MAB thanks Congressman John Dingell for his leadership during the transition to digital television. (Front: Left to Right) Karole White (MAB), Congressman John Dingell (MI-15th), Debbie Kenyon (CBS Radio, Detroit) and Mike Fezzey (WJR-AM, Detroit) (Back: Left to Right) Chuck Stokes (WXYZ-TV, Detroit), Bob Sliva (WXYZ-TV, Detroit), Trey Fabacher (WWJ-TV, WKBD-TV, Detroit), David Jessup (MAB).

	(L-R) Georgeann Herbert, WWJ-AM (Detroit), Dan Alpert, WTVS (Detroit) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

On January 14, The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) hosted a luncheon at the Southfield Skyline Club that featured U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) as its keynote speaker. Billed as the “Women of Power in Broadcasting Luncheon”, the event hosted many of the state’s prominent women broadcast executives and served as a networking catalyst for the over 40 attendees.

The event represented a tremendous opportunity for an exchange of ideas among its participants. Senator Stabenow addressed the group on an array of issues facing the Congress, discussing in detail issues ranging from the national debate on healthcare to the success of the “Cash for Clunkers” program. Stabenow subsequently held a question and answer session where participants were able to raise issues specific to broadcasters.

When asked of her position in the Performance Tax debate, the Senator expressed her opposition to any measure that would hike taxes for local broadcasters.

CALM Act Gains House Approval
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure that seeks to eliminate abrupt spikes in volume during television commercial breaks. The legislation, however, does not come without some difficulties. Managing the transition between programs and ads without spoiling the artistic intent of the producers poses technical challenges and may require TV broadcasters to purchase new equipment.

Approved by voice vote, the bill is designed specifically to stop TV ads from playing noticeably louder than regular broadcast programming. Known as the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM), the bill would require the FCC to adopt recommendations from the Advanced Television Systems Committee as regulations within a year and begin enforcing them a year later.

A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

Doing Good, Doing Well
By Julie Koehn, WLEN-FM (Adrian) and Michigan Representative to NAB

There was a day when doing good meant you would do well. And, as true as that was, the day has come when what we do means so much more. Over the past 24 months, that day has come in Michigan and across the U.S. Times have changed, the economy has changed, needs have changed and our ability as carriers of the message has changed. Unemployment, homelessness, helplessness, hunger, foreclosures all made us shift gears to protect, preserve and prevent disaster for the citizens that we serve. Understanding our obligation, we stepped up as broadcasters, just as we always have.
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2009 National Association of State Broadcasters Association (NASBA) Filings
By: Richard R. Zaragoza, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP & NASBA Counsel

As you know, 2009 was a challenging year for the broadcast industry because of the recession. It had also been a challenging year because of what the FCC and Congress have thrown at the radio and television broadcast industries in the form of multiple, concurrent proceedings proposing numerous, re-regulatory requirements.
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Important Dates for Broadcasters in 2010
By Davis Wright Tremaine’s Broadcast Group

2010 promises to be an interesting year for broadcasters as the broadcast industry, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Congress and others grapple with important questions such as spectrum usage, the future of journalism, and emerging digital technologies, to name but a few.

Although larger questions such as media usage and changing advertising markets will undoubtedly dominate discussions this year, radio and television broadcasters will continue to face a number of regular quarterly and annual regulatory filings necessary for compliance with the FCC’s rules and the retention of their licenses. These include children's programming reports, EEO public file reports, ownership reports, Quarterly Issues Programs lists, and annual FCC regulatory fees, all of which are required over the course of the year.
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Traffic & Weather Together
By Gary Berkowitz, Berkowitz Consulting Group, garyberk@aol.com

Note: See Gary in-person at GLBC!

Since most radio stations do either both, or at least one of these two elements, here are a few quick ideas to make for a better sounding presentation.

• GIVE ME THE TRAFFIC REPORT, PLEASE! Nothing annoys listeners more than hearing the traffic intro and then the jock go off on a tangent, talking about everything but the traffic. When the intro hits, you should get right to the report. Save the “schmooze” for other places.

• WHAT DID THEY SAY? Have your traffic reporters developed their own language? Make sure they speak with easy to understand words. Always refer to the roads the way listeners do. Example: In Detroit, 696 is 696, not “The Reuther” (as many traffic reporters call it).
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Take a Bow!
By Kip Bohne, WSYM-TV (Lansing)

Now that you’ve submitted your Broadcast Excellence Award entries (you didn’t forget, did you?), it’s time to start thinking about “Who” you will be wearing to the Awards program. The women will need to consider their outfits as well.

Seriously, the Broadcast Excellence Awards is a wonderful way to let the spotlight shine on those “hard-working-but-seldom-get-the-recognition” kind of employees that make your business run so well. Nothing can do more to keep that positive mojo going than to be recognized and lauded by your peers for outstanding work. It’s been a long, tough year, but without question, the challenges made everyone work harder and smarter which have produced some great results. That superior effort will take center stage on that night.
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New Michigan Act Addressed to Pregnancy Discrimination
May Have Unintended Consequences
By: Terry Kasiborski, Butzel Long

Act No. 190 of the Public Acts of 2009, effective December 22, 2009, amends Michigan’s Elliott- Larsen Civil Rights Act (“ELCRA”) to provide, in part, that an employer shall not:

Treat an individual affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition differently for any employment related purpose from another individual who is not so affected but similar in ability or inability to work, without regard to the source of any condition affecting the other individual’s ability or inability to work. (emphasis added)
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Teamwork Doesn’t Always Work
By Jim Mathis, CSP

Note: See Jim in-person at GLBC!

"A person who doesn't care who gets the credit has obviously never gotten much credit." -Jim Mathis

Sad But True
My daughter brought home a failing grade from a chemistry project the other day. When I asked her why she got an F, she said, "My lab partner won't do any work and I was graded on her performance, too." She isn't responsible for her partner so she suffers the consequences of a bad match-up. This is a great lesson for life. The school system is actually teaching her that teamwork doesn't always work.
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To Teach is to Touch a Life Forever
By Colleen Pierson, Rockford High School

There’s an old Chinese proverb that reads: “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

This is my teaching philosophy. If you were to enter my classroom at Rockford High School, where I teach Broadcast Communications/TV Studio all day long to 10th-12th graders, you may witness what I refer to as “organized chaos.”

Students are learning hands-on in a highly energized environment. They are working frenetically in mastering the art of how to produce, anchor, edit, report, write and design graphics for school newscasts, documentaries, public service announcements, music videos, feature reports, Live TV, sporting events and much, much, more.
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Finally Figuring It Out: An Intern’s Point of View on Job Search Strategies
By Lisa Ermak, Michigan State University Student and MAB Intern

In fourth grade art class I wanted my gluey, glittery art project to stand out next to the other 25 kids’ creations in my class. And when I turned 16, I wanted Dad to buy me a sweet new car that would catch the eye of the stud I was crushing on.

Now, as a soon-to-be college graduate, there are higher priorities on my list, like impressing a sea of potential employers, not Miss Mahar or the Prom King.
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WXYZ-TV’s Bob Sliva To Retire April 1
As of April 1, Bob Sliva will retire as vice president and general manager of WXYZ-TV (Detroit). Sliva, 59, replaced longtime WXYZ-TV veteran Grace Gilchrist in those roles on Jan. 1, 2008, when she retired. He turns 60 on April 1.

“I've decided 35 years (in the TV business) is enough,” he said. “I think I'm going to the beach for awhile.” Sliva said he plans to spend time with his wife at a cabin they bought along Lake Huron near Port Sanilac.

A Michigan State University graduate, Sliva began his career as a media buyer for Detroit-based Ross Roy Advertising Inc. He worked for several television advertising sales companies before joining Cincinnati-based Scripps Television Station Group, where he was vice president of sales.

Former WXYZ General Manager Griesdorn Highlighted in
Broadcasting & Cable Magazine
Tom Griesdorn, who spent 8 years of his career at Detroit's WXYZ-TV, was recently the focus of an story in Broadcasting & Cable. Griesdorn is currently president/general manager of WBNS-TV in Columbia. Read the article highlighting Griesdorn's sucess here.

WWMT Channel 3 Hires Steve Koles as News Director
WWMT (Kalamazoo) has hired Steve Koles from WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island as its news director. Koles is replacing Cathy Younkin, who left the station September 25 to work as news director at fellow Freedom Broadcasting station WPEC in West Palm Beach. Younkin worked at WWMT for 3 years.

"We are excited that Steve has joined us. He has a track record of fostering strong journalism and getting results for the communities where he has worked. His 14 years in television news has prepared him well for the challenges ahead," the station's vice president and general manager Jim Lutton said in a press release.

Koles was WPRI's assistant news director for the past three-and-a-half years. He also was assistant news director and acting news director at KJRH in Tulsa, as well as executive producer at WMAR in Baltimore and senior news producer at WAVY in Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport.

WXMI Names Avery Morning News Co-Anchor

(l-r) MAB's Karole White, Barb Cleary, Tom Cleary, and Larry Lee (former publisher of Gongwer News). Photo courtesy of Joe Cleary.

Tom Cleary, MAB Executive Director from 1968 to 1985, was recently honored for his work and leadership on behalf of children and families at the 10th annual "Much Ado About Something Wonderful", held on December 16. Cleary received the Kevin A. Kelly Child Advocate Award for his work, including his work in the early 1990s on legislation directing school districts to provide training in Braille reading for sight-impaired kids.

WJR Extends MSU Contract
Citadel Media's WJR-AM/Detroit and Michigan State University have reached an agreement to extend their current contract 10 years, making WJR the flagship station for Spartan football and basketball through 2020. The station and the university began their current contract in 2006. WJR previously served as MSU's flagship station for 14 years, from 1963 to 1976.

Jon Bengston: 1951-2010
Former WEYI-TV/Flint programming and operations director Jon Bengston passed away January 2 at age 58. Bengston worked at the station for 35 years and was considered a local television legend. Services were held on January 9 in Clio. He is survived by his wife, two sons, his mother and a brother and sister.

Bengton's family asked that memorial contributions be made to the Tall Pine Counsel, CMU Broadcasting School or the Bethany United Methodist Church.

Longtime Sportscaster Dave Diles Passes
Longtime Detroit and national sportscaster Dave Diles passed away December 27 at his home in Ohio. He was 78 years old. Diles worked for WXYZ radio in the early 1960s before working for ABC Sports and returning to WXYZ-TV in the late 70s through the mid-80s.