Rochester area broadcasters were recognized for all of their community efforts as they received their “Serving New York” awards. Mr. David Seeley, Sr. Advisor to NY Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle was on hand to greet the stations. Congratulations to the following stations who received awards at the luncheon.
Rochester Area Award Recipients
WFLK
WNYR
WFLR
WBGT-TV
WACK/WUUF
WROC-TV
WBEE
WPXY
WHAM-TV
WXXI
WHEC
WFKL/WRMM/WZNE
WHAM
WDVI
WBSU
WXXI
WHEC
WFKL/WRMM/WZNE
WHAM
WFLK (Finger Lakes Radio Group) – Caravan of Care
Last November the station’s morning show host participated in an area-wide drive to assist food pantries in the Finger Lakes Region in cooperation with Tops Friendly Markets. The event lasted eight days and visited five locations. Each day began with a live 6AM broadcast by the “K morning Crew.” Camping RV-World provide a motor-home which served as a mobile studio. The goal each day was to have listeners purchase a “Little Brown Bag of Hope” at their respective Tops locations. Local food pantries picked up the bags at the conclusion of the drive. The campaign was highly successful, providing food to needy families.
WNYR (Finger Lakes Radio Group) – ARC Developmental Disabilities
The station produced and aired public service spots with the Seneca-Cayuga ARC to highlight developmental disabilities month. WNYR conducted interviews with ARC clients and produced spots that were broadcast on WNYR and other stations of the Finer Lakes Radio Group. The Finger Lakes Radio group donated more than $5,000 in airtime to these spots. ARC so appreciated these announcements that the Finger Lakes Radio Group was presented with a community partnership award last May.
WFLR (Finger lakes Radio Group) – Our Town Rocks
The station has been actively involved in Dundee’s “Our Town Rocks” community and health wellness initiative. The station offers air time to promote meetings and encourage the participation in a number of community oriented events. The station reports on a number of community projects, including a weekly farmers market and a program offering small business loans. The station was directly involved in reading to children as part of the “Our Town Rocks and Reads” events. The station was recognized for its efforts by receiving the “Rocker of the Month” award for exceptional service.
WBGT-TV (Vision Communications) – Don’t Text and Drive
Texting and driving is one of Rochester’s biggest problems. Beginning last January WBGT-TV supported the “Don’t Text and Rive” public service campaign. To ensure that the message was received by high school students, the public service spots were aired during the award winning High School Hockey Game of the Week. The PSAs were aired throughout the hockey season and into March. These high impact commercials encouraged teens and their families not to text and drive.
WACK AM 1420 – Fire in Palmyra
The Palmyra Fire stunned WACK’s local community and the station was there to help. It provided complete coverage of the fire. It continued to follow the story, interviewing the Sheriff of Wayne County and other community leaders until an arrest was made in the case.
The station conducted numerous interviews with community leaders including the Mayor of Palmyra, to help a community in need. WACK updated listeners on items needed by displaced listeners. It helped find placement for people who lost everything. It helped find locations for relocating businesses and showed how the community could help. WACK continued to promote a special Facebook page that focused on the needs of those affected by the fire. The station promoted numerous fundraisers for the Palmyra community in the hope of returning it to some sort of normalcy after the disaster.
WROC & WUHF TV (Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) – Battling Cyber Bullies
Cyber bullying has become one of the most insidious problems today. Compared to traditional bullying, cyber bullies remain anonymous. Lack of supervision makes it an easy means for harassment. WROC and WUHF have created a comprehensive approach to attack this problem. The stations goal is to educate all viewers in the area. It hosts weekly “in-news features” and on-air programming and community events. It broadcasts Educational vignettes on WROC (CBS), WUHF (FOX) and Bounce TV, along with Rochesterhomepage.net. The issue is highlighted by the stations’ reporters and anchors. The stations have utilized resources to create an engaging mix of new feature programming, PSA and outreach materials that drive home awareness of the cyber bullying problem.
WBEE (Entercom Communications Corp.) – Coffee Club Cares for Kids to Benefit the Ronald McDonald House
For over 25 years 92.5 WBEE has worked to motivate the Rochester community to give and share the vision of the Ronald McDonald House. 2013 was no exception. Since 1990 the Ronald MacDonald House “Home Away from Home has provided have for more than 10,000 families traveling to Rochester for their child’s specialized medical care.
WBEE turned the radio station over to their kids and families on May 17 and 18, 2013. A new phone bank was set up and WBEE provided a ten-hour live broadcast. The station simultaneously broadcast two days of country entertainment at a local Rochester hot spot. The Coffee Club Cares for Kid fundraiser generated more than $70,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester.
WPXY (Entercom Communications Corp.) – Taking a Stand against Bullying
As part of Entercom’s company-wide initiative 98 PXY/WPXY FM invited listeners to take a stand against bullying by creating a community event featuring a free live performance of Teen Pop Star – Jake Miller. Whose song “A Million Lives” touches on the subject of bullying.
The station morning show team Spezzano and Sandy hosted a live rally at the Marketplace Mall in Rochester. 98PXY on air talent also encouraged listeners to spread the word on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the station created an anti-bullying one stop resource on 98pxy.com which provides information on taking a stand against bullying.
WHAM-TV 13 (Sinclair Broadcast Group) – Golisano Children’s Hospital & Drive for Miracles
The station has a growing partnership with the Golisano Children’s Hospital, which provides critical and comprehensive care for very sick kids. Together they have established events and initiatives that could have a real impact on fund-raising and community awareness.
For example, the 13WHAM “Spectacle of Lights” was an interactive holiday light experience, for the whole family, with all proceeds going directly to the hospital. The station worked with the local parks department to obtain a venue. It then created a robust promotional campaign that included on-air promotion, in newscast mentions and coverage, web banners and social media engagement. The event raised several thousands of dollars over the desired goal.
We also participated in the hospital’s Drive for Miracles telethon. The station provided live coverage throughout the day on February 14th. Viewers were encouraged to call in and donate, while our newscast showcased heartwarming stories of hope. We were able to raise twice the amount of money as the previous year.
WXXI -TV (WXXI Public Broadcasting Council) – “Go Public” Open House
On September 15, 2012 WXXI invited the Rochester Community to “Go Public” at a special open house. More than 4000 people accepted the invitation. Excited families and fans of all ages streamed into the station. The event was free and thousands took advantage.
Upon entering the Open House PBS Kids Characters including the Cat in the Hat, Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George greeted kids of all ages. Guests met the WXXI radio classical music team, and enthusiastically discussed their favorite PBS shows. There was live music and performances. A Kid Zone featured crafts games puzzles zoo animals and PBS characters.
The highly successful community event was possible because of the support of a number of community partners throughout the greater Rochester area. The event demonstrated the important link between public broadcasting and the community.
WHEC (Hubbard Broadcasting) – United Way’s “Gathering to Give”
The station has worked closely with the United Way on a number of projects. It focused on the United Ways’ “Gathering To Give” website, which is a totally unique tool that makes giving easy. In partnership with the United Way, and to promote their “Gathering to Give” program, the station delivered over 300,000 web impressions on WHEC.com and over 1300 PSA’s on both our on-air stations – News10NBC and MeTV.
The station’s anchors and reporters pitched in to help out the “Annual United Way Day of Caring” with the events and related stories featured during its newscasts. WHEC took advantage of our community program “Rochester in Focus” to showcase the United Way. Whether it’s the United Way’s “Roc the Day”, “Day of Caring”, or “Gathering to Give”, WHEC-TV works to help the United Way through all of our available media platforms.
WFKL/WRMM/WZNE (Stevens Media Group of New York) – Open Door Mission
The Open Door Mission is a Christian Rescue Mission founded to provide for the spiritual and physical needs of the impoverished and homeless men, women and children of Rochester, NY by restoring hope and changing lives.
WRMM/WFKL/WZNE partnered with the Rochester Red Wings Baseball Club to promote “Launch A Ball” to benefit the Open Door Mission. At every Saturday night Red Wings Home game, Open Door Mission personnel are on hand to sell numbered tennis balls which fans will attempt to throw into a target on the field after the games. A weekly winner is picked from successful entries to receive a prize pack. Through the promotion, the Open Door Mission raised more than $4,000 and impacted thousands of fans with their message at each game. All three Stephens Media Group stations promote “Launch A Ball” and we also underwrite the cost of the event.
WHAM- AM (Clear Channel Media and Entertainment) – Welcome Home the Troops
Just before Christmas 2012, WHAM 1180 partnered with Patrick Buick GMC and the Used-Car Super Center for an event to Welcome Home the Troops. The event welcomed our service men and woman who had come home during the calendar year as well as those on leave for the holidays. The homecoming was held inside the dealership’s showroom, which had been cleared out for the event.
“I was proud of our station and our sponsor to extend the hands of welcome in appreciation for our troops” says event emcee and WHAM 1180 talk show host Bob Lonsberry who is an Army Veteran himself. “It was a great day for them and for us; it made the holidays.” Veterans came with their families for some refreshments along with some good company; veteran groups and local lawmakers were on hand to thank the service men and woman for their service.
WDVI (Clear Channel Media and Entertainment) – Drive for Miracles for the Golisano Children’s Hospital
For years 100.5 the Drive has been a proud supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network, an international non-profit organization that raises funds for medical research and community awareness of children’s health issues.
For two consecutive days in February, 100.5 The Drive, with support from sister station WHAM 1180, led The Drive for Miracles Radiothon, to raise funds for Rochester’s Golisano Children’s Hospital, the region’s leading children’s hospital and neonatal intensive care unit. The event raised a record-breaking $224,000 which went toward the purchasing of new medical equipment for the hospital’s upcoming major expansion.
The station broadcast live from the lobby of the hospital with a bank of volunteers answering phones from 5 a.m. to 7p.m. each day. During the broadcast, station personalities spoke with many of the children who received lifesaving care, and with their parents who shared the importance of the hospital in our community.
Over the past decade, the radio station has raised well over $1.5 million for the local children’s hospital, a major part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, one of the nation’s top academic medical facilities.
WBSU (College of Brockport) – Annual Coats for Kids & Prom Pledge
The station hosts an annual “Coats for Kids” drive. In November 2013, the station will host the 19th Annual Drive. The drive accepts gently used coats and other seasonal items to help keep folks warm during the winter. The stations encourage donations by making them eligible for an exclusive 89.1 The Point Prize pack.
This year the station will conduct drives on 3 different Saturdays in 3 different locations. Proceeds from the collections will go to benefit Orleans Community Actions and the Brockport Clothing closet.
Last May the station hosted a “Prom Pledge” event at Brockport High school in collaboration with the Brockport Fire Department. The event included a crash simulation to help drive home the consequences of drinking and driving. The event made students aware of the ramifications during the prom season, when drinking and driving is prevalent among high school students.