School Will Offer a ‘Radio Farm System’ Summer Program

A school in the mountainous west of North Carolina is getting a half-million-dollar commitment from a foundation to create a “radio farm system.”
Appalachian State University said its Department of Communication received the commitment from The Kellar Family Foundation in Alexandria, Va.
The school will create a 10-day summer program, to start next year, called the Kellar Radio Farm System Institute. It will be directed by consultant Dan Vallie.
“For many years, broadcast industry members have discussed the need for an organized farm system for radio,” it stated in the announcement. The school says the goal is to deliver “talented, enthusiastic young adults qualified to excel in radio stations and broadcast groups.”
President Art Kellar, formerly of EZ Communications and who started in broadcasting in 1947, said, “The Foundation is interested in helping young people, primarily the underprivileged, and wants to give them the opportunity to develop.” Those attending will be juniors and seniors with a communication major or minor.