KMOS-TV Receives Two Awards for Family Outdoor Event

Archery safety and skills were taught by Runge Nature Center staff and volunteers at the busy range during "KMOS PBS Adventure Day."

WARRENSBURG, MO – KMOS-TV won two awards in recognition of excellence in the creation and promotion of the “KMOS PBS Adventure Day,” a nature-themed family event conducted in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Jefferson City-based Runge Conservation Nature Center. These awards were presented during a ceremony Sept. 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). KMOS was one of many stations nationwide honored for their work in education, community engagement, marketing/communications and content creation.

The categories in which KMOS was successful are Community Engagement – Kids and Family, and in Marketing/Communications – Special Event. KMOS was also a finalist in Marketing/Communications – Promotion for this event.

KMOS Community Engagement Coordinator Scott Alvested, who coordinated and managed the event, was on hand to accept the award. “This was an amazing event that brought out people to one of the jewels of the Jefferson City Community to experience, learn, and explore nature.  KMOS PBS looks forward to partnering with the Runge Conservation Nature Center again as we work to engage, educate, and provide entertainment for the communities we serve.”

The “Adventure Day” took place on June 23 of this year when families were welcomed to the nature center and trails for an afternoon of fun and adventure to experience the natural world with KMOS and the nature center staff and volunteers. Over 400 people participated, meeting one of the PBS Kids outdoor
ambassadors - Nature Cat, and to enjoy archery and fishing, native plant demonstrations, and nature hikes on the area’s many trails. Support for the day-long event was another KMOS partner, Hitachi Energy.

At the conclusion of the outdoor activities, guests were invited to watch a special preview of “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” a new PBS series which premiered in July. The six-part series, produced by Twin Cities PBS, follows Thurston (author of “How to Be Black” and host of the podcast “How to Citizen”) as he explores the diverse array of regions across the U.S. and how those landscapes shape the way Americans work, play and interact with the outdoors. 

The staff and volunteers of the Runge Conservation Nature Center and MDC played an outstanding role in the preparation, promotion and staffing of the event. “To partner with the Runge Nature Center was a natural choice because of their excellent facilities, as well as their experience in managing large-scale nature events,” said KMOS General Manager Josh Tomlinson.

The Public Media Awards, created to recognize outstanding work by the nation’s public broadcasting stations, were judged by expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media. Winners were announced during the 54th Annual Public Media Awards Gala presented during the NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum in Charlotte, N.C.

KMOS serves the citizens of 38 central Missouri counties with high-quality, educational content and experiences online, over-the-air and in our communities. The station is integral to engaged learning as a professional learning lab for students from a variety of disciplines at the University of Central Missouri.
KMOS-TV broadcasts programming on four channels full of programs for all ages on 6.1, lifestyle and how-to programs on 6.2, international news, documentaries and dramas on 6.3, and a full schedule of kids’ programming to fit the schedule of every busy family on 6.4.

NETA is a member organization for public television and radio stations designed to provide member stations with programming, coordinate education and engagement resources, and provide professional development resources to help stations better serve their respective communities.
For more information, contact Michael O’Keefe at 660-543-4042 or mokeefe@ucmo.edu.