NEW YORK—Daniel Finn, a retired veteran media executive, has been named director of philanthropy and strategic partnerships at the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.

The new role calls for Finn to lead LABF’s fundraising initiatives and cultivate strategic relationships with partners, donors, and industry leaders to advance its mission of preserving, honoring and celebrating the history of U.S. broadcasting, the foundation said.

“Dan’s passion for broadcasting and his heart for service make him the perfect person to lead this important work,” LABF Board Co-Chair Deborah Parenti said. “He understands the power of this industry and the responsibility we have to preserve its legacy for future generations.”

LABF Executive Director Mary Collins added: “Dan’s experience, credibility, and passion for broadcasting make him an incredible addition to our leadership team. “His ability to build strong relationships across the industry will be invaluable as we expand our philanthropic reach and strengthen our partnerships.”

Finn was most recently senior vice president, regional market manager for Beasley Media Group’s New Jersey cluster. He has also held senior leadership roles at Greater Media, where he was widely respected for his strategic vision, team leadership and commitment to community engagement, LABF said.

Finn has been recognized throughout his career for building meaningful partnerships and mentoring future industry leaders, LABF said.

“Broadcasting has given me so much, and this role allows me to pay it forward,” Finn said. “I’m excited to work with partners who share our passion for preserving history and honoring the people who helped build this incredible industry. Together, we can truly make a difference.”

Added LABF Co-Chair Dave “Chachi” Denes: “Dan is a natural connector. He builds relationships with authenticity and purpose, and that’s exactly what LABF needs as we continue to grow our impact.”

The LABF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created to honor remarkable creators, innovators, leaders, performers and journalists who have brought the electronic arts into prominence in the U.S. It also supports the Library of American Broadcasting, an extensive collection of historical documents, professional papers, oral and video histories, books, scripps and photographs housed at the University of Maryland.

For more on the organization, visit its website.

WASHINGTON—The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has named Mary Collins as its executive director, effective Jan. 1. She has served as the foundation’s treasurer for the past several years.

In her new role, she will work closely with the board and the LAB Collection Team at the University of Maryland to oversee the organization’s year-round initiatives, including its preservation grants, educational programming and the annual Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards luncheon gala.

Now running her own advisory business, MMC Solutions, Collins previously was president and CEO of the Media Financial Management Association (MFM) and its subsidiary, the Broadcast Cable Credit Association (BCCA), from January 2003 through September 2021.

Prior to MFM, Collins held sales, marketing and business development roles at such major cable programmers as Television Food Network (now Food Network) and Rainbow Media Holdings-owned channels SportsChannel Chicago, Bravo and AMC. She also managed client relationships for cable tech firms High Speed Access and Diva Systems.

She is a member and Gracie Awards judge for the Alliance of Women in Media and a past executive member of Women in Cable Telecommunications, where she helped develop the group’s turnkey mentoring program.

During her career, Collins has earned industry such accolades as being named one of “Cablefax: The Magazine’s” Most Powerful Women in 2018 and inclusion in its Top 100 lists in 2005 and 2006.

Collins earned her MBA in marketing and policy studies from the University of Chicago and her bachelor’s degree from William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y.

More information is available on the foundation’s website.

WASHINGTON—The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has launched its Preservation Grant Initiative, a program designed to support the preservation, digitization and public accessibility of America’s broadcast history.

Through the initiative, with support of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), LABF will award up to four grants of $2,500 each to assist organizations and individuals working to preserve and share historically significant radio and television materials—from recordings and documents to oral histories and ephemera—that chronicle broadcasting’s vital role in shaping culture, news, entertainment, and democracy.

“Broadcasting’s story is America’s story,” co-chairs Jack Goodman and Heidi Raphael said. “By supporting projects that preserve and make this history freely accessible to the public, we’re helping ensure that future generations can learn from and be inspired by the medium’s powerful legacy. Many thanks to Heather Birks and BEA for being a part of this important initiative.”

In addition to supporting preservation efforts, the grant program requires recipients to make the materials, information or research supported by the grant freely available to the public. This commitment to open access underscores LABF’s mission to expand the reach of broadcast history beyond archives and into classrooms, communities, and digital platforms where it can inform and inspire a wide audience, the organization said.

The application process has also been streamlined to encourage a broad range of applicants—including broadcast/related companies, libraries, museums, archives, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations—engaged in preserving the stories and artifacts of broadcasting’s past.

Key details:

• Grant Amount: Up to four grants of $2,500 each
• Application Deadline: Jan. 15, 2026
• Public Access Requirement: Materials, content or research funded by the grant must be made freely accessible to the public
• How to Apply: Applications and complete guidelines are available at https://beaweb.org/wp/labf_preservation_grants/.

COLLEGE PARK, Md.—The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s annual Giants of Broadcasting award luncheon will not take place in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The luncheon had been scheduled for Nov. 10.

“After careful consideration, we concluded that it would be impossible, due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, to guarantee safety for the honorees and the several hundred people who regularly attend the Giants luncheon,” said Virginia Hubbard Morris, chair of LABF.

Morris specifically noted that it was unfortunate because 2020 marks the 100th year of commercial broadcasting.

The Giants luncheon annually honors individuals who have made significant contributions to American broadcasting and the electronic arts, including entertainers, program producers and business leaders. In 2019, LABF honored Connie Chung, CBS TV Stations’ Peter Dunn, Lester Holt and PBS’ Paula Kerger, among others.

LABF will continue to provide support for the Library of American Broadcasting collection that is located at the University of Maryland in College Park, and for the awards LABF supports honoring the print and video works that explore broadcast video history, according to the announcement.

LABF Chief Development Officer Sally Brown also voiced her hope that companies and individuals in the media industry continue to support the organization financially and with historical materials, saying “it is important that we do not lose access to the history of this great industry.”