Countdown to NAB Show 2025: BEA’s Heather Birks

As the Broadcast Education Association prepares to return to Las Vegas alongside NAB Show for its 2025 Conference and Festival of Media Arts, Radio Ink caught up with BEA Executive Director Heather Birks to discuss new collaborations, the evolving pipeline of student talent, and how this year’s Career Fair partnership with the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation reflects a deeper commitment to bridging the industry’s past with its future.

Radio Ink: How did the partnership between BEA and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation come together for this year’s Career Fair?

Heather Birks: Lots of members of the executive committee of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation had participated in the career fair in the past. One of the goals of the LABF is to make sure young people are learning about the history of broadcasting and its importance. So what better way to put it on a pedestal than to sponsor the actual career fair with students?

Radio Ink: And I know there are other new collaborations or expanded collaborations – you have a history with the RAB that Mike Hulvey hinted to us that you were expanding…

Heather Birks: Yes! We are now in our 11th year of the RAB Student Scholar Program. It started 11 years ago at the Radio Show as the Radio Show Student Scholars. Every year since, we’ve made some modifications to the program.

Every year, we host a group executive panel. Students and executives usually have to be kicked out of the room at the end of that panel because they all want to keep talking to each other, which is fantastic.

Since the beginning, we’ve also held Mentor Match-Up sessions. We bring in group executives and staff from the sponsoring stations of the RAB Student Scholar Program to meet with students in small groups. It’s incredibly engaging, and we’ve even had students get hired on the spot from those conversations.

Brand new this year, RAB is running three tours – two with students and one with faculty – onto the NAB Show floor. Xperi, WideOrbit, and Benztown are involved, along with several others.

One reason it’s important to run these tours is that the NAB Show floor can be overwhelming for students, faculty, and frankly, anyone. So if we can help guide our students and faculty to certain exhibits and introduce them to the right people, it’ll help them better understand the industry and get more excited about being a part of it.

Radio Ink: How do you find that these collaborations with groups like the LABF, NAB, and RAB shape the experience for students?

Heather Birks: One of the things we always try to do as an organization is bridge our traditional researchers with our creative scholars. For any professional – whether in research or creative work – engagement with industry professionals is crucial. Once these students, and their faculty, hear those stories and make those connections, and see the value broadcasters bring, I think that’s the only way to keep them in the industry.

Radio Ink: I know you also have the BEA Festival of Media Arts, which highlights award-winning student work. How important do you find that recognition to a student’s future in broadcasting or media?

Heather Birks: I think the festival has expanded dramatically since you were involved in 2015. This year, we had almost 2,300 submissions, which is remarkable. Every single entry is reviewed by three people, so it’s very competitive. The students who rise to the top truly are among the best in the industry.

When students have award-winning content to include on their résumés or to talk about in interviews, it makes a difference. Of all the creative things we do, I think this is one of the most important for the students. And many of the students who come to Las Vegas are award winners. They really are at the top of their class, in the top 2%. It gives them confidence to meet professionals and talk about what they’ve done – whether it’s a story they’ve written or aired, a podcast they’ve produced, or a narrative audio piece.

Radio Ink: 2,300 entries is amazing. How many of those are in audio? We always hear no one wants to get into radio, but that feels untrue with numbers like that.

Heather Birks: It does feel very untrue. We’ve got all these different student competitions – eight in total -and audio has grown considerably every year for both faculty and students. Storytelling isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. These narrative, in-depth pieces that students are producing are so strong.

We’ve also seen students who were previously interested in print gravitate toward audio. They want their voices to be heard. And with audio, they don’t have to worry about video editing or learning cameras. They already know how to write and tell a story – it really translates well to audio.

Radio Ink: What would you attribute this shift to?

Heather Birks: I think it’s about voice. These students want to be heard, and they want to tell good stories. There’s no shortage of content, and they want to create. Audio platforms are accessible, and that’s important.

Radio Ink: For the college students attending the career fair with LABF, what do you see them needing most from broadcasters as they enter the workforce?

Heather Birks: [Laughs] They need jobs.

In seriousness, a lot of students want to be on air or maybe become producers, but many don’t know the full range of jobs available to them. That’s one of the reasons these career fairs are so important. If they’ve got the media bug and want to be in the industry, we want to show them all the other roles they can pursue. That’s also why we’re so excited about the tours—they give students access to parts of the industry they might not otherwise consider.

I was talking to someone recently about music. If you’re interested in radio or audio production, music licensing is expensive, so many media companies are now hiring in-house music producers and composers. It’s all about access and awareness. We just need to tell students what those jobs are.

Radio Ink: You mentioned this with the tours – it can be overwhelming for a student headed to Vegas. They’re coming in as award winners, maybe attending the NAB Show or BEA for the first time. What advice would you give to students attending for the first time?

Heather Birks: Wear comfortable shoes. That’s the first thing we always tell them.

I’d also say: find someone you’re comfortable with – a fellow student, a faculty member – and walk around, get a lay of the land. Don’t be afraid to go up and talk to people. Industry professionals are genuinely excited to see students. Yes, they’re interested in buyers, too, but they’re thrilled to see students who care about media and the market.

If you’re going to sessions, look up the bios of the panelists, moderators, and presenters. See if you can find a connection with any of them. Never, ever be afraid to introduce yourself. If you see them at a networking event later, go say hi. That connection makes the introduction easier, and they’re always happy to chat.

Radio Ink: For organizations that aren’t currently involved but want to support what BEA is doing or participate in the Career Fair, what’s the best way to do that?

Heather Birks: Contact me. My email is [email protected]. We’ve got lots of partners and fabulous organizations involved, and we’re always excited to find new ones. We’re always excited to connect the industry to both faculty and students.

Students! Want to jumpstart your media career? Join BEA at the LABF Career Fair on April 8th, 10a-2p, W322-327 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Network with top recruiters from advertising, broadcast, film, gaming, sports, and more!