The Michigan Association of Broadcasters has named the 2025 recipients of its Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Awards. The awards are named for Carl E. Lee, a prominent Michigan broadcast engineer and station owner who was known for his innovation and recognition of opportunity, according to MAB.
Two awards are given each year to represent both radio and TV engineers.
This year, the radio engineering excellence award was given to Brian Brachel, chief engineer for Interlochen Public Radio in Interlochen, Mich.
According to MAB, Brachel began his technical career at Spectra Physics as a field service engineer in 1980, working on high-power CO2 lasers.
He joined IPR in 2023 with more than 40 years of high-power technology and broadcast experience. Prior to that, Brachel worked for MacDonald Garber Broadcasting, where he started in 1996, and was responsible for the technical operation of its nine radio stations and five translators.
Brachel is also an assistant engineer at Black Diamond Broadcasting. “Brian has gathered a wealth of experience in FM/AM broadcast systems, field measurements, FCC/FAA regulations and compliance, as well as in-studio operations with automation, computer and network systems,” wrote MAB in an emailed statement.
On the other side of the broadcast coin, the 2025 award for TV engineering excellence was given to Dave Mann, director of broadcast technology for WKAR Public Media in East Lansing, Mich. In his current role, Mann oversees all engineering and broadcast operations for both television and radio, as well as managing research and the transition to ATSC 3.0.
According to his bio, Mann’s broadcasting career began at Western Michigan University, where he was a founding member of Western Student Television (WSTV). Since then, his notable engineering roles include chief engineer at ION Media Networks’ flagship station, WCPX(TV) in Chicago; director of production & technology at the Northeast Sports Network in Lyndonville, Vt.; and broadcast engineer/transmission operator at NBC Chicago’s WMAQ(TV), among others.
Applauding the two award recipients, MAB President and CEO Casey Jones said, “Broadcast engineers are the backbone of our industry, ensuring that stations stay on the air to serve their communities. This year, we had 10 exceptional engineers nominated by their peers and industry leaders for the Carl E. Lee Engineering Award.
“Among them, Brian Brachel and Dave Mann stand out for their expertise, leadership and dedication to advancing the field.”
Brachel and Mann will be honored at the Michigan Broadcast Engineering Conference, held Feb. 25–26 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
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