Issue No. 245 | March 12, 2021 | View Online
March 22-26 is 'BEA Week'

Join us each day throughout Awards Week to find out if your station is a big winner! A series of award videos will be posted at 9:30 am each day at to announce the Best and Merit winners. No registration is required. Visit BroadcastExcellenceAwards.com to preview the daily category release schedule.
Upcoming Events

March 18 | 2:00 p.m.
FREE MAB Webinar: The Fine Art of Asking Questions: The Key to Recovery in 2021 with Pat Bryson (Register Now)

March 24 | 12:00 p.m.
FREE LBS Webinar: How to Easily Create Powerful Proposals That Your Clients Will Love! with Paul Weyland (Register Now)

March 24 | 1:00 p.m.
EAS: Statewide Tornado Drill 

March 22-26
BEA Week hosted by Cynthia Canty
Michigan Expanding Access to Safe, Effective COVID-19 Vaccine to Michiganders Ages 16 and Older with Medical Conditions, Disabilities Starting March 22

All Michiganders age 16 and up to become eligible on April 5; The MAB urges all broadcasters to get signed up at their earliest convenience
To continue progress toward state’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over age 16 and bringing a quicker end to the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) officials today announced the state is expanding vaccination eligibility for Michiganders ages 16 and older with disabilities or medical conditions that put them at high risk of negative COVID-19 outcome beginning Monday, March 22. The state is also announcing that beginning Monday, April 5, all Michiganders age 16 and up who were not previously eligible will be eligible to receive a vaccine. Read More
March Madness Trademarks: Tips To Avoid A Foul Call from the NCAA (2021 Update)
By: Mitchell Stabbe, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
My 2020 annual update on the use of trademarks associated with the NCAA Basketball Tournament was published on the same day that the NCAA announced it was cancelling the tournament due to the pandemic. Fortunately for all concerned (the players, fans, the NCAA and the broadcasters), it appears that the tournament will proceed as scheduled, with the first men’s games beginning on March 18 and the first women’s games beginning on March 21. Accordingly, this discussion should hold greater interest than it did last year. Read More
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Frank Kelley Passes at 96
Frank J. Kelley, affectionately dubbed the “eternal general,” died of natural causes on March 5 at age 96. Kelley earned his nickname for his 37 years as Michigan’s longest-serving attorney general. A Democrat, he served from 1961 to 1999, winning statewide election 10 times. Kelley worked under five governors of differing political parties. Read More
Congress Approves Relief for Public Media Stations
On March 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate coronavirus relief legislation. Within this legislation was $175 million in COVID-related assistance for the nation’s 1,400 public radio and television stations. The funds, to be distributed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will help maintain local stations’ enhanced programming and services, and protect the most financially vulnerable stations serving rural and remote communities. Read More
Journalism Competition and Preservation Act Introduced in Congress
House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), House Antitrust Subcommittee Ranking Member Ken Buck (CO-04), Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Wednesday (3/10) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. Read More
FCC Notes Violations for Two LPFM Operators for Spurious Emissions – Make Sure that Your Station is Transmitting Only Within Its Assigned Frequency
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
In two Notices of Violation issued on one day this week, an FCC Field Office cited Low Power FM operators for using transmission systems that, in addition to transmitting signals on their authorized channels, were also emitting signals on other channels that posed the potential for interference with other users on those other frequencies – sometimes not even broadcast frequencies. Read More
ENGINEERING & EAS
Statewide Tornado Drill: Wednesday, March 24
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared March 21-27 to be Michigan's Severe Weather Awareness Week. Broadcasters and Emergency Management partners statewide are encouraging Michiganders to conduct a statewide tornado drill at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 24. Read More
Protect Your Stations from Random FCC Inspections
You say they don't do that anymore! Not true, they do. It's easier than ever before. With so much of our business activities available in our public file and on electronic forms at the FCC, they can easily inspect a station without ever coming to your door. Additionally they still investigate complaints. Read More
IN THE NEWS
Nearly 500 Take Part in Online #MABhow, Registration For Recorded Sessions Remains Open
Nearly 500 people participated in the first ever 'UN-CONVENTIONAL' Great Lakes Media Show this past week. More than 30 incredible speakers gave presentations on multiple topics and answered questions from the audience in real time.

Registered participants will receive 90-day on-demand access to the show's session recordings next week.

Registration will remain open at MABshow.com until 1 p.m. on Monday for those who still wish to gain on-demand access.

We hope to see everyone in Lansing for the live show's return in 2022.
CDC Releases Guidance for People Who are Fully Vaccinated
On March 8, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first set of guidance for fully vaccinated people. Here’s what fully vaccinated people can do: Read More
Art Cervi, Detroit's 'Bozo the Clown' Passes at 86
The MAB has learned that Art Cervi, who played children's television show host "Bozo the Clown," passed away February 15 at age 86.  Cervi played the clown with a big red nose and red hair that protruded sideways on either side of his head, first on CKLW-TV from 1967 to 1975, then continued on WJBK-TV until 1980. Read More
Northern Michigan Radio Personality Lin McNett Dies
Lin D. McNett, known to radio listeners as Michael O'Shea, passed away March 8 at The Villa at Traverse Point in Traverse City.
McNett spent his youth in Alden, graduating from Mancelona High School. He went on to join the U.S. Coast Guard, where he found his passion for radio. Read More
Scripps Media Airs 'Hidden Bias of Good People' on Michigan Stations
As part of its commitment to creating a better-informed world, The E.W. Scripps Company has been airing a commercial interruption-free special on its local television stations across the country to spark a national dialogue around implicit bias while advancing conversations at the local level in the 41 markets where it operates. Read More
iHeart West Michigan Raises $95,000 for Dégagé Ministries Homeless Shelter
On February 5, iHeartMedia/West Michigan held its fourth annual "Day of Hope" on its WOOD-AM/FM and WBFX-FM (BIG 101.3), collecting $95,000 for Grand Rapids homeless shelter Dégagé Ministries. Read More
Beasley Media Group’s WCSX to Air Bob Seger’s First Ever Recorded Song
Beasley Media Group announced today (3/12) the 94.7 WCSX-FM’s Big Jim’s House Morning Show will air Motor City Rockin’ Roll Legend Bob Seger’s first ever recorded song, entitled “The Lonely One” on Monday, March 1 at 8 a.m. Read More
TRAINING & EDUCATION
FREE MAB WEBINER: The Fine Art of Asking Questions: The Key to Recovery in 2021 with Pat Bryson, Bryson Broadcasting International

Thursday, March 18, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
The business world experienced unprecedented challenges in 2020. Some of our clients did not survive, some barely survived, some experienced record-breaking business. Now it is 2021, which should be a rebuilding year for our stations and for our clients. How do we overcome their fear and reluctance to part with money?

Pat Bryson, from Bryson Broadcasting International says it all starts when we understand how their business has been affected by the pandemic .In this webinar, learn how to ask great questions and probe more deeply into the business aspects of our clients. It will result in larger agreements for us and better results for our clients.
FREE LBS WEBINAR: How to Easily Create Powerful Proposals That Your Clients Will Love!

Wednesday, March 24, 2021 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
The Weyland S.O.S. summary proposal template is bullet-proof and field-tested by broadcasters and advertisers. The steps to conducting meetings with your clients are logical and insightful providing you confidence on every call. Make this session so you’ll be equipped to add long-term dollars to your bottom line. You’ll be exposed to the how-to path on creating meaningful presentations through your client’s eyes. And that is why Paul’s formula will become a welcome surprise to your clients and prospects. 
Ask LBS

It is common to run into difficult selling situations in the field.  Let us know what we can help with and we will get your question in front of our seasoned broadcast professionals who will get you a personalized response with real strategies for your specific situation!
The BEST Program

The BEST Program is designed for sellers who are new to broadcast. Each weekday for 5 weeks, you will receive a special email containing 3 videos. In less than 30 minutes per day, your new sellers will have built up a solid foundation for a career in selling broadcast!
Sales Ideas

Sometimes we just need a creative boost or an idea to take to a prospect tomorrow – or even today! The list contains 99 of the hundreds you can find on the site!  Need a creative boost or some fresh ideas? This section of LBS is loaded with them!
Take Advantage of the MAB Sales and Leadership Helpline
You may have seen him in person at the 'UN-CONVENTIONAL' Great Lakes Media Show this week. Now you can get your station specific sales questions answered and discuss your stations challenges as MAB Presents our "Sales and Leadership Hotline" with Mark and Holly Levy, Revenue Development Resources. 

For the next three months we are offering this free service to help our members get their station back on track after the long COVID year. Call 972-522-8570 during business Monday through Friday. Your call will be answered in 24 hours. Take advantage of this great service while we are offering it.
MAB FOUNDATION
2021 Student Award Winners will be Announced Live Online April 7 & 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Tell your mama, your papa, your sister and your friends to tune in live at 3 p.m. on April 7 and 8 to see the 2021 Michigan Student Broadcast Awards winners announced live at StudentBroadcastAwards.com.
Reporter
MPRN (Lansing)
Posted: March 11, 2021

Digital Content Producer
WJRT-TV (Flint) 
Posted: March 8, 2021

Director of Human Resources and Finance
Michigan Radio (Ann Arbor) 
Posted: March 5, 2021

DIGITAL / SOCIAL / WEB
5 Automated Email Campaigns Every Radio Station Should Be Sending
By: Seth Resler, Jacobs Media Strategies
While TikTok and Clubhouse are the shiny new objects that get all of the attention, this pandemic has proved that email marketing — as unsexy as it is — is still a tried and true channel for reaching listeners. Unfortunately, many radio stations simply shove all of their content into one generic weekly email newsletter. These email campaigns weren't particularly compelling back when there were a lot of concerts and contests to include. They're definitely not now. Read More