Local radio and television stations provide a uniquely local service to their communities. While consumers may access video and audio content from a variety of national sources, only broadcasting focuses on serving the needs of local communities.
Congratulations to the following stations that received a “Serving New York” award at our regional luncheon in the Rochester Region. Your commitment to serving your local community sets you apart.
Entercom Rochester LLC – Distracted Driving Campaign
Throughout the year, the Entercom stations provide a variety of public interest campaigns. They have supported Gilda’s Club of Rochester, the Wilmot Cancer Center, Verona, Street Dog Shelter, the Ronald MacDonald House and a host of other community organizations.
The stations received the “Serving New York Award” not only for these projects, but their partnership with the Rochester Ad Council Campaign to combat Distracted Driving. Distracted driving is a serious issue for all ages, but it is particularly acute for teenage drivers. We congratulate Entercom for a terrific campaign. An award was also presented to the Rochester Ad council for its work.
WACK 1420 AM & WUUF-FM – Kids Christmas Party & Winter Coat Drive
Working with Catholic Charities, WUUF helped make winter in upstate NY a little warmer for needy families through its winter coat drive. The stations helped collect gently used winter coats and distributed them to people in need throughout its listening area. WACK made Christmas a little brighter for children ages 3-6. Working with businesses around town, the station hosted a Christmas party which allowed each child to take home a present. This is the 29th year the station has sponsored this Christmas Party for children in need. Catholic Charities was present and also received a “Serving New York Award” for its work with the stations.
WDKX – “Women for Women” Campaign
WDKX hosted its third annual “Women for Women” campaign that encourages women to live centered and complete lives. Attendees heard from experts delivering powerful tips, tools and information about living healthy, emotionally healthy, and balanced lives that will benefit them personally and professionally. WDKX honored women at the “Inspiring Women Award” Ceremony, which recognized Rochester area women who are making positive contributions for the betterment of women and creating an impact on society. In September, WDKX presented “The Entrepreneurial Mindset” which fostered innovative thinking and action.
WDNY/WMRV – Holiday Teddy Bear Drive
WDNY and WMRV teamed up with sponsors for a Holiday Teddy Bear drive for sick children and to bring attention to those suffering from domestic abuse. Last Christmas, the stations delivered more than 100 plush, cuddly bears to children at Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville and St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell.
WFLK/WCGR – Anti-bullying Campaign
Hot Country Radio stations (K101.7) and (K104.5) worked in conjunction with Sgt. Kraft of the Seneca County Sherriff’s Office, to create a special anti-bullying campaign with students from the Waterloo High School. Student involvement was essential and included designing T-shirts and signs for the school. On-air hosts went to classes at the middle and high schools, and spoke about their personal experience with bullying, and encouraged students to share their own experiences. A special email was set up (bully@flradiogroup.com) for students to email stories about how they overcame bullying or stood up to a bully. Tiffany and Ken (the Hot Morning Mess) selected stories to read on the air. Future plans for the program include an expansion to several other area schools in Seneca, Ontario, Wayne and Cayuga counties.
WFLR Yates County Flood Disaster Response
Last May, intense localized thunderstorms brought flooding in Penn Yan and other parts of Yates County with almost no warning. Residents woke up to washed out roads; mud and debris filled homes, flooded crops and businesses, and even collapsed buildings. WFLR’s long-time News Director used his established network of community leaders and emergency relief personnel to relay information to area residents, helping them find shelter, food, water, and clothing they may have lost in the initial storms. WFLR became a drop-off point for donated supplies from its listeners to Penn Yan relief centers. The station took water, cleaning supplies, and food to distribution centers. The station featured stories of neighbors pitching in to help each other, such as high school students using their unexpected “spring break” to pick up shovels and distribute needed items.
WGVA – Local News Coverage: Casino Gambling
Finger Lakes News Radio 96.1 FM and 1240 AM, WGVA has provided ongoing coverage of the debate over casino gambling in upstate New York. In 2013, the state announced that a casino would be located in the Finger Lakes or Southern Tier.
The Wilmorite Corporation announced it would propose building a casino in the town of Tyre in Seneca County. An opposition group, Casino Free Tyre was formed to fight the proposal. The station has done at least 39 news reports on the controversy. It has had both representatives of Wilmorite and Casino Free Tyre as guests on the Finger Lakes Morning News.
WHAM & WUHF –TV American Diabetes Association “Tour de Cure”
WHAM-TV (ABC) and WUHF-TV Fox are the media sponsors for the American Diabetes Association “Tour de Cure.” In 2014, General Manager Chuck Samuels served as the Tour’s Executive Recruitment Chair. Morning Anchor Jennifer Johnson and Chief Meteorologist Glenn Johnson served as the celebrity spokespeople for the tour. The stations ran a PSA campaign featuring Jennifer and Glenn encouraging viewers to join the ride. The stations provided news coverage of promotional events leading up to the tour.
The American Diabetes Association was featured in a weekly segment on WUHF Fox Rochester’s “Good Day Rochester” show providing healthy recipes to help viewers control their diets. Nearly a million dollars were raised during this year’s campaign to fight diabetes. The American Diabetes Association received a “Serving New York” Award for its efforts in the community.
WHEC-TV – Return to Normandy
WHEC provided strong support to the “Return to Normandy Campaign”. The campaign refurbished a 1943 twin-engine, propeller-driven C-47 military transport. The mission was to cross the Atlantic Ocean for the 70th anniversary of the storming of Normandy in early June. This same plane, known as the Whiskey-7, was the lead plane in a Britain-based group that dropped paratroopers over coastal France during this famous battle.
This five-person, all volunteer aircrew planned on leaving Geneseo, NY’s airstrip to fly the 3,600 mile route before buzzing the skies of Omaha Beach. The organizers, including the sponsor, the National Warplane Museum, saw this as a fitting tribute to the veterans who braved the skies over Europe in far more dire and deadly circumstances and who – like the C-47 itself are fading fast.
WHEC-TV provided several months of awareness messages to its viewers directing people to the website to give to the campaign to refurbish the plane. The station provided multiple news stories on the plane and history surrounding the battle and the departure and arrival of the plane in France.
WNYR 98.5 FM – Highlight on Hunger in the Finger Lakes Region
To raise public awareness on hunger in the Finger Lakes, WNYR 98.5 conducted on-air interviews with area service organizations who deal directly with food distribution. The station worked with a number of community groups throughout the Finger Lakes listening areas. In particular the station worked with:
- Seneca County House of Concern Food Pantry
- Geneva Center of Concern Food Pantry
- Calvary Food Pantry Auburn
- Trevor’s Gift, Waterloo Central school weekend backpack food program
- Seneca Falls backpack program
After the interviews, reciprocal links to these organizations were placed on the radio station webpage. These organizations have also been encouraged to contact us any time for events and fundraising support. The organizations thanked the station for a significant increase in support after the interviews.
WRMM/WFKL/WZNE Radio – Promoting Special Olympics
The stations have a strong working relationship with the Special Olympics. The stations devoted significant resources promoting the Zombie Run. Each runner starts off with a flag belt and three flags representing life lines. Zombies throughout the course attempt to take these one at a time. In addition, the stations promoted another important event for the Special Olympics. The annual Polar Plunge is an important event for the organization. The stations’ efforts helped make both events very successful.
WROC-TV – Supporting the Veteran’s Outreach Center
WROC-TV has dedicated its resources, both on-air in the form of news coverage, public service spots and community outreach campaigns to providing aid, education, and information to U. S. military veterans of all ages. The station has established a relationship with Rochester’s Veterans Outreach Center, the only organization of its kind in the United States that provides counseling services for veterans from all wars.
The Veterans Outreach Center has been recognized by the White House as “THE” example of how organizations of this nature can best serve our veterans. WROC-TV is the media sponsor for the VOC’s annual “Stars and Stripes Dinner”. Most recently, WROC-TV was the media sponsor for the “Pound the Ground for Vets” 5k run.
Within the context of a News 8 broadcast, the station has taken the lead in reporting on veterans’ issues by exposing high suicide rates, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and other problems. They have worked very closely with veterans’ organizations to solve the problems by providing information about services agencies, like the Veterans Outreach Center. WROC-TV was the first Rochester television station to travel with WWII veterans to the new WWII Memorial in cooperation with Honor Flights. It produced a 30 minute special program documenting the veterans’ reactions to visiting the memorial. Todd Baxter of the Veteran Outreach Center received an award for his work in the community.
WXXI-TV – Homework Hotline
WXXI, together with the New York State United Teachers and the “Rochester Dial-a-Teacher Project”, produces “Homework Hotline” – a statewide afterschool homework program that is broadcast on all PBS stations throughout New York State. The show, now in its 23rd year, provides students with the opportunity to call in for homework help after school and to have their problem solving progress shared by all viewers. It has received numerous awards. Nowhere else can students receive personal help regardless of socio-economic status. Over the last 10 years “Homework Hotline” has reached more than 250,000 students and is seen weekly by 2,000 students in Rochester. The entire project is fuelled by the Rochester Teachers Association “Dial-a-Teacher Project” and by WXXI, with funding from the New York State United Teachers. The Rochester Teachers Association and “Dial-a-Teacher” received awards for their work with this project.