Remembering "Rock Jock" Dusty Street

Dusty Street, the quintessential Rock Jock, spent her entire career on the radio. But as the broadcast industry evolved and stations changed formats, she struggled to find work and keep her much needed medical benefits.

After 34 years on-air in Los Angeles, Dusty lost her position due to a format change. She relocated to Las Vegas, only to lose that position to another format change. She moved around the country looking for on-air jobs, but many were part-time and did not include medical coverage. During this time, Dusty had to have, not one, but two spinal surgeries. She battled cancer, twice. Her medical insurance and COBRA extension ran out, so she depleted her retirement savings and 401K to pay her medical bills. But Dusty’s body continued to deteriorate.

Completely out of funds, with nowhere to turn, a colleague told her about the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Dusty received a monthly grant from the Foundation that keeps her in her home and helps her make ends meet.

Dusty shared in a letter: “Because of this grant I can pay my rent and basic bills. This grant literally saved me from the streets. You are my angels on earth. I don’t know what I would do without you."

After her passing, Dusty's close friend wrote to the BFOA, "Thank you for the support your organization gave to her these last 10-ish years. It raised her out of poverty and gave her the first financial stability she's ever known. Please continue doing this good work."

Dusty’s story is just one of many. Please tell your colleagues about the Broadcasters Foundation of America, because no broadcaster’s cry for help should ever go unanswered.

BFOA Media Mixers Lands in the Windy City!

Broadcasters Foundation of America launched the Media Mixers event series in July to provide an opportunity for the next generation of broadcasters to mix and mingle with industry executives, while learning about the BFOA's unique mission. On November 1st, we hosted our first mixer in Chicago! Thank you to everyone who came out to support our mission and make our first Chi-town event a huge success!

Extra thanks to our hosts and new BFOA Talent Ambassadors, Sherman & Tingle from The Drive 97.1FM, and the crew at ABC7 WLS-TV and Hulu Studios for their dedication and time. And we can’t forget to shout out Constellation Brands for the tasty beverages and thank all our sponsors for their generosity and support!

Stay tuned to find out what city the BFOA will take over next, www.broadcastersfoundation.org/mediamixers.

Share your stories with us! If you have a narrative to share about your station, employees, or community, please feel free to send it to us at info@thebfoa.org.