Premiering online this week, the WKAR Public Media original program Off the Record presents “Evening with the Governor 2021,” featuring Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and First Gentleman Dr. Marc Mallory in conversation with senior capitol correspondent Tim Skubick. The special edition episode of the weekly public affairs program is available for streaming now in the… read more
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP As 2021 wound down, there were significant developments on SoundExchange royalties for webcasters – including broadcasters who simulcast their on-air programming through IP channels (such as on their websites and on mobile apps). While we covered many of these matters in our weekly Sunday updates on regulatory matters of importance to broadcasters,… read more
After 31 years in television, all of it in West Michigan, WZZM-TV’s (Grand Rapids) Brent Ashcroft has retired from the business to pursue a second career as a buyer and seller of coin collections. The station made the announcement on December 23. “It’s been quite the 31 years in the West Michigan TV business,” said… read more
The MAB was saddened to hear over the holiday break that longtime Lansing broadcast engineer Mike Winsky passed away on December 26 at age 66. Winsky was known for years as Chief Engineer of WILX-TV (Lansing); and prior to that served in the same capacity at WLAJ-TV (Lansing), a station he helped build with the… read more
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies Twelve months ago, as we turned the page on 2020, we all hoped the new year would bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as we slog through a resurgence brought on by the Omicron variant, it feels naive to have the same hopes for 2022. Whether you… read more
Member stations are advised to check with their IT, web and cloud services providers to be certain they are patched for a new Apache vulnerability. The vulnerability, first discovered late last week, is severe because it is in a system that underlies most company systems around the world, and has been in use for decades. … read more
To my Dear Friends and Colleagues: It is with excitement and some trepidation that I write to you in this last newsletter of the year as the President of MAB. I will be stepping down as President on January 2 after 36 years. I will continue as development manager of the MAB Foundation for a… read more
WKAR Public Media at Michigan State is launching a new jazz radio show on New Year’s Day. A Groove Supreme presents two hours of jazz every Saturday evening, hosted by Michael Stratton. A Groove Supreme debuts at 8 p.m. ET on Sat., Jan. 1, 2022, on WKAR 90.5 FM from East Lansing. Mid-Michigan jazz fans… read more
Ken Evans will now serve as Director of Content for Townsquare Media Grand Rapids, effective immediately. In his new role, Evans will oversee all of the on-air and online content creators in the market for Active Rock WGRD-FM, Hot AC WLHT-FM, Classic Hits WFGR-FM, Adult Contemporary WTRV-FM and Hip Hop WNWZ. “Ken’s leadership was evident… read more
WWJ-TV (CBS 62), the ViacomCBS-owned station in Detroit, will build from scratch a full-scale, hyper-local news department in 2022. The announcement was made December 14 by Wendy McMahon, President, and Co-Head, CBS News and Stations; Adrienne Roark, President, CBS Stations; and Brian Watson, Vice President and General Manager of WWJ-TV and sister station WKBD-TV (CW50)…. read more