TAB Salutes 2024 Bonner McLane Public Service Award Winners

posted on 6.04.2024

-    Awards Gala Closes TAB Show, Aug. 7-8 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions

Texas Broadcasters will celebrate the outstanding contributions of five Radio and Television stations during the Awards Gala (Thurs., Aug. 8 at 6 PM), part of the 2024 TAB Show at Kalahari Conventions & Resorts.

TAB presents the Bonner McLane Public Service awards to stations for their exceptional contributions and service to their local communities.

Bonner McLane was TAB’s first Executive Director. He passed away in 1987.

Medium Market Television: KVIA-TV El Paso

Submission: Mental Health in the Borderland

In 2023, KVIA-TV launched a major initiative to educate, inform and reduce stigma around mental health.

The Borderland was battered by a mass shooting in 2019, the pandemic and the bad economy that followed – all exacerbated by socioeconomic & cultural factors that took a
The station crafted a unique News+Marketing+Sales campaign: “Be Mindful.”

Judges were especially impressed with the new mental health beat reporter, persistent educational PSAs, client engagement and the community members who were willing to share their stories.

Small Market Television: KTXS/Sinclair Abilene

Submission: Mission Thanksgiving

For the 24th year, KTXS spearheaded “Mission Thanksgiving” – an all-day food, clothing, and fundraiser drive that supports a local non-profit called Love & Care Ministries.
This fundraiser started as a collaboration between KTXS and a local car dealership who saw a need being unfilled in the community.

This event has grown, and in turn has helped Love and Care Ministries grow from running a homeless food service out of the back of a truck, to an organization that takes up an entire street block and helps the homeless and working poor in our area.

Overall, six hours of combined pre-promotion and news pre-coverage were given to the event.  On the day of the event, KTXS dedicated more than five hours of live on-air and on-line coverage to the event. Staff hours for the day of the event added up to 101 hours, with 19 people involved.

This year was another successful event with close to $250,000 raised, a semi-truck full of food, and five semis of clothing and blankets donated.

The food and funds raised by this event typically sustain the organization until the summer months – so it is a huge help and one KTXS is proud to support each year.

Large Market Radio: KCYY/Cox San Antonio

Submission: Read and Feed

KCYY, Y100 San Antonio, knows that LIVE and LOCAL broadcasting is critical for the areas they serve.

Morning Show Hosts Frito and Katy discovered just how bad many kids have it during the summer in San Antonio. While a fun and carefree time for most, the youth in San Antonio are in crisis. Food insecurity and illiteracy plague the area.

They created the “Read and Feed” program in partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank’s “Summer Meals Program.”

At select community center locations during the summer, they not only volunteered their time, but provided brand-new books.

Each child got to go home with a free title of their choosing (from curated classics and all-time favorites) in the hope of igniting that literary spark!

By providing access to free nutritious meals and new books, Y100 and Frito & Katy were able to help nourish both the bodies and minds of nearly 200,000 local kids who struggle when schools are closed.

Medium Market Radio: KURV/Radio United Rio Grande Valley

Submission: Children’s Cancer Radiothon

News Talk 710 KURV and sister stations part of the Radio United media group hosted the 14th annual Vannie E. Cook Jr. Children’s Cancer & Hematology Clinic Radiothon.
The clinic depends on community donations and uses these funds locally. No child is turned away for their inability to pay.

The stations invited patients and their families to the studios to share stories on how they are fighting childhood cancer in the RGV.

During the one-day event, the stations got extremely close to hitting their $100,000 goal and hoped the Radiothon brought much-needed awareness on how the clinic is helping local kids fighting cancer.

Small Market Radio: KABW Abilene

Submission: Children’s Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network is a key part of this station’s community supporting children and their families during times of critical injuries or sickness.

Funds have been declining through the years as many stations are no longer doing Radiothons to support them.

KABW “95 One The Wolf” decided to try a new idea. 

Since they had access to water park tickets and other summer attractions, we offered tickets to listeners who came by our events if they donated.

The event, solely driven by the stations, raised approximately $6,000.

Congratulations to all these outstanding Texas stations!

Questions?

Contact TAB’s Beth Bobbitt.

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