WASHINGTON� The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation has announced the�2015 Celebration of Service to America Award winners. This event recognizes local broadcasters for outstanding community service. Winners will be honored at the Celebration of Service to America dinner, Tuesday, June 16, at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
�This year�s winners clearly provide local impact and are an integral part of the fabric of their communities,� said NABEF President Marcellus Alexander.
Also, the following are the winners in the radio categories.
The NABEF President�s Special Award recognizes historic and extraordinary achievement by a broadcaster. iHeartMedia�s San Antonio, Texas-based cluster is being recognized for its �Show Your Stripes� public service campaign. The campaign is a long-term effort to help guide veterans back into civilian life by highlighting their training and experience. Since the program�s launch, iHeartMedia has invested over $150 million in radio, digital and out-of-home resources to highlight the skills of returning service men and women and their value to employers. The campaign spans iHeartMedia�s 858 owned-and-operated radio stations across 150 markets, with each station addressing specific unemployment needs for each individual community. In addition to nationally produced spots, local radio stations produce PSAs that reflect their community. In July 2014, the company launched a 30-minute long-form public affairs show. Local stations also participate in regional veteran-focused career fairs.
The Service to Children award for the radio category goes to iHeartMedia�s KEX(AM) of Tigard, Ore. These awards spotlight television and radio stations for outstanding programs, campaigns and public service announcements produced for the benefit of children. Since 1987, the KEX Kids Fund has provided eyeglasses and hearing aids to children whose families cannot afford them in 16 counties of Oregon and Southwest Washington. The program is funded primarily by donations from listeners, who contribute through a four-day pledge drive. The annual radiothon raises approximately $100,000, meeting the needs of approximately 1,000 children annually.
The Service Community Award for the radio category recognizes broadcasters for individual campaigns, projects or programs that serve the public good or otherwise provide exemplary service to their local communities. CBS Radio�s Minneapolis, Minn., station WCCO(AM) will be recognized for its efforts to alleviate hunger. With �Let�s Kick Hunger Day,� WCCO engaged listeners, celebrities and charity groups to replenish food shelves across 59 counties. The station helped power the month-long Food Share campaign, the largest food drive in the country. In partnership with the National Association of Letter Carriers, WCCO supported the �Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive,� which collected 1.73 million pounds of food. Additionally, the 11th Annual Union Gospel Mission radio-thon featured stories of those whose lives had been touched by such efforts and ultimately broke a new record.
The Celebration of Service to America Awards are sponsored and produced by NABEF with support from Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., Bonneville International Corporation and the NAB.�
