Julie Koehn, President and CEO of Lenawee Broadcasting Company and Southeast Michigan Media, has been named the 2026 Legendary Radio Manager of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters. Koehn received the honor Tuesday evening in New York City during the annual NAB Marconi Radio Awards.
The MAB is passing along the sad news that longtime Michigan broadcasting executive Matt Hanlon passed away unexpectedly this past Tuesday (10/20) from an apparent heart attack. He spent decades in radio management, sales and operations, overseeing major market clusters and helping develop regional programming networks. Hanlon was perhaps best known for his leadership at Citadel Broadcasting, where he served as Midwest Division President.
WKAR Public Media at Michigan State has launched the latest in the Curious About series of video shorts for educators and caregivers to share with teens. In Curious About Civics, WKAR youth hosts talk with experts to explore core tenets of the system of government that has served this country for more than 250 years.
Michigan Sports Radio and Hope College are committed to broadcasting Hope-Calvin matchups in football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball during the 2026-27 academic year, plus possible Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and NCAA Division III Championships postseason action for the Flying Dutch.
The National Park Foundation is offering local broadcasters the professionally produced 2026 National Christmas Tree Lighting television special at no cost as a gift to the nation in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The question of whether ads from political parties and joint fundraising committees, when authorized by federal candidates, receive Lowest Unit Charge (LUC) from broadcasters and local cable systems has been a contentious one since early in this election year.
Veteran West Michigan radio personality Michelle McKormick is returning to morning radio as the new host on iHeartMedia’s WBFX-FM/101.3 Big-FM (Grand Rapids) and WMRR-FM (Muskegon Heights). She will debut this Monday, October 19.
The Michigan native, known as “Radio’s Best Friend” has spent more than five decades documenting and preserving the voices, personalities, stations and moments that shaped the medium. The exhibit will showcase selections from his remarkable archive and celebrate the importance of preserving radio’s history for generations to come.
On October 11, an application was filed with the FCC to transfer ownership of WGRT-FM (Port Huron) from Port Huron Family Radio to Impact Communications. Port Huron Family Radio has owned the station since it originally signed on in the early 1990s.
WKAR Public Media at Michigan State has launched a second season of Streetlight Sessions, the digital series featuring Michigan-connected performing artists. Each episode presents songs and stories shared in the intimate space created by the glow of a corner streetlight.