Tomorrow's Broadcast Leaders: Their Future's So Bright, They've Gotta Wear Shades

FHH Profs Montero and Kirkpatrick show up-and-comers the ropes.

Another class of the brightest and the best is working its way through the Broadcast Leadership Training Program, and FHH is there to help. The BLT, of course, is a 10-month Executive MBA-style program created by the National Association of Broadcasters Education Fund (NABEF) to provide rising executives the specific knowledge and skills they'll need when it comes time for them to assess, buy, own and operate radio and television stations. The BLT provides "a blueprint for talented businesspeople to become a greater part of the industry and increase the diversity of voices available to the public", according to the BLT website. (Check out this page of the website for information on how to apply for next year's program; applications are due by May 31, 2015.)

BLT participants don't have to suffer through dry presentations offered by ivory-tower-cloistered lecturers. Au contraire, they are taught by a wide range of professionals who know what they're talking about because they've experienced it all first hand - including (and here we're quoting the BLT website) "leading communications attorneys". So it should not surprise you that the most recent session,on "Closing on the Acquisition of a Broadcast Station", was led by none other than FHH mavens (and CommLawBlog contributors) Frank Montero and Dan Kirkpatrick. Frank and Dan took their tutees through practical issues they're likely to confront, including preparing closing documents, obtaining necessary consents, getting all financing in order, and the like.

This year's class includes: Anthony Arbucias, Graham "Skip" Dillard, Manny Fantis, Jacqui(C) Freeman, Marlon George, Dustin Hall, Kelly Landeen, Sarah Miles, Brian Paul, Erica Pefferman, Claudia Puig, Mary Rogers, Deborah Salons, Ryanne Saucier, Scott Schurz, Matt Smith and Robert Yanez. They're shown in the photo below, along with Michelle Duke (of the NABEF), DuJuan McCoy (an NAB Board Member and a BLT Trustee and alum), and Frank and Dan. That's Frank on the right, giving the thumbs-up. But you don't need his imprimatur to know that you're dealing with the broadcast industry's next generation of up-and-comers. You can tell that because they're all sporting their CommLawBlog shades. (Don't you wish you had your pair?)