Today’s blog post is courtesy of Jim Thompson, President of the Broadcasters Foundation of America
Radio broadcasters are a central part of everything that happens in our communities. Across all formats, radio reports on monumental events — both local and national. Radio is there to share in the joy that emanates from parents and their teens when the high school football team wins a home game and the happiness that radiates from children when the playground in the town’s park is finally completed. Radio is also there to express the sadness that strikes a community when disaster hits. Radio is a medium that connects emotionally like no other. It is an industry that cares and, with its unique emotional and local connection, it is always there to help!
But what happens when something tragic occurs to someone in the radio or television industry? When it is the general manager, the afternoon air talent, or even a retired broadcaster who falls on hard times? That’s when the Broadcasters Foundation of America steps in.
For more than seventy years, the Broadcasters Foundation of America has provided financial assistance to anonymous radio and television professionals whose lives have been shattered by unthinkable tragedies. A 501(c)3 public charity, the Foundation is unique in that it exists solely to help broadcasters in acute need. Every grant recipient is or has been a colleague — hard-working broadcasters who had productive lives and vibrant careers in sales, programming, on-air, production, management, even ownership, and more. Now, these individuals are struggling or destitute because of disease, accident, or advanced age, and they don’t know where to turn or may be too embarrassed to ask for help.
No radio or TV professional who has qualified for aid has ever been turned away, and every grant recipient remains anonymous, unless specifically requested otherwise by the grantee. There are too many in the radio and TV industry who don’t know about the Broadcasters Foundation. The Foundation needs your help to ensure that everyone in the radio and television industry in America knows about the Broadcasters Foundation so that those in need can reach out for help. The Broadcasters Foundation of America delivers two types of financial assistance — monthly and one-time emergency grants. Monthly recipients undergo a thorough screening and application process annually to determine need. One-time emergency grants are disbursed to recipients whose lives or homes are affected by natural catastrophes like Hurricane Sandy, the Joplin area tornadoes, or the recent floods in Louisiana. Radio responds quickly in an emergency, and so does the Broadcasters Foundation. Emergency grant recipients receive their check in less than a week of submitting their application.
The Broadcasters Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from a wide variety of radio and television broadcasting groups and companies across the country. They are dedicated to helping every broadcaster who qualifies, and to doing so with the utmost discretion and respect. Please help us by telling everyone in the broadcast industry that the Broadcasters Foundation of America is here to provide a safety net in times of great need. You can learn more about the Broadcasters Foundation of America at www.broadcastersfoundation.org, emailing info@thebfoa.org or calling 212-373-8250.