WDIV-Local 4 hosts virtual Education Town Hall on return-to-school plans

WDIV-Local 4 hosted a virtual town hall Aug. 13 all about education and the return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Anchors Devin Scillian and Paula Tutman were joined by education leaders from across the state to answer questions about the complicated decisions being made by schools and parents heading into the 2020-21 school year.

It’s part of an all-encompassing station campaign.

Education 4 All is a multiplatform reporting and community engagement commitment by WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit.com to extensively cover the complicated issues of education, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of what the station does now will have a far-reaching impact on our children’s physical and mental health, achievement, policy and state’s trajectory.

An “Education 4 All” special is planned for Aug. 31.

Currently, WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit.com is doing daily Education 4 All stories and has multiple digital reports delving into the complex issues from every angle.

Education 4 All will include:

• News reports

• Digital content

• Digital town halls and more

To watch the recording of WDIV's "Education 4 All Town Hall," click the or tap here.

WDIV named ‘Station of the Year’ by Michigan Association of Broadcasters for 6th year straight

WDIV-TV Local 4, a Graham Media Group station, is honored to be recognized as Station of the Year for the sixth year in a row. The station won for broadcasting excellence in 14 categories from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters -- 11 best and 13 merit awards for Market 1.

“We all do this work because we love it and we think it’s important,” Vice-President and General Manager Marla Drutz said. “It’s the people in our communities that help us strive to provide the best information possible because we know they rely on us for that. And getting recognition for what we do is always gratifying.”

First Place/Best In Category

• Breaking News: Devastating Floods
• Community Involvement: THAW, Mental Health Day, Blood Drives, Weather Radios, Help Me Hank Shutdown Survival Guide
• Investigative Story: “Trashing the City” – Local 4 Defenders (Karen Drew) ride along as Detroit Police arrest illegal dumping suspects
• Newscast: Local 4 News at 6 p.m.
• News Anchor: Kimberly Gill
• News Special: “Child Killer”
• News Reporter: Shawn Ley
• Special Interest Programming: Live in the D – “Out on the Town”
• Marketing Materials & Promos: Local 4Casters App
• Use of New Media: “Child Killer”
• Sports: Steve Yzerman Returns Home

Merit Awards

• Breaking News: Seniors Escape Raging Fire
• Investigative Story: “Charging the City”
• Newscast: Local 4 News at 11 p.m.
• News Anchor: Devin Scillian
• New Special – “Hoffa”
• Weathercast: Ice Forecast
• News Reporter: Nick Monacelli
• Photojournalist: Alex Atwell
• Mini-Documentary or Series: “Guard Rail Danger”
• Marketing Materials & Promos: Local 4 Moments
• Special Interest Programming: “All 4 Pets”
• Use of New Media: “Hoffa”
• Sports: One-On-One with Ice Cube

The Broadcast Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievement in broadcasting by Michigan radio and television stations each year. The awards were announced at the MAB’s annual Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference in Lansing.

Click or tap here to view links to each story, project or anchor and reporter.

WDIV-Local 4 wins 2 prestigious 2019 Regional Murrow Awards

WDIV-Local 4 is honored to receive two coveted Regional Murrow Awards for Excellence in Social Media and Excellence in Sound.

Regional winners were announced Tuesday by the Radio Television Digital News Association.

“The social media Murrow win is especially gratifying. It reinforces that we are leading the way in multi-platform content distribution. This newer medium is the wave of the future and Local 4 is leading the charge,” Local 4 news director Kim Voet said. “Winning the Murrow for sound three years in a row shows our photographers’ commitment to being the best storytellers possible.”

“Our amazing news team puts out this effort on a daily basis, so it’s very rewarding to be recognized with this prestigious award that celebrates the best in our industry,” Vice-President and General Manager Marla Drutz said.

Station awards:

Excellence in Social Media

Social media manager Ken Haddad’s strategy is a multi-platform approach to covering the big stories of the day, and frequently, the station’s posts land at the top of the social media charts compared to those from across the country. Highlights include: coverage of Aretha Franklin’s passing, the meteor in Michigan, 2018 election coverage, the digital Jason Carr Live show, the Boblo Boat fire and the Central Michigan University lockdown.

Excellence in Sound: Criss Cross Crash

Video Journalists Alex Atwell and Hans Ihlenfeldt enhance the viewers' experience of this story using multiple cameras, multiple microphones and sounds of the crowd’s reaction to car and school bus racing in Flat Rock, Michigan. This is the third year in a row the station has won this award.

WDIV-Local 4 is the only large-market TV station in Michigan to win in our region. Both entries will now go head-to-head with the other regional winners for the National Murrow Award.

The RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow's pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name.

This honor comes at the heels of WDIV-Local 4 winning the MAB Station of the Year award for the fifth year in a row.

WDIV-Local 4’s specials double the North American International Auto Show excitement

Photo taken Jan. 15, 2019, by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

DETROIT – Technology is taking center stage at the North American International Auto Show and WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit is covering the show from all angles. Viewers will get a trip to the show floor with two specials -- “Dateline Detroit: All About Autos,” airing Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and “Charity Preview” airing Friday at 7 p.m.

Local 4 News anchors Devin Scillian and Kimberly Gill host “Dateline Detroit: All About Autos,” from Cobo Center covering auto reveals, the latest breaking auto news and more.

“All About Autos” highlights:

· The significance of this marking the last of the January auto shows

· Autonomous vehicles and the moral ethics of artificial intelligence

· Will your compass also act as a moral compass?

· Driving in a “hangover” suit with Ford Motor Company -- and why it’s sometimes just as dangerous as driving drunk

“Charity Preview” takes viewers live to one the most exclusive and high-profile events in the nation.

Scillian and Gill host this one-hour special, along with Rhonda Walker, Evrod Cassimy, Ben Bailey, Jon Jordan and Kim DeGiulio. The special showcases concept cars of the future, the latest reveals and high-fashion glamour at this black-tie affair, benefiting a wide range of children’s charities. Local 4 talks one-on-one to the local and international auto industry leaders who make this world-class event happen.

The Official App of the North American International Auto Show, powered by Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit, is the navigation link to it all. The NAIAS app is a must-have tool for car enthusiasts heading to the Auto Show. Users have the information they need right at their fingertips -- and it’s free to download on Apple or Android devices by searching “WDIV Auto Show” at the app stores.

The app provides:

· Map of the Auto Show floor at Cobo Center

· Livestream video of vehicle unveilings on your phone

· Official news updates from ClickOnDetroit and the NAIAS

· Information about the show, ticket sales and more

The Official NAIAS app is presented by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, WDIV-TV Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit.com and is sponsored by Oakland University.

ClickOnDetroit.com sets record for unique visitors to website

Jason Carr anchors for Local 4.

WDIV-Local 4 had more viewers than any other Metro Detroit TV station on Election Day. Starting in the morning and going throughout the night (6 a.m. on Nov. 6 to 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 7) the station averaged 100,000 people (adults ages 18 and older), and peaked as high as 200,000 (in the same demographic) during the evening coverage.

WDIV-Local 4’s website, ClickOnDetroit.com, set a record with the highest number of unique visitors for the year, with nearly 1.1 million users.

More than 800,000 Facebook users engaged with Local 4’s election videos and stories, and nearly 50,000 people viewed WDIV’s livestream coverage online.

“The number of people looking for election information on all of our platforms, whether it was watching it on TV, online or through social media was phenomenal,” said Marla Drutz, Local 4’s vice president and general manager. “The night was a culmination of two things -- our commitment to encouraging voter participation prior to the elections and on being a station that provides news on any device people want.”

“It’s a massive effort, and everyone’s dedication is what makes it all come together,” news director Kim Voet said. “From our reporters out on the streets to our newsroom team compiling results throughout the night, this is the good, honest journalism that our community craves.”

Added digital executive producer Dustin Block, “Months of planning led to a record night on ClickOnDetroit. Every department at WDIV and our Graham Media Group digital team came together to deliver accurate, timely results.”

ClickOnDetroit.com is also the No. 1 TV website in Metro Detroit, according to the most recent comScore delivery (September 2018).

Mara MacDonald reports for Local 4.