In conjunction with Giving Tuesday and the Broadcasters Foundation of America annual Year-End Giving campaign, we hope to encourage more broadcast professionals to participate in this season's giving spirit across the industry. To start this movement, last year we launched the "12 Days of Giving" Campaign... and we're bringing it back again! 

Whether it be donating to the BFOA's mission through a personal donation or a corporate contribution, by sharing a social media post or video, or by telling a colleague about the BFOA at your holiday party, we hope to bring some inspiration to you each day while you help us share our message!

“We are devoted exclusively to providing aid to colleagues in broadcasting who are suffering from illness or facing hardship from a devastating disaster,” stated Tim McCarthy, President of the Broadcasters Foundation. “Grants are supported solely by contributions from individuals and companies within our industry. We’re asking everyone in broadcasting to please consider including the BFOA in your 2024 charitable giving.”

But contributions are just one part of the puzzle. We also ask you to share our message and our mission with your peers and colleagues. To learn more, follow us @BroadcastersFDN or visit www.broadcastersfoundation.org.

with Valari Dobson Staab

As part of an on-going series, BFOA Take Five, our fall intern, Zach Badalamenti, interviewed Valari Dobson Staab, Chairman of NBCUniversal Local. Overseeing more than 50 local, regional and national media properties, Ms. Staab is a leading innovator of the industry, Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame member and on the board of directors for the BFOA. 

ZB: Why did you pursue a career in the broadcasting industry?

VDS: I kind of fell into my career in broadcasting. I was in college, had no money, and worked three jobs to pay for school and the next semester. In my freshman year, an entry level position opened at the local television station that would make me enough money to quit all three of my other jobs, which would have been a huge help. So, I went to the job, and I literally begged the station manager to hire me. And they did! It was a simple, clerical job, but I’d help the station with anything from being an extra crew member to running the camera for an early morning farm show. I fell in love with the industry and worked my way up.

ZB: What qualities do you possess that were helpful or beneficial to reaching your level of success?

VDS: I’ve always been a hard worker and I’m very straightforward and direct, which I think has helped me communicate well with the people around me. Also, I’m intellectually curious and I constantly wanted to learn more about the industry. Regardless of what department of the station I worked in, I always wanted to learn how all the other parts of the station operated. I would constantly ask questions and always wanted to learn more about the industry.

ZB: How do you motivate yourself and the people around you?

VDS: I think that the key to motivating the people around you is to understand that different people are motivated by different things. So, for instance, when you run a TV station, unsurprisingly, salespeople are motivated by money. Whereas journalists tend to care more about improving and becoming a strong part of their community. That said, I think the best way to motivate someone is by understanding what drives that person to want the job they have and to tap into that motivation.

ZB: What advice would you give to your young self that you had wished someone told you?
VDS: I wish someone had really told me that it’s okay to make mistakes. When I was starting my career, I panicked every time I made a mistake. I know, now, that employers do not expect a young person starting their career to be perfect. You expect that if you hire a young person, they’re going to need to learn. If the mistakes are honest mistakes, you learn from them and move on. I think that advice would have helped me a lot to have known early on in my career. Be intellectually curious and if you don’t quite understand something, don’t be worried to seek help.

ZB: Why do you support the BFOA?
VDS: I think it’s a wonderful organization because it provides aid to members of our broadcasting community that might not be able to receive help from anywhere else. It’s an extra support system for the people that we have worked with our entire lives in this industry. Personally, I support the BFOA as a way of giving back to the industry that’s given me a lot.  

About Zach Badalamenti

An Oakland native, Zach is a journalism major in the Fordham University Class of 2025. Initially joining as a summer intern, our team was excited to welcome Zach for a second semester. You can reach out to Zach on LinkedIn.

The BFOA Internship Program is generously sponsored by the NY State Broadcasters Association.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.