NAB Leadership Foundation Gets Grant from Knight Foundation

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, November 13, 2023 | 3:46pm CT

NAB Leadership Foundation

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF) has announced that the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has provided a $250,000 grant for the organization's broadcast industry recruitment efforts. The grant from the Knight Foundation will enable NABLF to bolster its collegiate programs, provide more internships, increase diversity in the broadcast industry and conduct research to advance the broadcast industry's career development initiatives.

A portion of the grant will fund internships for students currently participating in NABLF's Media Sales Academy (MSA) and Technology Apprenticeship Program (TAP). The goal of MSA is to bring entry-level sales talent to the broadcast industry by providing college students with the tools, resources and connections needed to launch a media career and stay ahead of the competition.

TAP students receive technical education to prepare them for entry-level engineering and IT roles in broadcasting. Graduates of the program receive membership and Certified Broadcast Technologist (CBT) certification from the Society of Broadcast Engineers, along with AWS Cloud Practitioner training and certification

"We are grateful for the Knight Foundation's generous support, which will allow the foundation to expand our industry recruitment efforts and provide more opportunities for the next generation of broadcasters," said NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke. "Their investment gives students in the Media Sales Academy and Technology Apprentice Program the chance to engage in real world application through paid internships and will prepare them for their future careers."

"Knight Foundation is proud to support NABLF's programs for diversifying the broadcasting industry," added Knight Foundation Director of Journalism Duc Luu. "Broadcasters have a tremendous opportunity to inform and engage their communities if they reflect the true breadth of the audiences they serve. The students that will go through these programs will have unique opportunities to learn about the possibilities and challenges of rewarding careers in broadcasting, and that is due to the hard work and strategies that NABLF has put in place."