Carl E. Lee Engineering Awards

2011 Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Awards

Radio Recipient: Ralph Haines III, WGDN-AM/FM, Gladwin

Ralph Haines began his radio career in 1968, while he was still in high school, taking courses in electronics after hours at Everett High School. He was hired as a part time engineers assistant at WITL located at the Michigan National Bank tower in downtown Lansing, where he helped with the construction of the "WITL white house" in 1970. After high school, Ralph moved to Chicago and attended DeVry Institute, a Bell & Howell school to get his first-class license.

In 1972, Ralph briefly left the broadcast industry when he married his wife, Annette and took a job at IBM as a Customer Engineer. While with IBM, Ralph was transferred back to Lansing, where he returned to the broadcasting industry and resumed working for WITL as an assistant engineer.

In 1978, he was offered a job with Family Life Radio, WUNN in Mason as a part-time announcer and engineer. While at FLR he heard about an AM-FM station in Gladwin that was for sale. Ralph became co-owner of WGDN and was the engineer and weekend radio host. In 1993, WGDN needed a face lift and Ralph led the charge building a new tower and in 1999, a new studio building. In the mid 80's, Ralph began picking up extra engineering jobs with other stations.

In late September 2003, Ralph retired from IBM and planned for a life of leisure, but once word got around that Ralph had some free time, several stations contacted him to do engineering work. Ralph answered the call and in January 2004, Broadcast Engineer Services (BES) was incorporated.

Ralph is still going strong with his work at WGDN and BES and has no current plans to retire from the broadcasting industry.

Television Recipient: Michael Laemers, WOOD/WOTV/WXSP-TV, Grand Rapids

Mike Laemers is the Director of Engineering at WOOD/WOTV/ WXSP television stations. He has over 35 years experience in the field of Broadcast Engineering and has been a vital component in developing the television market in the Grand Rapids DMA. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Western Michigan University.

His many accomplishments in the field of television engineering include building one of the first television LMA and hub operations in the country. During the mid-nineties Mike and other colleagues took on the task of building a virtual television station. The virtual station became WXSP.

In 1997 Mike headed WOOD TV’s transition to digital where he made WOOD TV the technical leader in the market with the first all digital plant, including a “state of the art” digital control room designed by Mike. On WOOD TV’s fiftieth anniversary Mike engineered a live HD presentation from Grand Rapids’ Van Andle Museum to inaugurate the official sign-on of WOOD DT.

His many years in the business also include other areas of television station management. Mike’s experience in program buying, traffic operations and labor relations have rounded his career in television management. He has served as a member of the board of directors of Channel 41, Inc and has past memberships in the I.E.E.E. (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), S.M.P.T.E. (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), Broadcast Pioneers, and The Michigan Association of Broadcaster’s Engineering Committee

2011 Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Awards

Radio Recipient: Ed Trombley, Field Engineer/RF Expert, Munn-Reese, Inc, Coldwater, Michigan

Ed Trombley is the Field Engineer and RF Expert Extraordinaire at Munn-Reese, Inc. He began his broadcasting career as a student at Lake Superior State College in the Electronic Engineering Technology program. Upon graduating Ed worked as a contract engineer for several years at numerous stations across Lower Michigan. In 1984 Ed took on the position of Chief Engineer and Technical Director of Telecommunications at WSAE/KTGG at Spring Arbor College. After a decade of service at Spring Arbor College, Ed made to the move to Munn-Reese, Inc. in Coldwater, MI to work as a field engineer conquering the most complex of radio engineering issues. Since his move to Munn-Reese, Ed has become quite the engineering celebrity throughout the state known for his problem solving and uncanny way of communicating with the finickiest of machinery.

In addition to his professional work, Ed is known for his garage full of old broadcast parts and equipment supplying the local theatre with period props not to mention the numerous engineers who have been helped in a pinch because of his garage full of goodies. Ed is married to his lovely wife Mary and the couple has four children.

Television Recipient: John Grover, Chief Engineer, WADL-TV, Mount Clemens/Detroit, Michigan

John Grover is the Adell Broadcasting Corporation’s Chief Engineer for WADL-TV. He has over 46 years of experience in broadcast engineering, 33 of which has been as a television station chief engineer. John began his broadcasting career in 1963 at WJIM as a staff engineer before a brief two year stint as an engineer for World Wide Sports in Williamston, MI. He then became the Chief Engineer for WGPR, a radio and television licensee, in 1977 where he assemble a U-Matic auto logging sequencer for interstitial and program playback.

In 1988, John joined the Sinclair Broadcast Group in Flint as Chief Engineer at WSMH starting a local news operation. In addition, in 1992 John took on the extra duties of Chief Engineer at WADL TV where he over saw the operations and staffing of Master Control. In 2006 John opted to lighten his heavy work load retiring from WSMH TV. John is still Chief Engineer at WADL-TV and is known for his positive, can-do sprit and outstanding work ethic.

2009 Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Awards

Radio Recipient: Greg Urbiel, Director of Engineering, Saga Communications, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan

Greg is a 40-year veteran of the broadcast industry and has worked for a host of reputable companies. Greg began his career in broadcasting in 1969 at WCAR AM/FM in Detroit shortly after graduating from Loyola University. He then went on to serve as chief engineer for several stations in Detroit, including WWWW-FM, WWJ-AM/FM, and WYST/WJOI-FM.

In 1989, Greg was appointed Director of Technical Operations, Midwest, for CBS Radio where he oversaw technical operations for several major markets. After 8 years in New York, Greg returned to Detroit where he worked again for WWJ and then for ABC Radio, until he found his current home at Saga Communications.

In addition to his professional positions, Greg has also served as a member on the Technical Committee for the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Southeast Michigan Operations Area Emergency Broadcast Coordinating Committee.

Television Recipient: Dale Scholten, Chief Engineer, WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Mr. Scholten has worked in the broadcasting industry for over fifty years and has held a host of different positions. Dale began his career in 1956 at the ripe old age of 16 when he started his own bootleg AM radio station in his parent's basement. His television career started with repairing TVs for a small shop in Cadillac. From there he was hired at WWTV-TV where he earned his First Class FCC license. Dale went on to work for a Motorola 2-way company and Cook Communications in West Michigan.

In 1968, he worked as an engineer for WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids in addition to starting his own business, General Communications Company, specializing in contract maintenance. He grew that business by investing in tower building and leasing in the early 1970s. Then one day he read the local paper he found a help wanted ad asking for someone that could assist in designing and building a new TV station in the area. Dale answered that ad and helped to construct WWMA-TV, which is now WXMI-TV. Dale has served at WXMI-TV for 28 years.

Dale still owns General Communications Company and made it a family business when his son joined him in 1998. Dale is an active member of his community and a valued member of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.