The NAB Education Foundation announced the winners of the 12th annual Service to America Awards. Winners will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America Awards dinner on Monday, June 14 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. The celebration recognizes outstanding community service by local broadcasters.
“Day in and day out, broadcasters across America demonstrate a commitment to community service and charitable fundraising that no other business or technology can match,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “The NAB Education Foundation looks forward to honoring this latest group of radio and television stations for their outstanding programming initiatives and public service campaigns that shine a spotlight on the enduring importance of free and local broadcasting.”
This year’s Service to America Awards will honor the following broadcasters:
Service to America Television Award
This award recognizes a television station for the totality of its efforts and its commitment to excellence in serving its community.
WRAZ-TV Durham, NC
Owner: Capitol Broadcasting Corporation
WRAZ-TV’s year-round efforts to serve their local community include “Get Real, Get Tested” an initiative that promotes the importance of HIV testing, “Fight NC Foreclosure” to assist homeowners faced with losing their homes, “What Color Do YOU Bleed?” to encourage donations to the American Red Cross, eCycling to promote electronics recycling and “FOX50 Family Fest,” a free event featuring interactive family activities.
Service to Children Awards
These awards spotlight television and radio stations for outstanding programs, campaigns and public service announcements produced for the benefit of children.
Radio
KSTP-FM Minneapolis
Owner: Hubbard Radio
A 2008 recipient of the Service to Children Award, KSTP-FM is being honored once again for their outstanding community service during the 2009 calendar year. KSTP-FM has raised money for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. Fundraisers included KS95 for Kids Radiothon, KS95’s Change for Kids Finale and the KS95 for Kids Golf Tournament. Other initiatives included the Torchlight 5K and school supply and toy drives.
Television
WWMT-TV Kalamazoo, MI
Owner: Freedom Broadcasting
“Caring for Kids,” WWMT-TV’s day-long phone-a-thon aired January 13 to encourage parents to call and enroll their children in under-utilized state health insurance programs for children. The phone-a-thon helped process over 600 children who now have health insurance. Additional news segments through the year helped further promote the program and get additional children enrolled.
Service to Community Awards
This category honors radio and television broadcasters for individual campaigns, projects or programs that serve the public good or otherwise provide exemplary service to their local communities.
Radio
KPAM-AM Portland, OR
Owner: Pamplin Communications
KPAM-AM’s Operation: Santa Claus raised money to provide financial assistance to members of the armed forces and their families. All contributions went to the Salvation Army’s “Home Front War Relief Program.” In five days, over $131,000 was raised. More than a half-million dollars have been raised since the program’s inception in 2004.
Television
KOMU-TV Columbia, MO
Owner: Curators of the University of Missouri
KOMU-TV’s “Central Missouri Honor Flight” raised more than $315,000 to send approximately 400 terminally ill and aging veterans to Washington, DC to see their memorials. While there are nearly 90 Honor Flight hubs across the country, KOMU’s is the only one started and sustained by TV station employees.
The Celebration of Service to America Awards are sponsored and produced by NABEF with major support from Bonneville International Corporation and the National Association of Broadcasters.
