Michigan Television's first station Open House on Saturday, May 31 was a huge success. Almost 150 viewers stopped by to enjoy tours of the station, food & refreshments, learn about digital TV, and to meet Wonder Red, from the hit kid’s show “Super Why”! Click here for photos from the event.

View slideshow of Open House (including photos of Wonder Red)

View MORE photos from the event

Watch video from our Open House "green screen" studio

Michigan Television Wins 9 Emmy Nominations

Michigan Television, won nine regional Emmy awards at the awards presentation gala on Saturday night. Michigan Emmys are awarded annually by the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence in television production.
 
Emmy Awards were won for the following programs:
 
Arts/Entertainment - Program Feature/Segment
“Bijou Orchestra” - Donna Ryen (Producer/Director) WFUM-TV
-This feature is part of Michigan Television’s “Matrix” series, and looks at Bay City's Bijou Orchestra, a group that has carved a unique creative niche for itself in performing highly interesting works of the late 18th and early 19th century.
View this award winning piece
 
Health/Science – Program/Special
“Where Do The Children Play?” - Christopher Cook (Producer/Director/Writer)METROCOM INTERNATIONAL/WFUM-TV
-This joint production between Michigan Television and Metrocom International explores how children experience growing up and playing in inner cities, suburban areas, and rural America, and looks at their connection to nature.
For more information on this documentary

Documentary -- Historical
“WWII: Through The Lens of Duane Zemper” - Donna Ryen (Producer/Director) WFUM-TV
-This documentary shares the experiences of Duane Zemper, a Howell resident who served as a photo officer for the Army Air Corps during World War II, and returned with stunning photographs of the air war.
For more information and to view this documentary click here

Documentary – Topical
“Where Do The Children Play?” - Christopher Cook (Producer/Director/Writer)
METROCOM INTERNATIONAL/WFUM-TV
For more information on this documentary

Public/Current/Community - Feature/Segment
“Childhood Places, Secret Spaces” - Donna Ryen (Producer/Director) WFUM-TV
-Flint native and children’s author Christopher Paul Curtis re-examines the city of his childhood and discusses how his relationship with the outdoors influenced his creative development.
For more information and to view this documentary click here

Writer – Program
“Where Do The Children Play?” - Christopher Cook (Producer/Director/Writer)
METROCOM INTERNATIONAL/WFUM-TV
For more information on this documentary

Promotion/Program - Single Spot
“PLAY” Gallery - Jeff Christy (Animator) UM-SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN/WFUM-TV
-This innovative collaboration uses television as gallery space for experimental short features from the University of Michigan School of Art & Design community.
For more information on PLAY Gallery

Advance Media - Photographer
“Where Do The Children Play?” – Mark Berg (Photographer)
METROCOM INTERNATIONAL/WFUM-TV
For more information on this documentary

Advance Media – Writer/Producer
“Where Do The Children Play?” - Christopher Cook (Producer/Director/Writer)
METROCOM INTERNATIONAL/WFUM-TV
For more information on this documentary

Michigan Television Wins Three MAB Broadcast Excellence Awards

Michigan Television has been selected for three 2007 Broadcast Excellence Awards by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. The awards were announced Tuesday, March 11th at the Michigan Association of Broadcaster's annual Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference, held in Grand Rapids.

Michigan Television's awards were received in the following categories:

Mini Documentary and Series
"WWII: Through the Lens of Duane Zemper"- Best in Category
This local documentary shares the experiences of Duane Zemper, a Howell resident who served as a photo officer for the Army Air Corps, and returned with stunning photographs of the air war over Europe.

Cultural & Performing Arts
"Bijou Orchestra" - Best in Category
This feature highlights Bay City's Bijou Orchestra, a group that has carved a unique niche by performing salon and theater music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The program was part of Michigan Television's ongoing Matrix series of short stories celebrating the wide diversity of Arts and Humanities in Michigan.

Marketing Materials & Promos
"PLAY" promotions - Best in Category
These on-air promotional spots highlight the PLAY gallery, experimental short films from the University of Michigan School of Art & Design community that are broadcast in between regular programming on Michigan Television.

"I am thrilled that our creative efforts are being recognized by the MAB, and I look forward to more great things for Michigan Television in the future," said Station Manager Jennifer White.

The Broadcast Excellence Awards, one of the largest state awards programs in the nation, were judged by members of the Colorado Broadcasters Association on a variety of criteria including presentation, delivery, and production values. A total 862 entries were received from 76 television and radio stations in Michigan. All entries aired between January 1 and December 31, 2007. For a complete list of all winners, visit www.michmab.com.

Where Do The Children Play?

“Where Do The Children Play?”, a new one-hour film that tackles issues about childhood and growing up, will air on public broadcasting stations across Michigan in April.Told largely in the voices of children, it examines alarming changes that have occurred in children’s lives in the span of a generation: disconnection from nature, disappearance of play spaces, increasing obesity, psychological and medical problems and drug prescriptions. This shift in health patterns is directly related to changes in the metropolitan landscape.
 
Shot entirely in Michigan – Beaver Island, Flint, Detroit and Ann Arbor – the program combines new research and compelling stories from children themselves. Supported by the work of urban planners, health experts, educators, and environmentalists, the documentary enables viewers to better understand the realities of children's lives in major urban centers and their surrounding communities. “Where Do The Children Play?” will leave audiences with an increased awareness of and compassion for today’s children.
 
The film was developed and produced by Metrocom International for Michigan Television. The film will air at 9 PM on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 by common carriage on all seven Michigan PBS affiliated broadcast stations: WTVS-56 (Detroit), WKAR-TV (East Lansing), WGVU-TV (Grand Rapids), WCMU-TV (Mt. Pleasant), WNMU-TV (Marquette), WDCQ-TV (University Center) and Michigan Television/WFUM-TV (Flint). After its statewide Michigan airing, it will move to American Public Television which has agreed to distribute it nationally for airing on PBS stations over the next 2 years. More...