National Radio Hall of Fame & Museum

NATIONAL RADIO HALL OF FAME RULES & REGULATIONS

National Radio Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit venture of The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) in Chicago, a 501(C) (3) tax-exempt institution.

National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee (NRHOFSC)
National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee (NRHOFSC) members are appointed by the President of the MBC and include radio executives, academicians, trade journalists, and others interested in preserving the rich history of radio and creating a shrine to recognize its role in society.

DUTIES
The principal responsibility of the NRHOFSC is to nominate four worthy individuals for induction in each of the following four categories at its Spring meeting:

Pioneer Network or Syndicated
Active Network or Syndicated
Pioneer Local or Regional
Active Local or Regional

The NRHOFSC also has the option to select a fifth inductee each year for non-air contributions at its summer meeting, as well as selecting posthumous inductees for the hall of fame. The non-air recognition can be for distinguished lifetime achievement in production, management, manufacturing or technology.

The NRHOFSC may also make additional inductions that they deem appropriate and in the best interests of the National Radio Hall of Fame during the summer meeting.

No ad lib recommendations to the National Radio Hall of Fame are permitted at any meeting of the NRHOFSC.

Members of the NRHOFSC are encouraged to attend all meetings. However, out-of-town members will be polled for their opinions on important matters and, if necessary, can participate via telephone. All votes are recorded by the secretary, however the selection of the fifth inductee is done by secret ballot at the summer meeting.

CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION
The NRHOFSC shall use the following criteria in making their nominations:

National Pioneer
A broadcaster who has given at least 10 years of dedicated service to the radio industry and has been a leader in developing or improving radio programming at the national level.
National Active
An active broadcaster who has made at least 10 years of significant contributions to the industry on a national level
Local or Regional Pioneer
A broadcaster who has made at least a 20 year contribution to the radio industry and has distinguished him/herself at the local and/or regional level.
Local or Regional Active
An active broadcaster who has made at least a 20 year contribution to the radio industry and has distinguished him/herself at the local and/or regional level.

NOMINATIONS
The general public is encouraged to make recommendations to the NRHOFSC. All recommendations can be made either directly to the National Radio Hall of Fame & Museum or through a state broadcast association. Recommendations must include a letter stating credentials of the person recommended, as well as background on the individual to be considered and an audio sample, if possible. To be considered by the NRHOFSC, all recommendations must be received by the Chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame (President of the MBC) no later than March 1st of each year. Recommendations are then reviewed by the NRHOFSC at its Spring meeting. Once submitted to the NRHOFSC, all past recommendations are placed on a master list that is reviewed by the committee each year at its Spring meeting. Recommendations for the fifth non on-air inductee are reviewed at the August meeting must be received by the Chairman of the National Radio Hall of Fame no later than July 15th of each year.

VOTING
Open online voting begins in early June of each year and runs through August 1st. Eligible voters include the general public, as well as all active members of the Museum of Broadcast Communications and/or National Radio Hall of Fame as well as a select list of over 2,000 radio historians and industry leaders. The online voting deadline is supervised and certified by Votenet, a highly respected online vote tabulating firm. The person that finishes first in each of the four aforementioned categories is inducted into The National Radio Hall of Fame at its annual induction/broadcast on the first Saturday in November of each year (except in Presidential Election years, when the event is held on the second Saturday in November).

NOMINEES
The National Radio Hall of Fame nominees with a minimum of 50 votes in the national balloting shall be eligible for another opportunity for induction. No nominee for any category shall have more than five chances for induction.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nominees are announced shortly after the NRHOFSC Spring meeting. Inductees are announced shortly following the early August meeting each summer.

CONFIDENTIALITY
All RHOFSC meetings are confidential sessions. Any breach in the confidentiality of these sessions will result in immediate expulsion from the RHOFSC. Committee members are asked to publicly reveal any conflicts that might exist in the committee’s deliberations.