The Broadcasters Foundation of America launched its 2026 Summer Sessions in style on Thursday evening, drawing a full house of broadcast executives, talent, and emerging industry professionals to iHeartMedia New York City for the annual Giving Day Media Mixer.
The night was hosted by KTU afternoon host Maxwell, who guided the room through an evening that balanced genuine networking with the Foundation’s mission of supporting broadcasting colleagues in critical need. Guests mingled across generations of broadcast leadership, with executives from national and local outlets sharing the room alongside young professionals eager to break in.
BFOA President Tim McCarthy and Board Chair Scott Herman addressed the crowd, highlighting the Foundation’s impact, including nearly $2,000,000 in grants distributed in the past year to current and former broadcasters who fell upon hardship.
“The Broadcasters Foundation’s Media Mixers have become one of the most important gatherings for the future of our industry, bringing together rising broadcast professionals, influential executives, and legendary broadcasters in one room,” McCarthy previously said. “Broadcasting is built on relationships, mentorship, and community, and this event captures the very best of what makes our business so special while also supporting broadcasters facing critical need.”
Donations for Giving Day can still be made at BroadcastersFoundation.org.
The marquee draw was legendary radio executive Dan Mason, who met with attendees and shared memories from a career that took him from behind the microphone all the way to the helm of CBS Radio. Mason, author of Fearless: The Life & Times of a Media Maverick, is donating proceeds from his book to benefit the BFOA.
Capping the night was a live performance by Carolina Rial, providing a memorable close to an already high-energy room.
Thursday’s Mixer marked the first stop on a coast-to-coast summer schedule that has grown from a single New York City event in 2023 into a national tour with previous stops in Los Angeles and Chicago. The 2026 series continues August 6 in Cleveland alongside Morning Show Boot Camp, followed by the BFOA Celebrity Golf Tournament on September 14 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY, and closes September 30 with a Media Mixer in Arizona.
