Texas educators name Downs Broadcaster of the Year

posted on 2.18.2016

The Texas Association of Broadcast Educators has named TAB Vice Chairman Ben Downs as their 2016 Broadcaster of the Year.

The annual award honors a broadcaster’s outstanding contributions and support of broadcast education.

Downs is the VP/GM of Bryan Broadcasting’s eight, locally-owned radio stations in Bryan-College Station.

TABE will present the award on Friday, Feb. 26, during their annual conference at Central Texas College in Killeen.

Downs has served on the Board of Directors of the TAB’s scholarship foundation – the Texas Broadcast Education Foundation - since 2001. The foundation awards $21,000 annually in scholarships to students in a broadcast curriculum at Texas colleges or universities.

"Ben Downs' continued role with TBEF and his many other actions through his years in support of broadcast education make him a great choice to be honored this year by TABE,” said Dr. Tony DeMars, TABE officer and professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Downs chaired the TAB Board of Directors in 2003 and is a former member of the NAB Radio Board of Directors. Texas broadcasters named him Broadcaster of the Year in 2009.

NAB recently named his station KNDE as a finalist for their prestigious NAB Crystal Award for outstanding community service. This is the ninth time, since 2010, that a Bryan Broadcasting station is a finalist.

“This is a fitting tribute for one of the busiest and most caring men in Texas broadcasting,” said TAB President Oscar Rodriguez. 

“Our entire industry benefits from Ben’s passion for training and advancing our future leaders.

Caption: Ben Downs with TABE President Sherry Williford, an instructor at Stephen F. Austin State University

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