MERRILLVILLE -- Lakeshore Public Television has been honored with a 2008 PBS Development Award based on the station's effectiveness in reaching financial objectives and implementation for its two on-air Auction fundraising events, the station reported Friday.

During the 2007 fiscal year, Lakeshore Public Television presented two auctions -- the Holiday Gift Auction and, for the first time, Auction Mania: A Bargain Hunter's Paradise, the station reported.

The fundraisers netted cash receipts and underwriting revenues totaling nearly $120,000, the station reported.

The PBS Development Awards provide the PBS community a valuable opportunity for peer-to-peer recognition of excellence and innovative fundraising efforts, PBS reported in a written statement.

The PBS Development Advisory Committee, a group of station professionals representing a variety of disciplines, judges the Awards. The DAC first reviews each application by market size and chooses award winners among the pool of nominees in each category.

Lakeshore Public Television can be viewed over the air and on satellite through DirecTV and Dish Network on Channel 56, on cable channel 17 in most Northwest Indiana communities and on 17 and 21 in Chicago and its suburbs. For more information or for a complete channel listing, contact the station at (219)756-5656 or visit www.LakeshorePTV.com.