MAPB Announces 2009 Pioneer Award Winners
The board of directors for the Michigan Association of Public Broadcasters (MAPB) announced the 2009 recipients of the Professional Pioneer Award and the Volunteer Pioneer Award. These awards are presented annually as recipients are realized. Recipients will be honored Tuesday evening, July 14 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Join us for this celebration at a cost of $60 per person. Click here for details.

This year marks the seventeenth year of honoring Michigan's public broadcasting pioneers. Honorees are recognized for their contribution to public broadcasting in Michigan for their innovativeness and creativity; ability to inspire others involved in public broadcasting to greater achievement in the field of public radio and television and ability to foster an exchange of innovative, creative ideas and solutions among public broadcasters.

2009 Honorees Include:

Pioneer Award – Professional: Daniel Alpert, Detroit Public Television

Dan Alpert is chief operating officer and station manager of Detroit Public Television (WTVS-TV) with primary responsibility for the PBS station’s content and revenue. In over 30 years at the PBS-member station, he has led the station’s growth in such areas as viewership, fund-raising, programming, cable, government relations, technical facilities, entrepreneurial business opportunities and departmental teams. Among his accomplishments, Dan arranged the station’s role in 1990 as a producer of fundraising programs for national PBS; was honored by the Association of Public Television Stations in 1996; arrange Detroit’s first Comcast on Demand deal in 2005 for full local programming carriage; managed the 2007 re-launch of WTVS’ Capital Campaign and is a recognized industry spokesperson for public television on-air and off, locally and nationally.

Dan also served as interim general manager in 2007 and acting general manager in 1983. Alpert is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College for economic policymaking with a telecommunications double major. He began his career in radio during college in Lansing and New York and also at WKAR-TV, East Lansing.

Pioneer Award – Volunteers: Karen Laug and Buzz Laug, WGVU-AM/FM/TV

Karen Laug and her brother Buzz Laug have been volunteering for WGVU’s “The Great Wine Symposium” and “Food, Wine and All That Jazz” for a number of years. Karen is a retired legal secretary and was a medic in the Navy, serving for 19 years. In addition to her work with WGVU, she has volunteered as an usher at the Civic Theater for several years, helps with the local paper, The Coopersville Observer every other Friday and delivered toys for Santa Claus Girls last Christmas.

Karen started volunteering at WGVU over 13 years ago and recruited her brother Buzz about six years ago. Buzz and his wife Lori have been married for over 28 years and are parents to four-year old Mariah who is autistic. Buzz is an amazing parent and still finds enough time to work 50-60 hours a week at Sun Chemicals in Muskegon and volunteer at WGVU. They both take time out of their busy lives to volunteer for WGVU’s fundraising wine events. Both are eager to do whatever is necessary from set-up to tear down of each event. These wine events raise important funds needed for the operation of the station and they wouldn’t be possible without the continued help of many loyal volunteers such as the Laugs.

WDET Presents Community Programming Initiative on Detroit's Mortgage Crisis
In June and July, Wayne State University's WDET-FM is presenting a series of programs to introduce station listeners to the people and organizations operating "on the front line" of Detroit's mortgage crisis. The community programming initiative is part of a national project taking place in 32 markets across the country and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

J. Mikel Ellcessor, WDET's General Manager said "We're speaking with people whose lives are in turmoil, we're showcasing groups of people and organizations who are crafting ingenious solutions and we're examining the ways we can lock arms, and together, work our way out of the problem. At WDET, we think the public airwaves should be used in ways that make a tangible contribution to the city's future."

Information on the stories in the series, the organizations helping people and how to take action and get involved will be available at the project blog on WDET's website: www.wdet.org.

CMU Public Radio Presents "Michigan's Bottom Line: Hybrid Economy"
On May 29, CMU Public Radio presented a special program highlighting how alternative energy is changing what powers cars, homes and jobs. "Michigan's Bottom Line: Hybrid Economy" was hosted by Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta and Sarah Hulett with a contribution from CMU Public Radio's Amy Robinson.

WGVU Productions Honored with Communicator Awards
WGVU Productions is proud to announce that seven of its projects have been honored by The Communicator Awards. The Communicator Awards is an international awards competition that recognizes outstanding work in the communications field. Winners were chosen from over 7,000 total entries.

Awards of Excellence were presented to Battle Creek: Celebrating Flight 2008 in three categories. Hope College Christmas Vespers 2008 received an Award of Excellence; Coast Guard Festival Highlights 2008 received awards in two categories; and an Award of Distinction was awarded for U.S. Senatorial Debate.

Sign-Up Now For 2009 Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program
Can you afford a FCC fine? Can you afford not to take advantage of a great savings opportunity to get your station fully FCC compliant and free from a routine FCC inspection for three years?

The MAB has opened up scheduling for the 2009 Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP). The inspections are a no-risk way to check your station's FCC compliance. If you did not receive MAB's recent ABIP mailing, click here to find out more!

Inspections have already started; the remainder of the 2009 ABIP schedule is as follows:

For additional information, contact MAB's Ann Cochrane at 1-800-YOUR-MAB or email her at acochrane@michmab.com now.

Greater Media's WMGC Pays Tribute To "Women Who Make Magic"
WMGC-FM/Detroit paid tribute to women in the community who have made "magic" in their families, communities, and careers at the 8th Annual Women Who Make Magic awards dinner on June 8 at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. Since January, the station has been featuring two "incredible" women a week during the Jim Harper Morning Show.

The women being honored each have their own amazing story to share. Each has demonstrated extraordinary acts in their own way, whether through inspiring change in the non-profit field, beating the odds while battling cancer, or showing a determined spirit to enrich their communities.

WLEN/Adrian Presents 2009 Teacher Of The Year Award
Lenawee Broadcasting's WLEN-FM/Adrian recently announced its 2009 Teacher Of The Year Award to Aaron Wesche, an Addison High School Science Teacher. Wesche was selected from 12 nominations from all over Lenawee County. A school communications specialist nominated the teacher, stating on the submission that Wesche's students use MP3 players to listen to class notes as the teacher records them all and uses current technology that is available and creates unbelieveable hands-on projects.

2009 Summer Raffle: The Odds Are In Your Favor
Take a chance on winning one of these three great prizes as part of the MAB Foundation 2009 Summer Raffle. Proceeds from this fundraiser support broadcast scholarships, education and internships in Michigan!

1st Prize (last ticket drawn)
Grand Hotel overnight package - includes two nights at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for two.

2nd Prize (second ticket drawn)
Grand Hotel Golf - includes 18 holes of golf with cart for two on the Grand Hotel’s Jewel course.

3rd Prize (first ticket drawn)
$300 check

It’s Easy! Just contact the MABF office to purchase your raffle tickets. Cost per ticket is $10 and may be payable by credit card, cash or check. All ticket stubs and payments must be received by the MABF office no later than Tuesday, July 7 to be considered in the drawing!

The drawing will take place Tuesday, July 14 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. You do not have to be present to win!

Looking for a Tax Write-Off? Donate to the MAB Foundation and
Help your 2009 Taxes!
The MAB Foundation is looking for fun and exciting items to be auctioned as part of the Online Auction. Do you have tickets for sporting events, the theater or movies that you can donate? How about overnight stays, vacation packages, golf or skiing?

We can help you by providing promotion for your donation including a link to your web site and a letter indicating your donation that you can use for tax purposes. Proceeds from the Online Auction go to support scholarships, internships and education in Michigan…It’s a win-win situation!

Contact Julie Sochay to donate today!

MAB and MABF Join The Social Networking World!
You can now find the MAB and MABF on your favorite social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter with periodic updates on association activities and urgent member notifications. Whether its with a PC or through mobile applications, you can stay in touch with your Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

Become a fan of the MAB on Facebook here. Follow the MAB on Twitter here.
Become a fan of MABF on Facebook here. Follow the MABF on Twitter here.

Reminder: BCS Monthly Training
Broadcast Compliance Services (BCS) assists MAB member stations in meeting EEO outreach requirements through its broad outreach program enabling broadcasters to post and list job openings with thousands of contacts nationwide.

As part of this service, BCS offers monthly conference call training on a weekly basis. Click here for participant information and a schedule as well as complete information on this MAB member service. For more information on other valuable MAB Member Services, visit the member services section of the MAB web site here.

MAB Legal Hotlines Save Members TIME and MONEY!
Are you taking advantage of your MAB Legal Hotlines? One of the nation's leading communication attorneys, David Oxenford, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, can help you with your FCC and regulatory questions. It's FREE to you because MAB has a special arrangement and we pay for all members to get their questions answered.

Say your corporate office has an attorney and you use them for advice and counsel. That's great, but you can sound a lot smarter when you call them by getting to understand the issue better by speaking with David first.

Save your money, call the MAB FCC attorney first and cut down on those lengthy EXPENSIVE calls to your attorney.

MAB also offers a free Michigan Legal Hotline for your FOIA, libel and Michigan questions with John Ronayne of Bernardi, Ronayne & Glusac, PC; and the Human Resource Law Hotline with Terry Kasiborski of Butzel Long.

You know you have questions and the price is right!