WKAR Public Media (East Lansing) is recipient of a prestigious award from NETA, The National Educational Telecommunications Association.  On September 15, the Association announced winners of its 57th annual Public Media Awards winners, recognizing the exceptional achievements of member stations in community engagement, content, education, and marketing and communications.

“In a time when connection and community matter more than ever, stations are bringing public media’s mission to life in powerful ways, reflecting the values and vision of the system by serving communities with integrity, innovation, and a deep commitment to storytelling that matters,” said NETA President Eric Hyyppa. “Congratulations to all the Public Media Award winners. Their work is truly impactful.”

WKAR was the Division 1 winner in Radio – Society & Culture for its Michigan Minute radio series.  Hosted by WKAR Director of Radio Programming Jamie Paisley, the program presents intriguing stories for each day in Michigan history. From name changes and iconic cities to arcane laws, the series covers a wide variety of fascinatingly true tales from the Great Lake State.

Paisley told the MAB, "It was a pleasant thrill to receive national recognition for WKAR's daily dive into Michigan history. We were up against some inspiring examples of stations highlighting the power of their local community. But ultimately, we're so glad the judges heard exactly what WKAR's listeners already know - The Michigan Minute is a treasured highlight for our 'Pleasant Peninsula.'"

With the exception of the overall excellence categories, stations compete within divisions based on their station size. Awards are judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.

See the complete list of winners here.