National Association of College Broadcasters
Encyclopedia
The National Association of College Broadcasters (NACB), was founded in 1988 by students at Brown University
in Providence, Rhode Island. Jumpstarted by a $300,000 grant from the now-defunct CBS Foundation, thanks to connections through the father of co-founder Doug Liman
, NACB became the first trade association specifically geared to all aspects of American student-staffed radio and television stations. (Other unaffiliated organizations, such as the National Broadcasting Society, Alpha Epsilon Rho, was geared to student journalists, and not all aspects of station operations, while the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
, geared to College radio, did not embrace Student television station
s until well after NACB's founding. The National Association of Educational Broadcasters
was focused on professionally run stations based on college campuses that were typically National Public Radio affiliates.)
Thanks in part to keynote addresses by legendary television journalist Walter Cronkite
at its first national conference in November, 1988; media magnate Ted Turner
the following year; and Quincy Jones
at 1990's event, NACB put itself on the map quickly, reaching a peak of over 600 member stations in the US and a few internationally by 1992. Its National College Television and Radio Awards was the second (after the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' annual student competition) to give significant cash prizes for student productions in a wide range of programming categories that year, thanks to support from several of the US's major media companies, including CBS, ESPN, CNN, NBC, HBO, FOX, E! Entertainment, MTV Networks and Interep.
Over its first few years, NACB hired three full-time staff to manage the association, at times including some graduating Brown students. The association continued to enjoy significant support from student volunteers and office space on campus donated by Brown University.
Among its notable successes were U-Net (later trademarked as U Network), a satellite-delivered programming network featuring top student productions; regional conferences expanding from the national; the comprehensive Station Handbook manual, an annually updated guide for Campus radio
and TV station operations; and a monthly print magazine, College Broadcaster, widely read among student managers and college station faculty advisors, published from 1989 through 1996. Unfortunately, the cost of delivering programming by satellite and the relatively few Student television station that could receive such programming at the time limited the reach of the network. In the mid-1990s, Lucie Salhany
, head of the upstart television network by United Television and Paramount, made a modest unsolicited offer to buy the rights to the U Network name. NACB countered with a $100,000 request, which she refused, thus the network was named UPN
instead of U.
NACB's board of directors was composed of students and faculty, most of whom turned over annually and whose business savvy was understandably not as mature as the industry professionals it attracted to its conferences. Its advisory board of media luminaries never met physically and was infrequently tapped for assistance. Incorporated as a 501(c) non-profit, its revenue streams were limited to member dues (quite low, to account for limited student organization budgets), conference registrations, database list rentals and a few special projects, so donations continued to be vital to its survival. Due primarily to a lack of seasoned leadership who could build the relationships that insured continued philanthropic support, the organization ceased operations in 1998.
Legacy:
Realizing the vacuum left by NACB's demise, two of its member stations' faculty advisors (Will Robedee and Warren Kozireski) soon after founded College Broadcasters Inc., also a non-profit geared to college station operations. It continues to operate today. Fellow NACB co-founder David Bartis has continued to work closely with Doug Liman
in the 20+ years since, forming a production company that has handled many major network television series as well as Doug directing major Hollywood studio feature films.
Notes:
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, Rhode Island. Jumpstarted by a $300,000 grant from the now-defunct CBS Foundation, thanks to connections through the father of co-founder Doug Liman
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric "Doug" Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers , The Bourne Identity , Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Jumper , and Fair Game .-Early life:...
, NACB became the first trade association specifically geared to all aspects of American student-staffed radio and television stations. (Other unaffiliated organizations, such as the National Broadcasting Society, Alpha Epsilon Rho, was geared to student journalists, and not all aspects of station operations, while the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is an organization of over 1000 non-profit, education-affiliated radio stations .Founded in 1940, IBS is headquartered in New Windsor, New York, with a legal office in Washington, D.C., and frequently represents its members with FCC negotiations, copyright...
, geared to College radio, did not embrace Student television station
Student television station
A student television station is a television station run by university, high or middle school students that primarily airs school/university news and in many cases, student-produced soap operas, entertainment shows, and other programming....
s until well after NACB's founding. The National Association of Educational Broadcasters
National Association of Educational Broadcasters
The National Association of Educational Broadcasters was founded as the Association of College University Broadcasting Stations on November 12, 1925....
was focused on professionally run stations based on college campuses that were typically National Public Radio affiliates.)
Thanks in part to keynote addresses by legendary television journalist Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
at its first national conference in November, 1988; media magnate Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
the following year; and Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
at 1990's event, NACB put itself on the map quickly, reaching a peak of over 600 member stations in the US and a few internationally by 1992. Its National College Television and Radio Awards was the second (after the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' annual student competition) to give significant cash prizes for student productions in a wide range of programming categories that year, thanks to support from several of the US's major media companies, including CBS, ESPN, CNN, NBC, HBO, FOX, E! Entertainment, MTV Networks and Interep.
Over its first few years, NACB hired three full-time staff to manage the association, at times including some graduating Brown students. The association continued to enjoy significant support from student volunteers and office space on campus donated by Brown University.
Among its notable successes were U-Net (later trademarked as U Network), a satellite-delivered programming network featuring top student productions; regional conferences expanding from the national; the comprehensive Station Handbook manual, an annually updated guide for Campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
and TV station operations; and a monthly print magazine, College Broadcaster, widely read among student managers and college station faculty advisors, published from 1989 through 1996. Unfortunately, the cost of delivering programming by satellite and the relatively few Student television station that could receive such programming at the time limited the reach of the network. In the mid-1990s, Lucie Salhany
Lucie Salhany
Lucie Salhany is a Lebanese media executive. Salhany is perhaps best known for rising to chairman of Fox Broadcasting Company in 1993, making her the first woman to head a broadcast television network...
, head of the upstart television network by United Television and Paramount, made a modest unsolicited offer to buy the rights to the U Network name. NACB countered with a $100,000 request, which she refused, thus the network was named UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
instead of U.
NACB's board of directors was composed of students and faculty, most of whom turned over annually and whose business savvy was understandably not as mature as the industry professionals it attracted to its conferences. Its advisory board of media luminaries never met physically and was infrequently tapped for assistance. Incorporated as a 501(c) non-profit, its revenue streams were limited to member dues (quite low, to account for limited student organization budgets), conference registrations, database list rentals and a few special projects, so donations continued to be vital to its survival. Due primarily to a lack of seasoned leadership who could build the relationships that insured continued philanthropic support, the organization ceased operations in 1998.
Legacy:
Realizing the vacuum left by NACB's demise, two of its member stations' faculty advisors (Will Robedee and Warren Kozireski) soon after founded College Broadcasters Inc., also a non-profit geared to college station operations. It continues to operate today. Fellow NACB co-founder David Bartis has continued to work closely with Doug Liman
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric "Doug" Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers , The Bourne Identity , Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Jumper , and Fair Game .-Early life:...
in the 20+ years since, forming a production company that has handled many major network television series as well as Doug directing major Hollywood studio feature films.
Notes:
- College Broadcaster (ISSN #1055-0461), Providence, RI
- SPIN magazine profile of NACB in May 1992 issue
- BMI Supports NACB
- History of Emerson College - see 1993 reference to NACB student programming awards
- Hofstra University awards from NACB (in 1990s section)
- Warren Kozireski biography, numerous NACB and College Broadcaster references
- ACRN ranked a top student station by NACB
- 27th Annual and 29th Annual EVVY Awards mention NACB
- KSJS-FM/San Jose references its two Station of the Year awards from NACB in 1989 and 1991