The Sea Tow Foundation™ is showcasing the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

Bullitage Media Inc. won the 2024 National Boating Safety Award in the category of Top Marine Media Outlet for their Water Ways TV.

Image provided courtesy of Water Ways TV

     1. Please briefly describe your winning entry and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

Water Ways TV was born from past experiences co-hosting and producing Power-Boat Television from 2014-2019 and my work as a broadcast journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The new Water Ways TV show, which was launched in 2022 after the closure of PowerBoat TV productions, included safety messages from day one in recurring “60 seconds of safety” segments. Thus far, 31 full-length episodes have been created and we’re expanding rapidly in 2025!

     2. What inspired your company to promote boating safety?

The pilot episodes of Water Ways TV were achieved by calling in favors from friends and family for boat access or interviews, such as with Sgt. Dave Moffatt, the coordinator of the massive Ontario Provincial Police Marine Unit (170 vessels patrolling more than 200,000 lakes!). Audience testing found the boating public loved the messages and tips delivered in a fun and authentic way, not a lecture from authorities or a sales pitch from a manufacturer. We’ve leaned into the safety element and have since shot segments aboard an active Canadian Navy vessel (HMCS Harry DeWolf) and am in talks with the United States Coast Guard to highlight their efforts and the variety of marine-focused careers on the show.

     3. What does winning this award mean for your company?

Winning the National Safe Boating Award was like pouring fuel on the fire. We had begun finding organic and rapid growth as we pushed our online presence into the United States, and to be recognized after our first “full” season – including 13 embedded but entertaining safety segments – meant a lot as many of the big players took note. They are key partners for success in the media world. It gave us third party endorsement of our mission which is to be the most trusted source for recreational boaters and the first thought for fun on the water. Not to mention it meant a whole heck of a lot to our small but mighty team!

     4. What was a key takeaway you received because of working on this project or campaign?

It was surprising that people are interested in safety. Only, they are human and get bored or distracted and certainly don’t like being lectured to. But they want to keep their kids and spouses and friends alive while having fun. So have fun where appropriate, and always focus on the story first. If you keep people entertained, you keep their attention. And you need their attention to deliver a message.

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