WKAR has been named Michigan Public Television Station of the Year for 2022 by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. The announcement was made Saturday, April 29, at the Broadcast Excellence Awards Gala at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit.
This year marks the 11th time in 12 years that WKAR has been named Public TV Station of the Year. The public media station serving Michigan’s capital region also won awards in three special categories announced at the gala.
"I'm both humbled and honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire WKAR team," said Shawn Turner, WKAR general manager. "I also want to express our gratitude to the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. This award represents the commitment that we all share to serving and supporting our communities. WKAR is celebrating 100 years of service this year. We don't get to last 100 years without a lot of support from a lot of people. Part of our staying power is due to the fact that so many of you in this room set a high bar for excellence. And so we thank all of you for pushing us to be the very best that we can. And again, congratulations to my great team here at WKAR."
In addition to the Public TV Station of Year award, these WKAR wins were announced at the gala:
- Membership Appeal — Best
"Through the Banks of the Red Cedar"
WKAR's Al Martin is joined by independent producer Maya Washington to make an appeal for viewer support during a special presentation of the documentary "Through the Banks of the Red Cedar." - Membership Appeal — Merit
"Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain Tour"
WKAR's Al Martin is joined by Metro Melik, host of Moving with Metro Melik on Stacks 92.1, making an appeal for viewer support during a presentation of the concert special "Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain Tour." - Community Involvement — Merit
"Community Connections Through Film and Conversation"
Film screenings fostering conversation around societal issues create great opportunities to connect with members of the diverse communities we serve. Virtual film screenings featured in 2022 produced insightful conversations with a diverse range of panelists and helped WKAR form new partnerships across our community. - Station Excellence Essay — Best
In this category, stations submit a 1000-word essay highlighting accomplishments of 2022.
These honors add to the first round of Broadcast Excellence Awards announced in March. In all, across WKAR TV, radio, and digital, WKAR earned 24 Broadcast Excellence Awards for the station’s work in 2022.
This story originally appeared on wkar.org.
The hero image in this photo displays those representing WKAR at the Broadcast Excellence Awards Gala. (left to right) L. David Mann, director of broadcast technology; Amanda Flores, sernior director of diversity, equity and inclusion; Carol Yancho, Sr. Producer/Director; Shawn Turner, general manager; Russell Felder, assistant director of annual giving; Robin Pizzo, director of education; Julie Sochay, senior director of content and communication.