HR0279 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0279 LRB097 11554 KXB 54506 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Milner Broadcasting Enterprises, L.L.C., and WVLI Radio 95.1 FM on receiving the 2011 Good Neighbor Business of the Year Award; and

WHEREAS, Tim Milner and his late brother, Tom, were on a road trip from Florida to see a White Sox game in Chicago; Tom turned on the radio to WBYG 99.9 FM in front of Comiskey Park; as Tim recalls, they got an idea: "If this station with such a great signal goes all the way to Chicago, advertisers would see the opportunity to reach Kankakee area people and south side Chicago people."; and

WHEREAS, Tim and Tom's father, Gene Milner, was legendary in Philadelphia radio during the big band years; being on the air wasn't enough for Gene, so he began to buy radio stations; with the input of Tim and Tom, Gene and his wife, Jackie, purchased WBYG and changed it to WBUS "The Bus" 99.9 FM; the family sold WBUS years later and now owns WVLI 95.1 FM, "The Valley", WIVR 101.7 FM, "River Country," and WFAV 103.7 FM; and

WHEREAS, General Manager Tim Milner and Program Director Mickey Milner have assembled a team of professional and dedicated radio personnel that tie the region together by their undeniable commitment to the communities they serve; WVLI 95.1 FM and its dedicated personnel reach out to thousands by providing local groups the opportunity to promote their events, by sponsoring, and giving of their time at, hundreds of community events throughout the region, by giving away countless prizes, by pairing with other businesses to promote the area, by informing listeners of traffic problems that they should avoid, and by letting their listeners know of any emergencies or possible incumbent weather; and

WHEREAS, Milner Broadcasting Enterprises, L.L.C., and WVLI 95.1 FM are supporters of many local charities and organizations, including, but not limited to: the local Chambers of Commerce, local schools, the Kankakee County Training Center, the Kankakee County Teen Court, My Favorite Book, Pledge for Life/IKAN, Rebuilding Together, the Kankakee Valley Theatre Association, Sugar Creek Symphony and Song, the Bradley Lions Club, the United Way of Kankakee, Easter Seals, Harbor House, Zonta, Youth for Christ, Youth Uplift Ministry, Kankakee River Clean Up, the Power Boat Nationals, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Helen Wheeler Center, the YMCA, Catholic Charities, Indian Oaks Academy, the Manteno Veterans Home, the Kankakee County Fair, and the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival; and

WHEREAS, One special listener notes that WVLI 95.1 FM "just brings a little bit of humor to everyone's day"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Milner Broadcasting Enterprises, L.L.C., and the entire WVLI 95.1 FM team and offer our best wishes for continued success in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Tim Milner, General Manager of Milner Broadcasting Enterprises, L.L.C., and WVLI 95.1 FM, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.