East Lansing, MI; Feb. 25, 2025 – WKAR, the public media television and radio station serving Michigan’s capital region, is the winner of numerous Broadcast Excellence Awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB). The awards were announced Feb. 24 in a special event streamed live by the MAB.
“It’s such an honor to have the programming we produce for our community recognized by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters,” said Shawn Turner, WKAR general manager. “We have a talented team of public media professionals who are committed to telling the local stories that matter most to our mid-Michigan audience. The recognition we receive from our peers reinforces the value that WKAR brings to our community.”
WKAR-TV received awards in 11 of 12 categories, with nine Best and five Merit Awards. WKAR-FM received two Best and four Merit awards, bringing the total number of awards to 20 for WKAR programming produced in 2024.
Both stations are finalists in several special categories to be announced at the Broadcast Excellence Awards Gala in Detroit on April 5, 2025. At that event, WKAR-TV has the potential to extend its run of wins as Public Television Station of the Year to 13 times over the past 14 years.
In the Public Television division, the WKAR Best in Category Awards are:
- Cultural & Performing Arts: Complex Dreams | Steven Boughton
- Cultural Programming: Detroit Institute of Art, Diego Rivera | Steven Boughton, Dan Wogan
- Marketing Materials & Promo: Beyond the Score Episode 2 Promo | Al Martin, Elena Sheperd, Dan Wogan
- Mini-Documentary or Series: Pixels and Perspectives | Steven Boughton
- News Special or Documentary: Support Line: America and the Track to Ukraine | Nicole Zaremba, Scott Schoessel
- Special Interest: Beyond the Score | Al Martin, Elena Sheperd, Dan Wogan, Jason Vlahos
- Sports, Outdoor, or Recreation: Beyond the Score | Al Martin, Elena Sheperd, Dan Wogan
- Use of Multi-platform Media Short-form: Curious About Careers | Elena Sheperd, Bobby Taylor
- Use of Multi-platform Media Long-form: Serving Up Science | Nicole Zaremba, Jason Vlahos, Dan Wogan
The TV Merit Awards are:
- Cultural & Performing Arts: Michigan in Verse: Masaki Takahashi | Steven Boughton, Dan Wogan
- Cultural Programming: ArtPath Profiles | Steven Boughton, Sophia Saliby
- Independent Producer: Air Mail | Mike Castellucci
- News Special or Documentary: Binary Minds: AI in Art | Steven Boughton, Jason Vlahos
- Special Interest: Curious Crew: Color Guard Science | Rob Stephenson, Carol Yancho, Scott Schoessel
WKAR-TV is a finalist in these categories to be announced at the gala in April:
- Public TV Station of the Year
- Station Excellence
- Membership Appeal
- Community Involvement
In Public Radio Group Two, the WKAR Best in Category awards are:
- Hard News & Current Events Story: We are Christian Latinos, not Latinos Cristianos', behind Latino evangelicals' support for Trump in Michigan | Michelle Jokisch-Polo
- Spot News: Lansing venue throws flash weddings for LGBTQ+ couples ahead of new presidential administration | Sophia Saliby
The Radio Merit awards are:
- Hard News & Current Events Story: BWL's natural gas-fired plant proposal sparks concerns about utility's climate goals | Melorie Begay
- Marketing Materials & Promos: Choral Week | Jody Knol, Linda Kernohan, Jamie Paisley
- News Special or Public Affairs Program: One year later, MSU community reflects on tragedy | Sophia Saliby, Amy Robinson, Arjun Thakkar, Michelle Jokisch-Polo
- Use of Multiplatform Media- Programming Materials: Classical Golden Girls? | Jamie Paisley
WKAR-FM is a finalist in this category to be announced at the gala in April:
- Station Excellence
For complete award information, visit: