Former NBC newsreader Tom Brokaw admits he doesn't really write those best-selling books that are sold under his name, but he's all the news side's got when it comes to gray eminences and as happy to put his name on a scholarship as anything else. NBC is offering two $7,5000 Brokaw grants-- $15,000 total-- to the offspring of some lucky employee, which is a nice enough gesture but not as potentially lucrative as offering a kid a chance to try his or her luck with Howie Mandel on Deal Or No Deal.Let's be blunt: Seventy five hundred dollars won't pay for books (though it will cover a semester, if not room and board at the University of South Dakota, where Tom matriculated), and we'd think they could fatten the pot a bit. C'mon, NBC, ante up!
MEMO
TO: NBC NEWS/MSNBC EMPLOYEES
FR: Tom Brokaw Scholarship Committee
Applications Are Now Being Accepted for the
Tom Brokaw Scholarship Program
DEADLINE IS MARCH 20, 2008
We are happy to announce that The Tom Brokaw Scholarship Program is now accepting applications.
Applications and more information are available on the intranet here or from Blair Holman in room 308E.
Scholarship: Two awards of $7,500 each will be granted to children of NBC News employees who are high school seniors or graduates and plan to pursue or are pursing, full-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited college. Grants are issued on a one-time only basis and are not renewable.
Eligibility: Applicants must be the children of full-time U.S. and/or international NBC News/MSNBC employees who have a minimum of three years employment with NBC News/MSNBC as either:
* Full time NBC News/MSNBC staff or support staff
* Other NBC employees who currently spend the majority of their time supporting NBC News (such as technicians, graphic artists, directors, editors, or make-up artists.)
The children of full-time freelance staff who have worked continuously with NBC News for a minimum of seven years as of the application deadline are also eligible.
Please note: O&O and affiliate news staffs are not eligible.
Please contact... to request an application or with any questions.
Thank you and good luck!
TO: NBC NEWS/MSNBC EMPLOYEES
FR: Tom Brokaw Scholarship Committee
Applications Are Now Being Accepted for the
Tom Brokaw Scholarship Program
DEADLINE IS MARCH 20, 2008
We are happy to announce that The Tom Brokaw Scholarship Program is now accepting applications.
Applications and more information are available on the intranet here
* Full time NBC News/MSNBC staff or support staff
* Other NBC employees who currently spend the majority of their time supporting NBC News (such as technicians, graphic artists, directors, editors, or make-up artists.)
Tom Brokaw Scholarship--Too Cheap?
ReplyDeleteTom Brokaw's not dead yet, it just seems that way. He's offering two chintzy scholarships--$7500 each!-- to the children of NBC/MSNBC staffers, perma-lancers with 7 years of service to the networks and associated below the line types.
Tabloid Baby has the memo and points out that $7500 barely covers the tab at Brokaw's alma mater, the University of South Dakota at Vermilion. It would probably pay for about a week at Dartmouth, where he gave a commencement address in 2006. Maybe the crowd at the Sooner-Cornhusker game had the right idea?
But then, TB has a grudge against Brokaw, since learning that the aging newscaster doesn't write his own books.
NBC Says Brokaw Does So Write His Own Books
ReplyDeleteJenny Tartikoff of NBC emails us about our recent post about Tom Brokaw and the cheapo scholarship:
"The scholarship program was established to honor Tom Brokaw's 30 years of service to NBC News.
"It's just one scholarship opportunities offered to NBC/GE employees by NBC News, not Tom Brokaw."
Okay, we were wrong. It's NBC News that's cheap, not Brokaw.
"The scholarship has already helped 18 students. It's a highly competitive award and a great honor to receive.
"It started in 1998 as a $5,000 award and increased last year to $7,500."
So, after 10 years, NBC kicks in another $2500? We'd heard that GE wasn't happy with NBC's profit performance.
"Lastly, Tom Brokaw has written all of his books and any suggestion ortherwise is categorically untrue."
We linked to Tabloid Baby, who quoted James Brady in Forbes. There must be more history to this.