For the fourth year in a row, WKAR has been named Public TV Station of the Year – the top honor awarded by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) for TV programming.
WKAR also set a station record for the number of MAB Broadcast Excellence Awards received in a single year with a total of 17, including 10 Best in Category awards.
Part of MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences, WKAR has won Public TV Station of the Year each year since the network joined the college. The station was presented with the 2014 Public TV Station of the Year award at the annual MAB Broadcast Excellence Awards ceremony on March 11 in Lansing, Mich.
"It's such an honor to be recognized by the MAB in this way because they understand that a station is only as strong as its partners, donors and community members," said Susi Elkins, TV Station Manager.
WKAR also took home numerous other awards that recognize its original production, community outreach and engagement, education services and the many facets that make the WKAR Network a vibrant and essential part of the community it serves.
"WKAR's biggest challenge is living up to the high standards of our dedicated viewers, to provide them with the best possible programming available," Elkins said. "We've worked hard to do that over the past year by launching new original TV series and specials, championing the importance of education, and engaging with audiences around our national programming schedule. It is a privilege to be able to tell the stories of such a vibrant community and campus."
For television programming and engagement, WKAR won a total of 12 Broadcast Excellence Awards, including nine Best in Category awards and three Merit awards. The Best in Category awards were for:
- Station of the Year – Year in Review essay
- Sports, Outdoor or Recreation – "Current Sports – Rose Bowl edition"
- Community Involvement – "Curious Crew" Gravity episode
- Cultural & Performing Arts – "Forte - Owosso" episode
- Cultural Programming – "Forte - Owosso"
- Membership Appeal – "Giving Tuesday Showcase"
- News or Public Affairs Special – "2014 State of the State"
- News Special or Documentary – "Sweetie-licious Slice of Life"
- Marketing Materials & Proms – "WKAR Sizzle Reel"
The Merit awards were for:
- Membership Appeal – "Sweetie-licious Slice of Life"
- Special Interest Programming – "Forte - Owosso"
- Cultural & Performing Arts – "Home for the Holidays 2014"
WKAR swept two categories, Cultural & Performing Arts and Membership Appeal, by receiving both Best in Category and Merit awards.
For radio programming, WKAR won five Broadcast Excellence Awards, including one Best in Category award and four Merit awards. The Best in Category award was for:
- Community Involvement – "Neighbors in Action" series
The Merit awards were for:
- Membership Appeal – "Weekend Campaign Spots"
- Special Interest & Cultural Programming – "What's New on WKAR"
- Hard News & Current Events Story – "Transgender Community Fights for Elliot-Larson Protections"
- Station of the Year
The WKAR Network provides mid-Michigan and the global community with award-winning original programming and the best from PBS and NPR via television channels WKAR-HD, WKAR World and WKAR Create; and radio broadcasts at 90.5 FM, AM 870 and WKAR Radio Reading Service.
At WKAR.org and video.wkar.org, the network offers live audio streaming, plus local news features, TV original full episodes and the best from NPR and PBS on-demand. The WKAR Network provides additional community outreach with WKAR Ready to Learn Service and PBS LearningMedia. 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.