Press Release

(February 14, 2011) John C. Fountain, a former Eastern Michigan University sports broadcaster and long-time University employee, has been named the recipient of the second Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) Ernie Harwell Lifetime Achievement Award.

“John not only had a long career as the play-by-play voice for Eastern Michigan University football and basketball broadcasts on WEMU-FM, but he continues to make contributions to assist in the development of future sports broadcasts and reporters," DSBA Executive Director George Eichorn said in making the announcement at Hockeytown Café in Detroit, Michigan.

Added DSBA President Will Tieman: “John Fountain is so very deserving of this special award. He has a lifetime body of work that is just outstanding in the profession of broadcast communications.”

The DSBA Ernie Harwell Lifetime Contribution Award honors an individual in the broadcasting community who has made significant contributions to the broadcasting profession in Greater Detroit and the state of Michigan. Harwell was the first recipient in December 2009.

Fountain and his wife, Marge, established the J. Clarence and Courtney S. Fountain Sportscasters Scholarship Fund at Eastern Michigan University in 1984 to provide tuition grants each semester to a student who indicates a desire to pursue a career in telecommunications and sports broadcasting. In addition, the student receives 20 hours per week on-the-job experience at radio station WEMU-FM during the fall and winter semesters.

He started the broadcasting scholarship fund when he retired as vice president at EMU, with an original gift of $10,000. In the many years since, between gifts from his family and what he has raised from others, the fund is currently more than $50,000.

A side note, one of the scholarship recipients is currently broadcasting minor league baseball in Rockford, Illinois, and another, Ryan Wooley, is a sports reporter for WWJ/WXYT in Detroit and the play-by-play voice for for Eagle All-Access.

John has authored two books, "A View From the Board Room" and "Those 1940 Detroit Tigers," and donates all proceeds of those two books directly to his scholarship fund and the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association Grant Fund, which awards grants for the purpose of new broadcast equipment purchase at Michigan colleges, universities and high schools.

John is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the DSBA and a past president. John retired from his broadcasting duties in 2007, completing 55 years of calling play-by-play action for the University of Michigan on WAAM radio for three years and the last 44 years handling football, basketball and baseball broadcasts at EMU.

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