Awards. (l-r) Jon Whiting, Mike Mihalus, Gary Reid, Luke Schwarzweller, Susi Elkins, Tim Elkins. 3/13/13 Get photo at flickr
March 15, 2013
WKAR Wins Public Television Station of the Year Award
from Michigan Association of Broadcasters
Station Picks Up Seven Awards in Total
(East Lansing, MI) – WKAR was honored with seven awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB), including the coveted "Michigan Public Television Station of the Year" award at the annual MAB Awards of Excellence ceremony held on Wednesday, March 13 in Lansing, Michigan.
This marks the second year in a row that WKAR has received this prestigious award since the station was moved into the College of Communication Arts & Sciences in 2011.
The "Station of the Year" recognizes not only the production components of public broadcasting, but a station's overall achievements in community outreach and engagement, education services and other components that make a public broadcasting station a vibrant and essential part of the community it serves.
"WKAR TV is an important part of the MSU family and a key broadcaster for mid-Michigan," said Dean Pamela Whitten. "In recent years, the station was moved under the auspices of the College of Communication Arts & Sciences where we have ramped up both the quality of programming for our viewing audience and the opportunity for MSU students to gain invaluable experience in the wide array of broadcasting activities."
"All broadcast stations are licensed by the FCC to 'serve the public interest, convenience and necessity,' and that is something we take very seriously at WKAR," said General Manager Gary Reid. "To be judged as Station of the Year by our peers is both an honor and an obligation. We take great pride in representing the highest standards of our industry to the viewing public."
In addition to receiving Michigan Public Television Station of the Year, WKAR-TV received an Award of Broadcast Excellence in the "Marketing Materials Promotion" category for one of the station's billboard campaign videos featuring WKAR Station Manager Susi Elkins.
Another Award of Excellence in the "News and Public Affairs" category recognized an "Off the Record" episode that featured former Senator Rick Santorum. Now in its 40th year of broadcasting on WKAR, "Off the Record" is a weekly discussion of Michigan politics anchored by Capitol correspondent Tim Skubick and featuring a panel of correspondents and newsmakers.
An Award of Merit in the "Cultural and Performing Arts" category was presented to the "BackStage Pass" concert featuring the folk sounds of Seth Bernard and May Erlewine. "Beneath the Pines: Bowl Game" received an Award of Merit in the "Sports-Outdoor or Recreation" category. The program followed Michigan State University's Spartan Marching Band to a bowl game.
WKAR Radio was recognized with two awards. In the "Feature/Use of Medium" category, the piece titled "Baker Drive Train" received an Award of Merit. The segment was produced by Mark Bashore as part of WKAR's "reWorking Michigan" radio series and focused on how Baker Drive Train in Haslett is serving a worldwide clientele.
Bashore was also recognized with an Award of Merit in the "Hard News & Current Events Story" category with "County Records Glitch," which looked at the loss of 130,000 Ingham County records.
WKAR is part of Michigan State University's College of Communication Arts & Sciences and includes WKAR-TV, WKAR Radio, WKAR.org, WKAR Radio Reading Service and WKAR Ready To Learn Service. WKAR is funded in large part by community viewer and listener contributions with additional support from Michigan State University and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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