WCMU Public Media (Mr. Pleasant) and Independent Lens will host a special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Home Court on Wednesday, March 19 at at Mount Pleasant High School. Following the film, there will be an insightful panel discussion featuring Dan Fodrocy, President of AREN Consulting and Angela Pohl Hemlock Public School Athletic Director.
The radio landscape has irrevocably shifted. While over-the-air remains a staple, your digital stream is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a lifeline. Fail to treat it as such, and you’re actively pushing listeners into the arms of your competitors.
This is my tenth annual column on the subject of the potential pitfalls to broadcasters in using the NCAA’s FINAL FOUR and other trademarks or accepting advertising that use the marks. I began last year’s post with the comment that the last few years had been filled with changes in college sports. I also noted that the NCAA’s hard line against unauthorized uses of FINAL FOUR or its other marks had not changed.
WCMU Public Media (Mt. Pleasant) News Director Rick Brewer has earned a fellowship from the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News to begin a new student-driven local news partnership with Central Michigan University’s School of Communication Journalism and Media.
This past Tuesday (3/4), Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), a resolution opposing “any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge” on local radio stations. Twenty bipartisan senators have already cosponsored the resolution, signaling strong support for local radio stations in the new Congress.
WLNS-TV (Lansing) anchor Sheri Jones has announced her retirement after almost 37 years of bringing the news to Mid-Michigan viewers. The station notes on its website that Jones’s contributions to broadcasting have earned her a well-deserved place in the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, solidifying her status as a respected journalist.
On February 28, Krol Communication’s WRSR-FM (Flint) held its Fox Feeding Frenzy, an annual event to raise funds for The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. The station, along with many generous sponsors, the station’s incredible Listeners & tireless volunteers, were able to raise just shy of $72,000!
On February 26, America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) presented the Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI). The Champion of Public Broadcasting Award is the organization’s highest honor, given annually to champions in Congress and state government for their extraordinary support of public television.
Mid-West Family Broadcasting is shifting formats and call letters on several signals in Southwest Michigan and Northeast Indiana. The changes, which have taken place this week, have “97.5 Y-Country” WYTZ-FM (Bridgman/Benton Harbor) taking the call letters and moving up the dial to 99.9, the former home of modern rock “Live 99.9” WQLQ-FM (Benton Harbor).
While there are only a few regulatory deadlines scheduled for broadcasters this March, with more coming in April, as has occurred so many times in the last few years, we need to remind you that even the FCC deadlines in late March and early April could be postponed if there is a federal government shutdown, as the federal government is funded only through March 14.