Criteria
One or more scholarships will be awarded to high-achieving students who have a burning desire to enter the broadcast industry as a vocation. Preference will be given to a student in their junior year who have a large market broadcast industry internship opportunity and need additional financial support in conjunction with their internships. Preference will also be given to students who are majoring in the Murrow College broadcasting sequence.
This large market includes the top 30 DMA as ranked by TBV Local Media Marketing Solutions, Nielsen DMA Ranks. Current rankings can be found: http://www.tvb.org/measurement/131627.
History
Barbara Groce Reilly and Earl F. Reilly, Jr., have enjoyed a breadth of leadership experiences in radio and television that indelibly impacted those who they have mentored and managed. Through their careers, they shared a commitment to provide opportunities that enrich and nurture the industry’s future practitioners through real world experiences. Both Groce Reilly and Reilly’s contributions to the radio and television broadcasting industry are marked by their pursuit of excellence.
About Barbara Groce Reilly
Barbara Groce Reilly served as Public Affairs Manager for KOMO TV4, Seattle, Washington. Groce Reilly’s responsibilities included the development and implement Kids Fair special community service campaigns, projects, and events. Barbara was with KOMO TV and Fisher Broadcasting for more than 35 years. She held the Public Affairs Manager position since 1979. Barbara first came to KOMO in 1957, then moved to Portland in 1962 to help launch KOMO’s sister station, KATU Television. She returned to KOMO TV in 1964 to work in Public Affairs. Barbara then went on to produce such highly regarded programs as The Good Morning Show with Len Sampson, Boomerang, Kidsworld Northwest, and The Medicine Man. She also produced the 1973 documentary We Can Only Hope, which dealt with the Purdy Treatment Center for Women. She worked as Executive Producer for Town Meeting for 10 years. Barbara was responsible for the creation and direction of this highly-rated public affairs program.
Barbara has produced programs ranging from news, debates, parades, entertainment specials, to documentaries that addressed major community issues.
Barbara oversaw the station’s most successful community service campaign, For Kid’s Sake, for 11 years. She also developed and oversaw the highly regarded KOMO KidsFair and For Kids-Sake Holiday Food Drive to benefit Food Lifeline, and was active in the station’s annual broadcast of the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon to benefit Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. Under Barbara’s direction, KOMO TV’s For Kid’s Sake community service campaign received several prestigious awards, including a regional Emmy for National Association of Television Arts and Sciences; a National Association of Broadcasters Service to Children Award; and a Presidential Citation Award from former President Ronald Reagan. Reflective of Barbara’s efforts, public affairs programs have garnered more than 80 local, national and regional awards. Boomerangreceived more than 30 coveted Emmy Awards and was one of 14 outstanding children’s programs in the country to receive the prestigious national ACT (Action for Children’s Television) award for its achievement in children’s television. In 1981, Barbara served as station liaison and coordinator for the Eight Decade consortium, made up of five ABC affiliates, of which KOMO TV was the flagship station. The consortium received a Peabody Award for distinguished programming for Fed Up with Fear, an hour-long special dealing with how people in five different cities stand up to crime.
For her achievements in the broadcasting field, Barbara has been recognized with several top awards. They include being awarded the Women In Communications Matrix award in 1977, two 1977 Emmy Awards for Program Achievement as Producer of Boomerang, and a 1978 Emmy for Program Achievement as Producer of Boomerang Christmas special. In addition, she received the 1970 Variety Club Gold Heart Award, the 1974 Washington Press Women Sugar Plum Award for Outstanding Contribution to the communications field, and was a 1978 nominee for the Evergreen Chapter, AWRT Woman Broadcaster of the Year.
In March 1993 Groce was inducted into the Seattle Chapter National Academy of Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Silver Circle. The Silver Circle comprises media professionals who began their careers in broadcasting at least 25 years ago and have made significant contributions to both their industry and the community throughout their careers.
Over the years, Barbara has served on the boards of Community Services for the Blind, Food Lifeline, Fashion Group, and the Variety Club of the Pacific Northwest. Memberships have included CityClub, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Allied Arts of Seattle and American Women in Radio and Television.
The development of children’s programming and family issues have been of great importance to Barbara throughout the years. Through her insightful leadership, Public Affairs at KOMO TV has risen to one of the best in the industry. Barbara has been instrumental in helping to initiate projects to benefit young people and their families in the community. Her professional life has enabled her to work on many boards, conferences and in the development of partnerships that benefit the greater Seattle area.
About Earl F. Reilly, Jr.
Earl F. Reilly, Junior, excelled in the radio and television industry for several decades. His passion and motivation afforded him many opportunities behind the microphone as an on-air personality, a station programmer, as well as owner and manager of several radio and television stations.
Reilly had an ambitious, enterprising start that has continued for over 70 years. As a high school student in 1938-1941, Reilly headed the Radio Guild, participated in the on-air activity on KRKO AM, Everett, and acquired his Amateur Radio License. In 1942 he became a full-time radio personality in duet with Wally Nelskog on KEVE AM, Everett. At the same time, he acquired the FCC first class engineer and radiotelephone commercial license. Then, in 1943, he became chief engineer and radio personality for KRKO AM, Everett. For the next two years, from 1944-1946, he was radio personality for the KXA AM, Seattle program Stay Up Stan.
During the mid-40s to early 60s, he held various on-air assignments, personality shows, and newscasts. In 1947 he became a charter member of the Seattle Chapter of AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), the voice in music, entertainment, news, and information.
His expertise in radio and television sales are marked by a successful series of roles 1952 KING AM account executive and KING TV freelance live commercials, 1955 KING AM program director, 1956 KING TV account executive, 1959 KING AM station manager, and in 1961 through 1968 KING-TV sales manager.
In the late 60s (1968-79), Earl was co-owner of Simpson/Reilly TV and radio station representation firm. He represented major radio and TV stations throughout the U.S., including NBC-TV stations. Their sports division held sales rights for Washington State Football. And he was a 10% stockholder in Midnight Sun radio and TV stations. After selling the company to KATZ Communications in 1979, the largest Radio-TV representation company in the U.S., he became vice president and Seattle manager of the company through 1988. In the late 80s (1988-2004), Earl was the Western Canada sales representative for Fisher Communications and KHQ-TV., Spokane.
For the past 20 plus years, Earl has been co-owner of Alaska Juneau Communications (1985 to present), and a licensed broker for purchase and sale of radio and television stations, through Earl Reilly enterprises (1988 to present).