On August 26, the FCC released its 2021 Regulatory Fee Order, which can be found here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-98A1.pdf. The efforts of various State Broadcast Associations, including your MAB as well as the NAB were very successful, and as a result: The proposed regulatory fees for broadcasters dropped by about 9%. As a result, the FCC’s large… read more
This fall, the classical music side of Interlochen Public Radio (IPR) and the Traverse Area District Library (TADL) will launch a new partnership as part of an initiative to bring more classical music into the local community. The new series will take place every second Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. in the McGuire… read more
Gray’s WILX-TV (Lansing) has announced an updated look and lineup this past week. The station has launched new on-air graphics, including a new red logo and tagline Breaking News & First Alert Weather. This coincided with the appointment of Darrin Rockcole as First Alert Chief Meteorologist. Rockcole, who retired from television news last July after 30… read more
By: Seth Resler Jacobs Media Strategies These days, the news is full of emergencies — from foreign entanglements to weather-related catastrophes. At this point, there’s no excuse for getting caught off guard if a disaster strikes in your market. This is particularly true if your radio station is using its “live and local” presence to… read more
Dr. William E. Coté, a retired journalism professor who influenced the careers of hundreds of Michigan State University students and a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, died this past Monday (8/30) at age 81. Coté was born July 14, 1940 in Jackson, MI, the son of Mervin and Maybelle (Crosthwaite) Coté. He… read more
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP As fall approaches and kids head back to school, be sure not to lose track of the regulatory dates and deadlines in September. We outline some of those dates below. One date is applicable to all commercial broadcasters, the obligation to pay regulatory fees. While the exact due… read more
WCMU Public Media (Mt. Pleasant) has announced that Debbie Hamlett will be joining the station as its new Executive Director/General Manager, effective October 4. Hamlett has 20 years experience in public media. Hamlett joins WCMU from Nebraska Public Media, where she held a dual role as Executive Director for the station’s 501c3 Foundation board and… read more
Nexstar Broadcasting’s WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids) has announced that Donovan Long has officially joined the station’s News 8 Daybreak as co-anchor alongside Teresa Weakley. Long makes the move from the station’s weekend morning newscasts, where he has been anchoring for two years. His commitment to excellent journalism has been recognized with two Emmy Awards and Michigan… read more
The Bonnell Foundation: Living with Cystic Fibrosis provides resources and tools to navigate the difficulties of living with cystic fibrosis. They also offer college scholarships to those affected by cystic fibrosis, medical assistance and lung transplant grants. The Bonnell Foundation gave $25,000 in college scholarships and thousands of dollars in financial assistance this year thanks… read more
As part of its coverage of National Black Business Month, on August 24, WDIV-TV (Detroit) Reporter/Anchor Evrod Cassimy took a look inside the city’s historic WGPR-FM. As Detroit’s first Black-owned Detroit radio station, WGPR is still thriving today. The station is owned and operated by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons, after being purchased… read more