NEW YORK—The Broadcasters Foundation of America (BFOA) has announced that this year’s BFOA Golden Mike Award dinner and ceremony will be hosted by Emmy-award-winning broadcast journalist and nationally syndicated talk show host Soledad O’Brien. 

The 2023 BFOA Golden Mike Award gala will take place Monday, March 6, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The annual event is the biggest fundraiser for the Broadcasters Foundation, whose sole mission is to provide aid to radio and television professionals in acute need.

“We’re very excited to have Soledad host this year’s Golden Mike Award dinner,” said Tim McCarthy, president of the Broadcasters Foundation. “She is a multiple award-winning broadcast journalist whose reporting has brought awareness on numerous issues to the forefront. Combined with her philanthropic endeavors, she is the perfect person to host our special evening.”

As previously announced, this year’s BFOA Golden Mike Award honoree will be Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented during the gala fundraiser to Richard E. Wiley, former chairman, commissioner, and general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and one of the most prominent media and telecommunications lawyers in broadcasting.

Soledad currently hosts the nationally syndicated “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien”, which is produced by Hearst Television. She has anchored shows on CNN, MSNBC, and NBC, hosted projects for Fox and A&E, and contributed to Oxygen, Nat Geo, the PBS NewsHour, and WebMD.

As a result of her coverage of the Haiti earthquake, the 2012 election, and a series called “Kids and Race,” O’Brien was honored with three Emmy awards. Her reporting on Hurricane Katrina and the BP Gulf Coast Oil Spill earned her two George Foster Peabody awards, and her coverage on the Southeast Asia tsunami garnered CNN an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award. She and her husband, Brad, founded the PowHERful Foundation in 2011 following Hurricane Katrina to help young women attend colleges and complete their degrees.

The Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award dinner attracts a who’s who of broadcast media executives and celebrities. Previous Golden Mike recipients include Hilton Howell, Dave Lougee, Emily Barr, David Barrett, Michael Bloomberg, Cathy Hughes and Alfred Liggins, Bob Pittman, Gordon Smith, Jeff Smulyan, Perry Sook, and more. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients have included Lesley Visser, George Beasley, Ed McLaughlin, Bill Hoffman, Charles Osgood, and Dick Clark. 

For information, or to reserve a seat or table, please contact the Broadcasters Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

NEW YORK—The Broadcasters Foundation of America has launched its annual year-end giving campaign. The appeal asks for tax-deductible donations to provide financial assistance to people in broadcasting whose lives have been shattered by debilitating illness, accident, or catastrophe. 

“Our grantees are your colleagues,” said Tim McCarthy, president of the Broadcasters Foundation. “They are hard-working men and women who through no fault of their own need our help. Requests for aid continue to increase every year. We cannot turn our backs on those in our industry who need our help.”

This year, the Broadcasters Foundation will award close to $2 million in monthly and one-time emergency grants. Since 2017, monthly grants have increased 70% and more than 600 emergency grants have been awarded. Over the past 20 years, the Broadcasters Foundation has distributed more than $15 million to broadcasters in need.

“Disaster often strikes without notice and extreme circumstances can deplete a life’s savings quickly,” stated Scott Herman, chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation Board of Directors. “We need everyone in radio and TV to spread the word about the Foundation’s charitable mission across their station and company, in case they or someone they know needs our help.”

More information, including how to make a personal or corporate donation or apply for aid is available at www.broadcasters foundation.org, and by contacting the Foundation at 212-373-8250 or info@thebfoa.org.

The Broadcasters Foundation of America is getting ready to send its first financial aid to broadcast industry professionals who have been suffering the effects of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona.

“This is exactly the kind of unfortunate disaster where The Broadcasters Foundation of America steps in to help radio and TV colleagues who qualify for emergency aid,” said President Tim McCarthy.

“We’ve been reaching out to groups and state associations in those areas and asking them to let their employees and members know they can apply for aid from the foundation. Requests are coming in, and we anticipate that the requests will increase over the next few weeks.” The organization said individuals affected include individuals who work at companies like Spanish Broadcasting System, America CV Station Group, Telemundo and Univision,

The foundation has a streamlined vetting process for emergency grants, which gets funds to recipients as fast as possible.

BFA is “asking every broadcaster” in affected areas to help it get the word out to those who may need the assistance.

Applications for the BFOA Emergency Grant Program and more information can be found at https://broadcastersfoundation.org/emergencygrant/.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand Radio World. 

NEW YORK—The Broadcasters Foundation of America has elected Curtis LeGeyt, President and Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Dennis Lyle, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Illinois Broadcasters Association and the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation, and Chad Matthews, President of ABC Owned Stations, to its Board.

In addition, it has named Heather Cohen, Executive Vice President of The Weiss Agency, and Judy Quaranta, a highly accomplished executive in the world of finance, as Officers. Quaranta will also fill the role of Vice President of Finance for the charitable organization that is devoted solely to providing financial aid to broadcasters in acute need. The elections took place yesterday at the Broad of Directors meeting in New York City.

“We’re delighted to announce these esteemed individuals—Curtis, Dennis, and Chad—as members of our Board,” said Scott Herman, Chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. “Their support of the Foundation’s charitable mission and their leadership in the broadcast industry is commendable. Heather and Judy are accomplished professionals in their individual field, and as Officers of the Broadcasters Foundation they will help us advance our cause of helping our colleagues who are in great need.” 

The Broadcasters Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of highly respected broadcast executives who are committed to “giving back” through the Broadcasters Foundation. The members of the Board represent a wide array of broadcast and broadcast related companies. For a complete list of the Board of Directors and Officers, click here. 

To learn more or to donate, contact the Broadcasters Foundation at info@thebfoa.org or visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org.

NEW YORK—With attendees dressed to the nine, the Broadcasters Foundation of America honored Emily Barr and Ed McLaughlin, and raised funds for broadcasters in need during its annual Golden Mike Award gala.

Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group, was honored during the event at this year’s Golden Mike Award recipient. In addition, the organization recognized the late Ed McLaughlin with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award. The broadcaster previously served as chairman of the BFA. McLaughlin’s widow accepted the award on his behalf.

In addition to the awards handed out, BFA reports that it raised $250,000 during the event to help broadcasters in need, as part of its mission to support broadcasters and their families affected by events or disasters throughout the year.