WQLK-FM Rocks for the Hungry
WQLK-FM (Ann Arbor) hosted its annual Rockin’ for the Hungry event in December. The 19-year-old event benefits local food bank Food Gatherers, which distributes more than 3.6 million pounds of food to over 150 non-profit programs a year.

By the end of the five-day broadcast, the Washtenaw community donated food and funds totaling 214 tons of food!

This translates into 285,326 meals for our neighbors struggling to make ends meet! Food pantries throughout Michigan and the nation are reporting shortages in the charitable food supply and significant increases in demand for food assistance. Thanks to the generosity of all the folks associated with Rockin’, Food Gatherers food bank will be adequately stocked this holiday season.

WLEN Keeps Lenawee Warm
The annual 103.9 WLEN “Keep Lenawee Warm” campaign to collect used coats and blankets for Lenawee Associated Charities exceeded records in 2007.

The effort went to a new level as 103.9 WLEN visited each high school in Lenawee County and invited students and families to bring in coats and blankets.

Every branch of United Bank and Trust in Lenawee County was also a drop-off site. Over 1500 items went to the less fortunate for the Lenawee community.

WKAR Gives Back to the Community with Holiday Service Projects
As a way to give back to the community that gives to us all year long, WKAR recently completed two service projects.

Greater Lansing Food Bank Collection. This year’s collection for the Greater Lansing Food Bank totaled 78 bags or boxes of food that were delivered to the organization’s pantry at St. John Student Parish in East Lansing, MI. This topped last year's total of 70 bags.

Adopt-A-Family. Each year WKAR employees “adopt a family” from MSU and serve as their not-so-secret Santa. This year’s family was a married couple with a two-year-old daughter, living on campus. This year WKAR was able to present our family with gift cards to Eastwood Town Center and Meijer, as well as educational toys, language studies tapes, clothing, and more.

GLBC to Offer Public Broadcasting Seminars
This year the MAB, MAPB, and MRPN have teamed up to bring you special sessions at GLBC that public broadcasters will find informative and valuable.

Some of the sessions being planned for GLBC include:

• A full day session on Monday, March 10th presented by MPRN and IRE.org on Watchdog Journalism. This special event by David Donald is intended to help journalists at small- to medium-sized news organizations, and those in bureaus of larger organizations, to learn the investigative skills that keep government and business accountable and to produce enterprising and informative stories. Critical among the skills is the art of finding and cultivating sources, making effective use of the Internet for investigations, following the money trail in elections, and much more.

• Several sessions on Tuesday, March 11th including an afternoon workshop on Producing for Public Television as well a session by Mike Elrick of the Detroit Free Press and a session on investigative reporting by Eric Freedman of the MSU School of Journalism.

Be sure to take advantage of these educational opportunities by attending the 2008 Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference at DeVos Place.

Association of Public Television Stations to Host Annual Capitol Hill Day 2008!
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is planning its annual Capitol Hill Day 2008 on February 11 – 13 in Washington, D.C. For your budgeting purposes, the APTS early registration fee for the meeting will remain at $385 for staff of APTS Member Stations, Associate Members and National Public Broadcasting Organizations. Don’t miss this great opportunity to show your support for public television!

Online registration for the meeting is now open! Click here to register!

2008 GLBC Career Fair – Register NOW to Take Advantage of Possible EEO Credit for Your Station!
There are still booths available for the 2008 GLBC Career Fair on Tuesday, March 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Career Fair will once again take place during the 2008 Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference & Expo at the DeVos Place in Downtown Grand Rapids. Attend and meet hundreds of potential employees and interns. Contact Julie or Jamie at 517.484.7444 to reserve your booth today!

Registration fee is $250 per booth (one SEU per booth) and includes the following amenities:
• One 6 ft. banquet table with a tablecloth.
• Up to two chairs.
• One table-top sign with your call letters/company name displayed.
• An Exhibits Only registration for all station representatives. (NOTE: Please register separately for the GLBC if you plan to attend the conference. Additional GLBC registration rates may apply. Visit www.michmab.com for details.)
• A portion of the registration fee goes to support the MAB Foundation and its mission.

Space is limited and is filling up fast! Registrations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis so be sure to complete and return your registration form with payment to the MAB Foundation office as soon as possible. Deadline is Wednesday, February 6.

Click here to download a registration form. Click here for complete career fair details and information.

High School and College Awards Program Encourages Young Broadcasters – Peter King to Serve as Program Emcee!
It has been another great year for the MAB Foundation High School & College Awards. Thank you to all of our judges and all who entered! Winners will be announced on the High School and College awards web site here.

All winners will be honored, and the Station of the Year recipients will be announced, during the Main Luncheon at the Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference & Expo on Tuesday, March 11 at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. We are very pleased to announce that Peter King, CBS News, will serve as awards emcee! Make plans to attend today!

Click here for complete awards program information.

MABF Seeks Donated Items for 2008 Online Auction
The MAB Foundation is seeking donated items for the 2008 Online Auction. Past items for bidding included football tickets, vacation packages and unique experiences. This fundraiser will once again raise money to benefit future broadcast scholarships and educational programs. The 2007 program raised more than $1,200!

Visit www.michmab.com to view the current items up for bidding. The MAB Foundation is looking for exciting and valuable donated items to place for bidding. Contact Julie or Jamie at 517.484.7444 for more information. Click here for complete Online Auction rules and information.