East Lansing, MI; Jun. 4, 2026 – Richard "Rick" Thomas II, senior RF engineer and telecom technician for WKAR television and radio, has been named the television recipient of the Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award. The award was presented Wednesday at the Michigan Broadcasters Engineering & IT Summit, hosted by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters in Lansing.
The recognition highlights Thomas’ leadership and contributions to broadcast technology, spanning more than 40 years of innovation in engineering, mentorship, and technical operations. Since joining WKAR Public Media in 1978 as a student employee, Thomas has dedicated nearly five decades of continuous service to WKAR and Michigan State University.
Thomas possesses unparalleled institutional knowledge of broadcasting and is renowned as the steady hand during every on-air crisis, emergency repair and system failure. Often the first to arrive on set and the last to leave, Thomas is also a founding member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 91 and has served the chapter nearly every year since 1984.
The Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award is bestowed annually to individuals who have used their skills and innovation to advance technology. More information about the award and this year’s winners is available at https://www.michiganmedia.com/carl-e-lee-award/.