The Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award
Nominations now closed for the 2026 Carl E. Lee Broadcasting Engineering Excellence Award to be presented
at the Michigan Broadcasters Engineering & IT Summit on June 2-3, 2026
The Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Awards was named after Carl E. Lee, a prominent Michigan broadcast engineer and station owner, who was known for his innovation and recognition of opportunity. Broadcast engineers work diligently to ensure the integrity of our airwaves. For those who have exercised their skills and innovations for the advancement of technology, this is our opportunity to say “you’re outstanding”.
Two awards may be given each year – one to a radio engineer and one to a television engineer.
Candidates for the Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award must have been an employee, officer, or owner of any company, subsidiary or division whose primary business is broadcasting, or is directly in support of radio or television station in Michigan. The size of the organization with which each candidate is affiliated is not a determining factor. The merits of the contributions to broadcast engineering are the sole factors to be taken into account.
Candidates for the Awards shall have made contributions in one or more of the following categories:
- Development of new technologies
- Dissemination of technical knowledge and literature
- Leadership in broadcast engineering affairs
- Mentoring or coaching in the engineering field outside of the workplace
- Inventions
- Any outstanding contribution which warrants consideration
About Carl E. Lee: Lee began his broadcast career as an engineer after graduation from the Michigan Academy of Radio Science in 1939. He rose through the ranks of management and in 1985 acquired ownership of Fetzer Broadcasting Services Inc. At that time Fetzer Broadcasting was comprised of WKZO Radio – Kalamazoo, WJFM – Grand Rapids, WKJF-AM/FM – Cadillac and Muzitronic Services, Inc.
Lee was presented with the MAB’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. He passed away February 22, 2015 at age 96.
2026 Radio Recipient
John S. Martin
Transmitter Maintenance Engineer (Retired), WCMU Public Media (Mt. Pleasant)
This year's Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Award for radio is presented to John Martin. John, who grew up in suburban New York City, got his start in broadcasting after visiting his brother Ed, who was a board operator of WTHE-AM in Mineola, N.Y. Soon thereafter, John acquired his amateur radio license and then his FCC 'First Phone' and started a career in broadcast engineering, all before finishing high school!
John's career took him from various Long Island radio stations, some part time work at a couple of NYC stations, to landing his 'dream job' (at the time) as a maintenance engineer at the NBC Radio Network at '30 Rock'. In 1984, he decided that it was time for a new life dream. He soon thereafter found himself in rural Northern Michigan living the new dream as a small manufacturer of accessories for radio hobbyists.
After a few years, John decided to make another change, becoming an Arizona-Michigan snowbird and getting involved in television. While also selling children's toys online, he found himself working full-time at KPNX-TV (Phoenix) during most winters and WPBN/WGTU-TV (Traverse City) during many of the summers.
In 2013, he returned to Michigan and the following year, joined WCMU Public Media as a transmitter maintenance engineer. Based from home, he was able to travel the states to visit the various transmitter sites of the WCMU network in Northern Michigan. John retired in 2024.
2026 TV Recipient
Richard Thomas II
Richard Thomas II, Telecom Technician (Senior Broadcast Engineer), WKAR Public Media (East Lansing)
This year's Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Award for television goes to Rick Thomas, Telecom Technician (Senior Broadcast Engineer) for WKAR Public Media. Rick is a second-generation broadcaster at WKAR. His father had been working for WKAR-Radio from 1951 through 1992. Rick studied electronics at Lansing Community College during a time when the FCC First Class License was a requirement. He notes that in those days, taking the test required driving to the nearest FCC office, which was situated on the 10th floor of the Detroit Federal Building.
Rick became a student employee of WKAR-TV in February 1978. Then a full-time opening became available in April of that year, he applied and was hired. He's been on staff ever since. During that time the university merged its separate broadcast departments into a single department. Rick told the MAB that as technology keeps changing, he still feels like a student of whatever comes next.
He was also one of the charter members of Chapter #91, which was formed in 1982. With the chapter, Rick has at times served on the program committee and as a chapter officer.
Rick suggests that all younger people in this career field to seek out and join either or both SBE and SMPTE, whichever is most readily available.
Previous Recipients of the Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Award:
| 1997...Larry Estlack 2001...John F.X. Browne 2002...Carl W. Onken 2003...Eugene “Gene” Wilczak 2004...Edwin Buterbaugh 2005...Helge Blucher 2006...Michael Bradford (R) 2006...Marcus Williams (TV) 2007...Del Reynolds (R) 2007...Michael Doback (TV) 2008...Jerry L. Martin (R) 2008...Lowell Shore (TV) 2009...Greg Urbiel (R) 2009...Dale Scholten (TV) 2010...Ed Trombley (R) 2010...John Grover (TV) |
2011...Ralph Haines (R)
2011...Michael Laemers (TV)
2012...David E. Gale (R)
2012...Michael E. Winsky (TV)
2013...Bob Lumbert (R)
2013...Chris Arnaut (TV)
2014...Geary S. Morrill (R)
2014...Gary Blievernicht (TV)
2015...Robert L. Friedle (R)
2015...Chuck Mikowski (TV)
2016...Don Missad (R)
2016...Wayne Henderson (TV)
2017...Craig Bowman (R)
2017...David Oliver (TV)
2018...Tom Bosscher (R)
2019...Richard Paul Grzebik (R-TV)
2019...Gary Harding (R)
2020...Coral Howe (R)
2020...Frank Maynard (TV)
2021...Keith Bosworth (R)
2021...Darel Vanderhoof (TV)
2022...Mark Wittkoski (R)
2022...Brian Kusch (TV)
2023...Walker Sisson (R)
2023...John Azar (TV)
2024...Dave Grant (R)
2024...David Madison (TV)
2025...Brian Brachel (R)
2025...Dave Mann (TV)
2026...John S. Martin (R)
2026...Richard Thomas II (TV)