Award-winning and widely acclaimed broadcast journalist Boyd Huppert is being recognized by the WBA Foundation with the establishment of an education debt assistance grant for broadcast journalists and a writing competition prize in his name.
Fundraising for the Boyd Huppert Education Debt Assistance Grant and Excellence in Broadcast Writing Competition will be led by longtime friends and supporters of Huppert, including WBA Education Committee Chair Mark Zoromski.
“So many of us owe a great deal of our success to my dear friend Boyd, his exceptional writing, and his willingness to help others excel at crafting compelling journalistic narratives,” Zoromski said. “He was the key to my success in the classroom – students were so inspired by his stories that he became a hero to them.”
WBA Foundation President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind said this is the perfect way to recognize Huppert’s impact on broadcast journalism.
“Boyd has been an inspiration for so many broadcast journalists throughout his career, we hope the grant and writing competition inspire a new generation to aspire to Boyd’s high standards for quality, creative journalism and public service,” Vetterkind said.
Applications for the Education Debt Assistance grant for broadcast journalists will be accepted starting March 1. The $2,000 grant is aimed at helping post-secondary school graduates working in broadcast journalism with their educational debt. The application will be available on the WBA Foundation website no later than March 1.
The Broadcast Writing Competition will be a part of the WBA Student Awards for Excellence, which opens Dec. 1 and closes Jan. 10. Newly revamped news writing categories for TV and radio will now include a cash prize of $250 for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place. The awards will be presented at the WBA Student Forum at Lambeau Field on Feb. 22.
“As the beneficiary of a Wisconsin education, I am honored to have my name associated with this WBA writing award and debt forgiveness grant,” Huppert said. “I’m delighted for the students and young professionals this will help.”
Huppert grew up on a dairy farm outside of River Falls and got his start in broadcasting as a 16-year-old announcer at his hometown radio station, WEVR. He majored in journalism and political science at UW-River Falls and began his television career in 1984 at WSAW-TV in Wausau. Huppert worked at two more TV stations, KETV-TV in Omaha and WITI-TV in Milwaukee, before joining KARE-TV in Minneapolis in 1996.
At KARE, Huppert produces and hosts the weekly “Land of 10,000 Stories” segment, one of the most beloved television franchises in the country. He conducts storytelling seminars at local stations and networks worldwide, as well as at journalism conferences across the country.
Huppert courageously continues his extraordinary work while battling multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer with no known cure.
Donations to the fund supporting these initiatives can be made here. Please be sure to check the box to indicate that the donation is for the Boyd Huppert Education Debt Assistance Grant and Excellence in Broadcast Writing Competition. Be sure to check with your employer to see if it matches charitable donations.
