The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced that the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust has awarded five scholarships for 2025 to students interested in pursuing careers in broadcast engineering. The recipients were chosen from applications received by July 1, 2025, from the previous 12 months.

“The SBE has an ongoing focus on education, and the Ennes Scholarships are yet another piece of our overall education efforts," SBE President Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT, said. "The SBE continues to encourage young people to pursue careers in broadcast and media technology. The SBE and I look forward to seeing the great progress of these budding engineers as they further their education goals with the assistance of the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust.”

The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship, Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship, John H. Battison Founder’s Scholarship and Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship are awarded to individuals interested in continuing or beginning their education in broadcast engineering and technology. The Youth Scholarship is specifically for a graduating high school senior interested in broadcast engineering as a career. Each scholarship awarded this year is for $3,000, the group reported.

The SBE described the five recipients as follows:

• The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship recipient is Lee Cusack from Boxford, MA. They are an audio/radio major at Hofstra University, who hopes to one day be a chief engineer at a radio station in Boston. Lee first discovered their passion for broadcast engineering when they did some troubleshooting work with a Comrex Liveshot at 96.3 WJOP-LP. At Hofstra University, Lee is the technical director of 88.7 FM, WRHU, working with the chief engineer to keep the station functional 24/7. Lee’s favorite piece of equipment is the Sony Anycast Touch AWS-750.
• Receiving the Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship is Maximillian Vokoun, CBT, CPT, CBNT, of Gilbert, AZ. He is a student at Mesa Community College studying electrical engineering. His current roles include being a broadcast engineer at KTVK/KPHO, and the head of broadcasting at Bamboo Productions LLC, a broadcast company that he and other people his age started to provide freelance work for local companies and high schools. A lot of his experience so far is thanks to his time at Mesa Community College, where he used to work as an AV technician, learning the basics of terminating, soldering, and troubleshooting systems. This scholarship has granted him the opportunity to continue his education at his old workplace and start of his career, Mesa Community College. When he is finished with college he hopes to be able to continue freelancing at every major stadium/arena in Arizona.
• The John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship has been awarded to Nayab Warach, an electronics engineering student at Texas A&M University. He will graduate in 2027. He currently serves as general manager of KANM Student Radio, Texas A&M’s fully student-run internet radio station. Previously, he led a major infrastructure modernization project and now continues to support the technical side of the operations. KANM recently received a construction permit for an LPFM station, which plans to launch by the end of 2025. He is also a licensed amateur radio operator (KI5YBE) and an active member of Texas A&M’s amateur radio club, W5AC. In his work with KANM, he has collaborated with the engineering staff at KAMU-FM, the university’s NPR affiliate, gaining experience in practical broadcast operations and regulatory compliance. These experiences have led him towards a career in broadcast consulting. He is particularly interested in providing technical and regulatory services for broadcasters.
• The Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship has been awarded to Maddox Murray, from Benton, AR, who graduated from Benton High School in May 2025 and now attends the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, studying electronics engineering. His interest in electronics began by servicing vintage hi-fi receivers, not long after meeting his current boss, Jay Brentlinger, owner of the Arkansas Rocks Radio Network. Murray has worked for the network since May 2024 as an apprentice broadcast engineer, initially servicing legacy audio processors, setting up studio equipment, and gaining hands-on experience with the systems within the studio. His experience now includes work at transmitter sites.
• Shawn Ray received the Youth Scholarship. From Cypress, TX, he is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in video and media design. Shawn has served as a media engineer for TSTV (Texas Student Television), where he managed the transition to a fully HD production workflow. He has also volunteered as an A/V technician for community events and spent a summer interning with the engineering department at a local PBS affiliate, KLRU-TV. After graduation, Shawn plans to pursue a career in broadcast systems integration, with the goal of designing and building next-generation production facilities for national sports networks.

The Harold Ennes Scholarship Fund Trust was initiated by Indianapolis Chapter 25 in 1980 in memory of Harold E. Ennes, author of many textbooks for broadcast and broadcast-related communications training and a member of the Indianapolis chapter. Ennes was a member of the SBE’s national Certification Committee and made many contributions to the early development of the Certification Program. To encourage greater growth, the Scholarship Trust was transferred by Chapter 25 to the SBE national organization to administer in 1981. The name of the Trust was changed in 1995 to the “Harold Ennes Educational Foundation Trust” to fully embrace its expanded role, the SBE reported.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Charter Communications’ Spectrum brand has announced that it is now accepting applications for Spectrum Scholars, the cable operator’s annual scholarship and professional development program for college students with financial need.

Charter has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships through Spectrum Scholars since 2020.

Each of the 15 students selected for the 2025-2026 class, the fifth class of Spectrum Scholars, will receive a $20,000 scholarship to be distributed between their junior and senior years. They’ll also participate in a two-year professional development program in which they will be paired with a Spectrum employee mentor and complete a paid internship with the cable operator, which was recently recognized by RippleMatch’s Campus Forward Awards for excellence in internship programming.

“Spectrum Scholars is more than just a scholarship program; it's a pathway to career success,” said Paul Marchand, executive vice president, chief human resources officer at Charter “From getting paired with an employee mentor to a paid internship with Spectrum, this comprehensive program offers real-world learning experiences, professional development and unique opportunities for career exploration.”

More specifically, Spectrum said that throughout the two-year program, the Scholars meet with their mentors to discuss their professional goals, tackle challenges and identify potential career opportunities. Students also take part in a paid 10-week internship at one of Spectrum’s corporate offices in Stamford, Charlotte, St. Louis, Denver or Austin. For some participants, these internships lead to postgraduation employment with the cable MSO.

Sarah Velez, for example, entered the Spectrum Scholars program in 2022 and joined the company as a marketing operations analyst intern at its Stamford headquarters in the summer of 2023. Throughout her internship, she focused on building a network within the company, meeting with various marketing teams to understand their roles and establish relationships. Upon graduating from the University of Connecticut last May, Velez accepted a full-time position with Spectrum as a marketing associate.

More information about how to apply for the fifth class of Spectrum Scholars, as well as program eligibility and selection criteria, is available here. The deadline for applications is April 4 and winners will be announced in the summer.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Charter Communications has announced that the application period is now open for Spectrum Scholars, the company’s annual scholarship program for underrepresented college students with financial need. 

Each of the rising college juniors selected for the 2024-2025 program will receive a $20,000 scholarship, a Charter mentor and the opportunity for a paid internship with the company. Eligible students can apply for the program here.

“Spectrum Scholars allows us to support rising professionals through financial and career development support, underscoring our commitment to investing in a skilled and diverse workforce that can best serve the needs of our customers,” said Paul Marchand, executive vice president, chief human resources officer for Charter. “Attracting, developing and retaining employees is key to Charter’s continued success, and this effort begins with entry level roles.”

Now in its fourth year, Charter has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships through Spectrum Scholars since 2020, but the benefits for students of participating in the program extend far beyond financial assistance. 

Charter said that each of the students selected for the 2024-2025 class of Spectrum Scholars will have the opportunity to complete the two-year professional development program, designed to introduce them to new career paths and expand their networks, with the potential for full-time employment with Charter post-graduation.

Students also get unique access to networking and professional development opportunities including the Scholars Summit, a three-day event hosted at Charter’s corporate headquarters in Stamford. In December, the 2022 and 2023 classes traveled from across the country for the 2023 Scholars Summit where they participated in networking activities with Charter mentors and sat in on keynotes and career development sessions on topics like how to communicate in a corporate environment and the different career paths that can be pursued with Charter.

Fifteen students will be selected for the 2024-2025 class, each receiving $20,000 in tuition support to be spread between their junior and senior years, a Charter mentor and the opportunity for a paid, 10-week internship at one of Charter’s corporate offices in Stamford, Charlotte, St. Louis or Denver, the company said. 

More information about how to apply, as well as program eligibility and selection criteria, is available here. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2024; winners will be announced in May and scholarships will be awarded in August. 

BALTIMORE—Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that it has awarded scholarships to 15 university students as a part of its annual Diversity Scholarship program.

The annual Sinclair Broadcast Group Diversity Scholarship aims to invest in the future of the broadcast industry and help students from diverse backgrounds, who reflect Sinclair’s audiences nationwide, complete their education and pursue careers in local journalism, digital storytelling, and marketing, the company said. 

Since the program’s launch in 2013, the company has provided more than $315,000 in tuition assistance since launch. 

“Sinclair is committed to nurturing young talent and increasing diversity in local media. We congratulate the 2023 scholarship winners and look forward to their future success as they embark on their professional journeys in the fields of journalism and marketing,” said Sinclair president and CEO Chris Ripley.

This year, the Sinclair Broadcast Group Diversity Scholarship awarded a total of $60,500 to the following students:

• Nicole Aponte - Syracuse University
• Derryl Barnes Jr. - University of Miami
• Yaw Bonsu - Hofstra University
• Lucciana Choueiry - Texas State University
• Noah Cornelius - Appalachian State University
• Cristian Crosse - New Mexico State University
• Juhi Doshi - Chapman University
• Chloe Franklin - Elon University
• Ethan Huang - University of Southern California
• Ryann Jones - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Imara Moore - Howard University
• Gavin Nguyen - Chapman University
• Nikiah Perry - Belmont University
• Raven Ratliff - Florida International University
• David Victor - Fresno State

Sinclair’s commitment to building an industry that is more inclusive and representative of diverse communities also includes enhanced efforts to recruit talented employees from historically Black colleges and universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions of higher learning.

Additional details on the scholarship and this year’s winners can be found on the Sinclair Broadcast Group website.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Charter Communications has awarded $400,000 in scholarships to the 2023 class of Spectrum Scholars, the company’s annual college scholarship program for underrepresented students with financial need. 

Each of the 20 students in this year’s class will receive a $20,000 scholarship, be assigned a Charter mentor and have the opportunity to pursue an internship at one of the company’s corporate offices in Stamford, Charlotte, St. Louis or Denver.

“We look forward to welcoming the outstanding students selected to participate in this year’s Spectrum Scholars program,” said Paul Marchand, the company’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “As we continue to make meaningful investments to build a highly skilled and diverse talent pipeline, Spectrum Scholars directly supports the next generation of leaders through financial assistance, as well as invaluable mentorship, hands-on learning and networking opportunities.”

Launched in 2020, Spectrum Scholars is a two-year program designed to introduce students to career paths that match their interests and provide them with real-world experience in a corporate environment, Charter said. 

In addition to awarding scholarship funds to be used over the course of their junior and senior years, the Scholars receive mentorship and skills training, with the potential for full-time employment with Charter post-graduation.

The opportunity for employment with Charter is one of the key advantages afforded to Scholars. Mariel Segovia, a participant in the 2020 class of Spectrum Scholars, accepted a full-time position as a network engineer with Spectrum Enterprise’s Data Integrity team in Austin upon completion of the program and internships with Charter’s Community Impact department in 2021 and the Data Integrity Team within Enterprise Service Engineering in 2022.

The 2023 class of Spectrum Scholars is comprised of 20 finalists representing 13 schools across eight states and a variety of academic majors. 

Selected by Charter executives from a pool of over 800 submissions, applicants had to be rising college juniors with financial need and identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and/or Native American. The full list of recipients can be found here. More information about the program is available here.  

Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced the company’s annual Diversity Scholarship program is now accepting applications for the 2023 school year. The company says the scholarship program “aims to invest in the future of the broadcast industry and help students from diverse backgrounds, who reflect Sinclair’s audiences nationwide, complete their education and pursue careers in broadcast journalism, digital storytelling, and marketing.”

Sinclair has provided more than $250,000 in tuition assistance since 2013.

Applicants must be a current college sophomore or junior at an accredited four-year undergraduate college or university in the United States. Students from all 50 states may apply here. 

Deadline for submission is April 30, 2023.

Sinclair says the Diversity Scholarship program is part of the company’s overall efforts to bring more diversity to the industry, including enhanced efforts to recruit skilled and talented employees from historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic serving institutions.

“The continuation of Sinclair’s annual scholarship program is an affirmation of our commitment to increasing diversity in the broadcast industry and providing the next generation of journalists and marketers with the tools they need to succeed,” said Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley.

BALTIMORE—Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that 17 university students have been awarded scholarships as part of its annual Diversity Scholarship program.

The scholarship program aims to invest in the future of the broadcast industry and help students from diverse backgrounds complete their education and pursue careers in broadcast journalism, digital storytelling, and marketing.

“Through Sinclair’s annual scholarship program, we aim to develop and inspire the next generation of journalists and marketers and continue our commitment to increasing diversity in the broadcast industry to reflect the communities we serve,” said Sinclair president and CEO Chris Ripley. “We congratulate the 2022 winners and look forward to their future success.”

The program has provided more than $250,000 in tuition assistance since 2013. This year the program was expanded nationally and a total of $50,000 was awarded to the following students:

• Lauryn Carlton - University of Missouri
• Zoe Del Rosario - University of the Incarnate Word
• Shaylee Gibbs - Sterling College
• Sedric Granger, Jr. - Ohio University
• Najla Hollins - Michigan State University
• Azana Holmes, Texas A&M, San Antonio
• Elise Jawed - Gonzaga University
• Kaira Low - Biola University
• Tairiq Marshall - San Diego State University
• Melvin Perry, Jr. - University of South Carolina
• Alexis Rejouls - Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
• Mecca Thompson- University of Oklahoma
• Victoria Tran - Auburn University
• Brooke Ung - Biola University
• Naomi Vanderlip - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Julia Woock - University of California, Riverside
• Evan Wyno - USC Annenberg School of Journalism and Communication

The annual Sinclair Broadcast Group Diversity Scholarship complements the company’s efforts to bring more diversity to news teams nationwide. This includes enhanced efforts to recruit skilled and talented employees from historically Black colleges and universities as well as Hispanic serving institutions.

Additional details on the scholarship and this year’s winners can be found on the Sinclair Broadcast Group website.

NEW YORK—Hearst, working with the Emma Bowen Foundation, has announced the creation of an endowment that will provide need-based scholarships and internships to minority students seeking careers in the media industry. The endowment is being created in honor of the late Jeana Stanley, who was Hearst’s vice president of Finance.

Stanley joined Hearst in 2004 at WBAL-TV and WBAL-AM/FM in Baltimore as a controller. She would move up and spend eight years as the vice president of finance for Hearst Television, before joining Hearst’s corporate finance team in 2018. In addition to her finance role, Stanley also was a scout for HearstLab, a group of women executives that contribute their expertise and mentor HearstLab portfolio companies.

Stanley passed away in June 2020.

The endowment is designed to assist finance students from diverse backgrounds seeking internships and career opportunities in media. In addition to needs-based scholarships, students will receive industry-specific education, training and internship opportunities at Hearst and other media-related companies.

“This endowment allows us to create an even broader pipeline of talent, armed with the necessary skills to be competitive, to be shared within the media and technology industry,” said Nikki Bethel, Emma Bowen Foundation president and CEO. “These young faces will reflect Jeana’s legacy. We know she would be most proud.”

“This scholarship combines many of the things that were close to Jeana’s heart,” said Randal Stanley, Jeana’s husband. “Jeana was passionate about helping professionals advance in the industry. Now, her legacy lives on.”

For more information, visit www.hearst.com.  

WASHINGTON—In an effort to support students that are seeking careers in telecommunications and broadcast engineering, the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the National Translator Association have selected nine students across the country to receive their Spring 2020 scholarships.

Here are the nine recipients:

• Maurice Compton, University of Dallas
• Nathan Ellsworth, University of Texas at Dallas
• Andrew Heller, University of Minnesota
• Md. Tajul Islam, University of Missouri at Kansas City
• Daniel Klawson, University of Maryland at College Park
• Obagaeli Ngene-Igwe, University of Cincinnati
• Prosanta Paul, Old Dominion University
• Dylan Stewart, Old Dominion University
• Rafida Zaman, University of Missouri at Kansas City

The scholarships all range between $1,000 and $5,000, with $29,000 being awarded in total between the nine students.

Andrew Heller is the inaugural recipient of NTA’s Byron W. St. Clair Memorial Scholarship, which is given to promising students that plan to pursue a career in broadcast engineering.

“NTA congratulates Mr. Heller,” said John Terrill, president of NTA. “This scholarship is a good first step in the tradition of Byron St. Clair to enlighten young minds and encourage more interest in broadcast engineering, especially in the areas of translator and low power television.”

Ellsworth, Islam, Klawson and Stewart, meanwhile, were awarded IEEE BTS/AFCCE’s Jules Cohen Memorial Scholarships, which awards up to $10,000 to promising undergraduate or graduate students pursuing broadcast engineering.

Also of note, Zaman was the recipient of the E. Noel Luddy Scholarship, which was sponsored by Dielectric Communications.

In total, AFCCE says that these scholarships represented the groups’ largest ever award to students that they hope “will help shape the future,” said John George, AFCCE president.

AFCCE also announced dates to submit applications for its Fall 2020 scholarships, which will begin March 1 and go until April 30. More information is available through AFCCE and IEEE BTS’ websites.

The National Association of Broadcasters’ PILOT initiative will now offer 10 scholarships in partnership with the Broadcast Education Association.

In the announcement, NAB Executive Vice President/ Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny said, “Broadcast and media technology is a fast-moving environment, and attracting and educating future leaders is a priority for PILOT and NAB. These PILOT scholarships are intended to increase academic awareness of broadcast technology, and help students prepare for a career in the technical side of the media arts. We are happy to be working with BEA on this program, as a key component of PILOT’s technology education efforts.”

[Read: PILOT-Ing A New Communications Option For First Responders]

The new scholarship program will provide funds up to $5,000 to “college sophomores, juniors, seniors entering graduate school and graduate students” who are studying “broadcast television or radio engineering and technology, broadcast content creation including sports and news production, web and online media, mobile media, media-related information technology, multi-platform audience measurement and media technology research.”

BEA Executive Director Heather Birks said, “BEA student members have an incredible range of media technology experience in professional and academic settings, and we are honored to offer scholarships specifically geared towards these students and their potential to help shape the future of the broadcast industry.”

The application deadline is Nov. 2, and recipients will be announced by Nov. 30. The funds will be available for recipients’ use in 2019.