Radio and television broadcasters serve local communities every day. Stations provide lifeline emergency information, support our military, raise millions for hospitals and cancer research, collect food, clothes and toys, devote air time to election coverage, and promote education. Submit your station's stories to Suzie Raven.
Cox Media Group (CMG) Tulsa, including Fox affiliate KOKI-TV, myNetworkTV affiliate KMYT, KRAV-FM, KWEN-FM and KRMG-AM, raised a record $3.4 million for community partners in the first half of 2019. This total includes $1.1 million raised on June 23 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, more than 200 toys collected by KWEN-FM around the release of Toy Story 4, 450 pounds of peanut butter KRAV-FM and KOKI collected for the Community Food Bank of Oklahoma, and 175 pints of blood donated during KRMG and KOKI-TV’s drive.
Graham Media’s CBS affiliate WKMG-TV Orlando received a proclamation from Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer for the State of Florida, declaring the station a first informer for the community after WKMG received the NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) Service to Community Award. The award recognized WKMG’s series of impactful investigative reports that featured first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and led to new legislation.
TEGNA’s CBS affiliate KHOU Houston surprised eight local nonprofits with community grants of $11,000 each. The grants address education, fight childhood hunger and support at-risk youth. Recipients include:
Bo’s Place, providing free grief and mental health support to children in both English and Spanish.
Camp for All Foundation, supporting a week-long camp experience at eight Houston area hospitals to serve children and youth with challenging illnesses or special needs.
Lunches of Love, helping children living in food insecure homes.
Hearst’s NBC affiliate WBAL-TV Baltimore helped transform an abandoned lot into a peace walk in the Harlem Park West community. Nearly a dozen WBAL staff members joined veterans-led non-profit The Mission Continues on the project, as part of “Operation Charm City Charge.” They cleared weeds, installed poles and painted stones.
Hubbard Radio’s WTOP-FM Washington, D.C., provided critical coverage of floods on July 8. Traffic reporter Dave Dildine covered the storm amid perilous flooding that left Canal Rd NW - a thoroughfare - closed for days. Dildine, who arrived on scene before fire and EMS units, ran from car to car, encouraging drivers to turn around until it was too dangerous for him to wade through rising waters.
Dildine took photographs of cars trapped in the flood and unable to turn around in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post featured Dildine’s photographs on the front page of their national editions the next day. Read his account of the historic flooding here.
Beasley Media Group Tampa cluster - WPBB-FM, WQYK-FM, WYUU-FM, WRBQ-FM and WLLD-FM - held its seventh annual “Kids Day” on July 21. Kids took photos with Star Wars and Marvel characters, plus actor Isaak Presley of “Stuck in the Middle” and “Fuller House.” Activities included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pirate Ship, face painting, cookie decorating, gaming, and a sports center with hockey, basketball, baseball and bowling. The event was free for children 14 and under and $5 for ages 15+. School supply donations were encouraged. Proceeds benefited the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.
The NAB Congressional PSAs are now available to radio and television stations via Extreme Reach. Broadcasters can air the PSAs between now and December 31, 2019. This year, 303 members of Congress and their family members participated in the program. The six topics for the :30 spots are: support for veterans, support for small businesses, prescription drug abuse prevention, mental health awareness, cancer prevention, and encouraging blood donations.
