Michigan Student Broadcast Awards

Contest Opens: Monday, September 14, 2020

Entry Deadline: 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Download Television Categories

UPDATE: The MDHHS “Pause to Save Lives” Emergency Order has mandated that high schools and universities move to virtual learning through the week of December 7. In light of this, we have decided to extend the entry deadline for the Michigan Student Broadcast Awards to Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 3:00 pm EST. Entries must have been created and produced from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. We hope that this deadline extension will give you ample time to edit and complete your entries!

Contest Information

Download Open Call Contestant User Guide
NO entry fee. All entries must be submitted via the online entry system.
All entries are judged by Michigan broadcasters.
The judges will be asked to judge each entry based on the criteria listed in each category and how well it follows the category description. The judges will also be encouraged to give feedback on each entry. The feedback, when given, will be made available to view after the competition.
Awards may be given for 1st, 2nd and Honorable Mention in each category. First place winners receive three (3) points; second place winners receive two (2) points; and Honorable Mentions receive one (1) point for each winning entry towards Station/Program of the Year.
Station/Program of the Year Award – The Station/Program of the Year award will be presented to the following: one high school radio station/program; one high school television station/program; one college radio station/program; and one college television station/program. To win the Station/Program of the Year award, the school must receive the most cumulative points in all categories entered. More than one station/program may be awarded the Station/Program of the Year award.

Contest Rules

Each school’s station/program may submit up to five (5) entries per category unless otherwise specified. If more than five (5) are submitted in each category, only the first 5 submitted will be judged. All other submissions by that station/program in that category will not be judged.
Independent projects produced by students currently in school may be submitted, however they will not count towards a school’s “Station of the Year” points.
- To submit an independent project, create an Open Call Contestant account, click “Submit Entry,” choose the appropriate division and category, then choose “Independent Project” in the dropdown menu under “Where Published or Performed.”
Up to four (4) different students may be credited on an entry, others may be added by contacting the MABF office if the entry is selected as a winner.
All Michigan college, high school and trade school students are welcome to enter.
Entries must have been created and produced from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
All entries must be submitted via the online entry system. All entry links should be checked prior to submitting each entry.
Supplemental attachments for entries are accepted and may not exceed 10MB in size. Accepted file types include: PDF, GIF, PNG, or JPG. No other file types will be accepted. Please have back-up copies and be certain all links work and remain live.
Different categories must be on separate entries. Please complete a separate online submission for each entry.
Entries must be completely created and produced by students. The creative concept of each entry must be original to the students submitting the entry.
Each entry upload must be labeled with the category name, title of the entry, and school.
All entries must first be uploaded to an external hosting site before they can be submitted to the online entry system. Suggested sites include YouTube.com, Soundcloud.com and Vimeo.
Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in disqualification.
All judges’ decisions are final.
All entries must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
All entries become the property of the MAB Foundation. Entries may be used by the MAB Foundation and category sponsors for promotional purposes only.
Questions: [email protected] or 517-484-7444.

Television categories

All visual projects including on-air broadcasts, film projects, YouTube submissions, etc.

NEW!! Current Events Story – Current events story that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Content may include current events or political events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, national protests, or the 2020 election cycle. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, presentation of facts, subject portrayal and production value.

Documentary – A program focused on a single topic up to sixty (60) minutes in length. Judges may only watch portions of entry. Criteria to be judged on: significance, resourcefulness, comprehensiveness, thoroughness of research and production value.

Hard News – Coverage of a significant event affecting the community, no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: significance, presentation of facts, thoroughness and delivery.

News Feature – A single report which may have aired in a newscast as relief or contrast to serious reporting or a long form program that is no more than ten (10) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, subject portrayal, creative writing, entertainment value and production value.

NEW!! Newscast – Best locally originated newscast, approximately thirty (30) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact of the newscast. Judges will be asked to view at least 30 minutes of each entry and no penalty will be given for entries that extend beyond 30 minutes. Each school program will be limited to three (3) entries.

NEW!! Pandemic Production – This category is intended to showcase how schools were able to creatively produce news, entertainment, or sports broadcasts during the Coronavirus Pandemic. How did students produce programs with creative production techniques and storytelling with socially distanced guidelines and other limitations when schools went virtual in the Spring? Entries should include one broadcast or parts of multiple broadcasts edited together (with clear edit points with the date of each broadcast to indicate a different segment, edits within each segment are OK and do not need to be marked). Entries should also include a short description (500 words or less) of how students completed production. Entries should not go over thirty (30) minutes and judges reserve the right to stop watching after 30 minutes. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, creativity and storytelling related to the challenges of a virtual production. Entries are limited to two per school- one from the Spring Semester (March-June 2020) and one from the Fall (September-December 2020). They will be judged as separate categories.

Public Service Announcement – An announcement of general public interest, not more than :60 seconds in length. Must be written, produced and aired on your station. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.

Sports Announcing Team – Broadcast of a sports announcing team at a sporting event that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation and production value.

Sportscast – Best locally originated sportscast, no more than 30 minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact of the sportscast.

Talk Show/Scripted Show – A program that is no more than thirty (30) minutes in length that can be a topic of choice. Criteria to be judged on: resourcefulness, creativity, comprehensiveness, thoroughness of research and production value.

NEW!! Use of Multimedia – Showcase how your program is using multi-media to enhance the viewer’s experience. Show how your team takes a story, or other programming, and promotes it using various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. For instance, how would you promote or provide additional content of a story, or other programming, on these multimedia platforms? Entries could include standup teases; bonus content like raw interviews or outtakes; or mini versions of stories (:30-1:00) that help promote the main story using music, graphics, natural sound or soundbites, but no narration. They can be more “content” based, vs. strict teases. An entry consists of one specific PKG and a minimum of three (3) social components surrounding that story (with links and screenshots) along with a short description, up to 200 words, of what your entry entails (how these components complement the original story), and how your program approaches multi-media storytelling. Criteria to be judged on: Creativity, Overall Impact, Presentation and Production Value.

High School Only: Sports Public Service Announcement – A PSA that is :30 seconds in length promoting sportsmanship and officials recruitment. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.

Radio Categories

All audio projects including over-the-air broadcasts, podcasts, internet radio, etc.

NEW!! Current Events Story – Current events story that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Content may include current events or political events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, national protests, or the 2020 election cycle. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, subject portrayal, presentation of facts and production value.

Daily Newscast/News Feature – A newscast, sportscast or news feature that is no more than ten (10) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact.

On-Air Personality or Team – Best on-air broadcast personality or broadcast team. Maximum length of entry is five (5) minutes. Criteria to be judged on: production value, effectiveness and creativity.

NEW!! Pandemic Production – This category is intended to showcase how schools were able to creatively produce news, entertainment, or sports broadcasts during the Coronavirus Pandemic. How did students produce programs with creative production techniques and storytelling with socially distanced guidelines and other limitations when schools went virtual in the Spring? Entries should include one broadcast or parts of multiple broadcasts edited together (with clear edit points and an audio transition with the date of each broadcast to indicate a different segment, edits within each segment are OK and do not need to be marked). Entries should also include a short description (500 words or less) of how students completed production. Entries should not go over thirty (30) minutes and judges reserve the right to stop listening after 30 minutes. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, creativity and storytelling related to the challenges of a virtual production. Entries are limited to two per school- one from the Spring Semester (March-June 2020) and one from the Fall (September-December 2020). They will be judged as separate categories.

Promotional Announcement – A single spot promoting school, station, programs or community event that is no more than three (3) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.

Public Service Announcement – An announcement of general public interest not more than :60 seconds in length. Must be written, produced and aired on your station. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.

Sports Announcing Team – Broadcast of a sports announcing team at a sporting event that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation and production value.

Talk Show – A talk show program that is no more than 30 minutes in length featuring issues of social importance, how-to programming or sports talk. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value and overall impact.

NEW!! Use of Multimedia – Showcase how your program is using multi-media to enhance the audience’s experience. Show how your team takes a story, event or other programming, and promotes it using a website or various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. For instance, how would you promote or provide additional content of a story, event, or other programming on other platforms? Entries could include teases with video or photos; bonus content like raw interviews, podcasts or material not part of the original story; listener engagement through social media; or mini versions of stories (:30-1:00) that help promote the main story using music, graphics, natural sound, video, photos or soundbites, but no narration. They can be more “content” based vs. strict teases. An entry consists of one specific story, event or other programming with a minimum of three (3) web/social components surrounding that main element (with links and screenshots), along with a short description, up to 200 words, of what your entry entails (like how these components complement the original story), and how your program approaches multi-media storytelling. Criteria to be judged on: Creativity, Overall Impact, Presentation and Production Value.