Friend of Access Awards

Who is eligible for a Friend of Access Award?

The Friend of Access Award recognizes people in Wisconsin who understand, support, and champion community media.  It could be someone who made one significant impact on the success of a PEG media center or it could be someone who has been involved in community media for many years and has demonstrated a dedication to its mission.

The Friend of Access Award plaque reads, In recognition of your work to preserve the true democratic voice of the community, Public, Education, and Government Access Television.  

Who is eligible?  The nominee should be someone NOT working for pay at your community access center.  However, this person could be someone serving on your governing board.

When is the award given?  The Friend of Access Award is presented during the Best of the Midwest Media Fest. The 2024 fest will be held at the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire at 6:30 PM on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Who presents the award?  The award is presented jointly by the President of the WCM Board of Directors and the person who submitted the nomination. The award recipient typically says a few words when receiving the award. 

Who decides who receives the Friend of Access Award?  The Board of Directors makes the final decision at their February meeting.

2023 Award Recipients
Mike Powers and Aaron Richardson

For the last thirty years, Mike Powers has been a well-recognized voice of Sun Prairie High School football broadcasts on Sun Prairie Media Center channels.  Mike was announcing Madison Muskie’s baseball games when in 1992, Pam Steitz, the former director of the Sun Prairie Media Center, and Jim Yeager, the play-by-play announcer for Sun Prairie football games, approached him for help.  “They were getting various people to help.  I was one of them and I just stayed on.”   Powers’ 30th year coincided with the opening of a second high school in Sun Prairie.  During the first-ever game between the Sun Prairie East Cardinals and the Sun Prairie West Wolves on September 16, 2022, Powers was honored during half-time.  “People at the media center are my friends.  And Sun Prairie Media Center is one of the finest media centers in the whole state,” said Powers.  “I have an outstanding group to work with.  Everyone has been so supportive.”  Letter to Mike Read more about Mike and Sun Prairie High School Sports in this Producer of the Month article

Mayor Aaron Richardson has been involved in local government for many years, first serving on the Parks and Recreation Committee, then serving on the City Council for two years, and then being elected Mayor in 2019 and serving a four-year term before stepping down this year.  His educational background is in business and marketing, and he is employed by the Oregon School District as a technology specialist, which makes him well-placed to understand the challenges facing communities today as they grapple with reaching residents who consume media in so many different ways.  In 2021, Mayor Richardson selected FACTv to receive one of the annual Mayoral Awards to recognize the vital role the media center played in helping the city maintain government transparency during the pandemic. 

“The city is fortunate to have a great group staffing FACTv,” said Richardson.  “Of course, we value their coverage of city meetings, but it goes way beyond that.  They have gone above and beyond to share responsibility with the city administrator’s office for communications throughout the city, including social media.  They get the word out in many ways.  And the way FACTv stepped up during Covid helped people recognize their value.  It made it easy for me to make the case that funding for this area needed to be secured.” Read More Letter to Mayor Richardson

Past Award Recipients

2022

John Wells Letter to John

2021

Daryl Joten Letter to Daryl

Nancy Chase McMahon Letter to Joe Chase

2020
Plymouth Community TV and the Bauman family
Letter to Plymouth Community TV

2019
Milt Van Natta - Wisconsin Rapids Community Media
Letter to Milt

2018
Al Reinhart - Algoma Community Television
Letter to Al
Mary Ann Wold - Valley Media Works, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Letter to Mary Ann
James Wyngaard - WSTO TV, Stoughton, Wisconsin/ Sun Prairie Media Center, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin / WMCF - McFarland, Wisconsin
Letter to James

2017
League of Wisconsin Municipalities
Letter to the League

2016
Olin Fimreite - Trempealeau County Community Television
Letter to Olin

2015
Joe Eckberg - Camera Corner - Green Bay
Letter to Joe
Wes Dixon - Key West - Lenexa, Kansas
Letter to Wes
Dave Leighton - Leightronix - Holt, Michigan
Letter to Dave

2014 
Most Reverend John Charles Wester
Bishop of Salt Lake City and the Chairman of the U. S. Council of Catholic Bishops  
Letter to the Bishop
Bunnie Riedel - Executive Director, American Community Television
Letter to Bunnie

2013   
Sue Buske - The Buske Group
Buske Letter

2012   
U. S. Representative Tammy Baldwin
Rep. Baldwin Letter 2012

2011   
Mary Cardona - Executive Director, Wisconsin Community Media 

2010   
State Representative Terese Berceau
Rep. Berceau Letter
State Representative Garey Bies
Rep. Bies Letter
State Representative Gary Hebl
Rep. Hebl Letter
State Representative Mary Hubler
Rep. Hubler Letter
 
2009   
Attorney Anita Gallucci
Letter to Anita
Attorney Joe Van Eaton
Letter to Joe
Professor Barry Orton
Letter to Barry

2008  
State Senator Kathleen Vinehout
Letter to Sen. Vinehout

2007  
State Representative Gary Hebl
Letter to Rep. Hebl
State Representative Louis Molepske
Letter to Rep. Molepske
State Senator Judy Robson
Letter to Sen. Robson
Friends of Oshkosh Community Media
Letter to Friends of OCM

2006  
U. S. Representative Tammy Baldwin