NAB Leadership Foundation Announces 2019 Service to America Award Winners

NAB Leadership Foundation Announces 2019 Service to America Award Winners WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF), formerly the NAB Education Foundation, announced today the winners of the 2019 Celebration of Service to America Awards, recognizing outstanding community service by local broadcasters. Winners will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America dinner, held Tuesday, June 11 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

America's local radio and television stations have a deeply rooted commitment to public service, said NABLF President Marcellus Alexander. This year's STA winners epitomize broadcasters' devotion to positively impacting their communities and creating a lasting difference. We look forward to recognizing their exceptional work.

The 2019 Service to America Awards will honor the following broadcasters: Service to Community Award for Radio - Ownership Group

Beasley Media Group, Beasley Best Community of Caring

Recognizing the community service of its local stations, Beasley Media Group (BMG) realized that, working together, they could make an even greater impact and the Beasley Best Community of Caring (BBCC) was born. BBCC created and distributed scripts for 30- and 60-second public service announcements, asking stations to air spots a minimum of ten times each week. These campaign announcements were supported through social media, articles, blogs, interviews and podcasts. In addition to on-air support, each market partnered with a local group working on an issue important to their community. In 2018 topics included opioid addiction, mental health awareness, Autism Spectrum Disorder and hunger. Through this partnership with its 64 stations across 15 markets, BBCC donated nearly 33,000 spots and countless hours supporting causes important to the local communities it serves.

Service to Community Award for Television - Ownership Group

Hearst Television, Inc., Commitment 2018

The 2018 midterm elections were historic and marked the highest voter turnout seen in midterms since 1914. Months before the election, while the candidates were on the campaign trail, Hearst Television was there to bring viewers important information to help them make critical choices. Hearst Television stations were committed to covering this election cycle like none other; by digging deeper and exposing issues as they emerged, hosting a record-setting 98 debates and airing 5,034 political stories and segments, adding up to over 13,178 minutes of coverage.

Category Finalists:

Graham Media Group

Raycom Media (acquired by Gray Television)

TEGNA

Service to Community Award for Radio - Major Market

WMMR-FM Philadelphia, Pa., Preston and Steve's Camp Out for Hunger

Beasley Media Group

Philadelphia is among the poorest of the top ten American cities. While food insecurity is decreasing across the rest of the country, the city is home to more hungry people than ever before, and the number is growing. Preston and Steve, WMMR's top-rated morning hosts, decided to do something about it and the annual Camp Out for Hunger was created. Now in its 21st year, Camp Out is the largest single location food drive in America, generating millions of meals. The 2018 Preston & Steve Camp Out for Hunger collected food and cash donations that translated into over 2 million meals for the hungry.

Category Finalists:

KTAR-FM Phoenix, Ariz., Bonneville International Corp.

WSB-AM Atlanta, Ga., Cox Media Group

WEDR, WFLC, WFEZ, WHQT Hollywood, Fla., Cox Media Group

Service to Community Award for Television - Large Market

WKMG-TV Orlando, Fla., Legislative Lifeline for First Responders

Graham Media Group

WKMG-TV presented a series of investigative reports featuring first responders diagnosed with PTSD, providing a platform for these men and women to expose the state's failure to recognize PTSD as a medical injury. Under Florida law at the time, workers' compensation insurance was not available for those diagnosed with PTSD unless they could prove they were also physically injured during the emergency call. The station's reporting began with the story of one of the officers assigned to remove the dead from the Pulse Night Club shooting. This segment led to a flood of responses from first responders struggling with PTSD who had been afraid to come forward. On March 27, 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed the Workers' Compensation Benefits for First Responders Act into law. Governor Scott said WKMG-TV's reporting was instrumental in the passage and signing of the new law.

Category Finalists:

KOB-TV Albuquerque, N.M., Hubbard Broadcasting

KING-TV Seattle, Wash., TEGNA

WGAL-TV Lancaster, Pa., Hearst Television, Inc.

WCVB-TV Boston, Mass., Hearst Television Inc.

Service to Community Award for Radio - Medium Market

WYCT-FM Pensacola, Fla., WYCT Cat Country 98.7 and Santa Rosa Kids House

ADX Communications

Beyond its effective approach to child abuse cases, the Santa Rosa Kids' House offers on-site specialized sexual abuse therapy to help child victims and their families recover. To help raise funds and awareness for Santa Rosa Kids House, Cat Country 98.7 hosted its first-ever Spring Jam. Tickets were only $10 for an all-ages show featuring popular country music acts. This inaugural event raised nearly $15,000 for Santa Rosa Kids House.

Category Finalists:

WOKQ, WSAK, WPKQ, WSHK Dover, N.H., Townsquare Media

Service to Community Award for Television - Medium Market

WREG Memphis, Tenn., Go Jim Go!

Tribune Media

Go Jim Go! is a 333-mile bicycle ride through WREG's viewing area led by meteorologist Jim Jaggers. One week each fall, Jim rides to raise money for LeBonheur Children's Hospital. When the hospital opened in 1952, LeBonheur's founders promised that its

LINK:	http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=5001...
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