Michigan Government Television

A public affairs initiative of Michigan’s cable industry.

111. S. Capitol Ave., 4th Floor, Romney Building

Lansing, MI 48933

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Bill Trevarthen

(517) 373-4250

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tim Ransberger

March 31, 2011 (616) 607-2378

Bill Trevarthen to Retire from

Michigan Government Television

Executive Director Role

Lansing, MI March 31 , 2011 – Michigan Government Television, the cable-supported television network covering all branches of Michigan’s state government, announced today that Bill Trevarthen, MGTV’s Executive Director, will retire on July 2, 2011.

"For the past 15 years, Bill has played an invaluable role in shaping MGTV into the quality cable channel that it is today,” said Tim Ransberger, the President of the Board of Directors of MGTV. “He has led MGTV from limited distribution around Lansing to statewide distribution on nearly all cable systems, and he’s built MGTV into a first rate operation.”

Launched in 1996, MGTV looked to C-SPAN as its operating model and shows the workings of both chambers of the Michigan legislature, the Governor’s office, and the Michigan Supreme Court. MGTV, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, was created as a public service by Michigan’s cable television industry. Funded entirely by the cable companies that carry the network, MGTV reaches 1.6 million homes, schools, and businesses served by cable television in Michigan.

MGTV has won two Cable Television Public Affairs Association Beacon Awards for its programming as well as two CNN/National Student Parent Mock Election Media Excellence Awards. Strongly committed to education, MGTV has televised Michigan’s “National Student Parent Mock Elections” and has produced documentary programs and curriculum materials on the history and importance of Michigan’s Civil War battle flags (Oh, Could They But Speak), and on the Japanese internment camps in World War II (Defining Moments: Frank Murphy, Fred Korematsu and the WWII Internment of Japanese Americans). MGTV was the first service to air the Governor’s State of the State address annually statewide. The archive of all of MGTV’s programming is housed at University Archives and Historical Collections at Michigan State University.

“I’ve been very fortunate to spend the last fifteen years doing something I’m passionate about, providing Michigan citizens an unfiltered look into their state government at work.” said Trevarthen. “I’d like to thank the cable industry of Michigan for creating and supporting this venture. I’d also like to thank the great staff of MGTV for their dedication and commitment over these past 15 years.”

For more information on Michigan Government Television, visit the MGTV website: www.mgtv.org.

# # # #