We explore all the cool
people, places, and
things in Michigan!
Welcome to
Under the Radar Michigan.
UTR is broadcast on every PBS TV station throughout Michigan and in millions of households across Canada, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Tennessee and even Florida. "Under The Radar" has won 10 Emmys for Best Program, Best Host, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Program Promo ... so we're very excited about that as well.
The PBS television program that features the people, places and things that make Michigan a great place to be. You’ll find everything here that we featured on the show: locations of the places we’ve been, their addresses and phone numbers and even UTR merchandise in our store.
Pure Michigan Roadtrip with
Under the Radar Michigan
MICHIGAN has 3,288 miles
of freshwater coastline.
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How it all started...
Our story in a nutshell.
About Under the Radar Michigan.
Longtime friends Jim Edelman and Tom Daldin both found themselves without jobs as part of advertising cutbacks in recent years.
Edelman lost his position as national sales manager for Clear Channel Communications Inc. in January 2008. Daldin had spent 12 years producing high-end video materials for the auto industry and was a staff producer with Royal Oak-based Dark Spark Media until May 2010 before work started drying up, taking away 80 percent of his income.
So the two friends, who originally met in 1982 while working at WRIF-101.1 FM,approached Rich Homberg, president and general manager of WTVS-Channel 56, about developing some projects for PBS.
Edelman and Daldin first tried to re-pitch “Bob’s Jobs,” an Emmy-winning children’s show Daldin created and starred in five years ago on Channel 56. Due to lack of funding, “Bob’s Jobs” was canceled.
The second time around, PBS execs turned down the re-pitched idea within the first five minutes because there were just too many children’s programs out there, Daldin said.
“They literally looked at me and said, “So, what else do you got?’ ” Daldin said. “Jim and I look at each other and it’s like, where are the canes and top hats because here’s where we start dancing.”
Edelman quickly asked the PBS executives what they thought about a show about traveling the state.
“They were like, “Tell us more.’ … We basically “Seinfeld-ed’ the show.”
What came from their collaboration is the Detroit Public Television show “UTR: Under the Radar Michigan.”
“A lot of what we’re trying to do is tell stories,” Edelman said. “If you look at the way the show has come together, we’re finding really passionate people who are entrenched in their cities and make those cities better.”
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Tom Daldin is an Emmy award winning producer, actor and writer, who has created programs that have aired across Michigan and around the U.S. on PBS. He has also won a number of “best actor” awards in both commercial television and industrial films. Growing up in Birmingham, Michigan, Tom has always been a fan of travel. At the age of 12 he joined the World Adventure Series Club at the Detroit Institute of Arts where his mother would drop him off to watch travel log films. After graduation from Oakland University with a degree in journalism, Tom, his wife Cathy and their children have turned Michigan into their vacation playground, exploring its many wonders and attractions. Tom loves people and loves where he lives.
Jim Edelman’s path to television producer took him from Radio Talk Show Producer to Radio Promotion Director to Radio Sales Manager to National Radio Sales (Jim loved radio). Jim’s attention to detail, idea generation and the sales chops to keep the show funding flowing, help complete the circle of skills for Under the Radar Michigan. UTR fulfills a lifelong mission to combine the best of his sales skills with the creative guy that’s always been lurking in the shadows. His love of storytelling and searching or offbeat, little known stories really makes his day. Jim attended many colleges but learned more working for the Detroit Pistons, as a Ski Instructor, Cycle Racing Producer, Tomato Picker and Bakers Assistant. He lives in Salem, Michigan and insists that he’s quite normal despite owning three cats.
