Broadcasters are a very creative group, which is why despite an ever-growing pool of competition, broadcast journalism is alive and well, said New York State Broadcasters Association President Joe Reilly.
`FM radio came along and they said it was the demise of AM. Citizen radio came along and they said it was the demise of radio in general. When DVDS came along they said it was going to be the ruination of television and we’ve been able to sustain our viability through all kinds of competition and I think we’ll be able to create new ways to compete with added competition,` said Reilly.
Few know better than Reilly, who spent 40 years in the industry and 32 with NYSBA where he turned penniless into thriving.
`I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. When I started here we were virtually broke and now we’re in very good shape financially,` said Reilly.
Reilly, of Voorheesville, will retire from the helm of NYSBA at the end of June, but the legacy he built will sustain the transition and he said he’s confident it is fully prepared for the future.
`We have a great staff and are geared for the future very well,` said Reilly.
NYSBA is the gatekeeper of the broadcast industry of New York. Its mission is to `protect the free Albany air broadcast industry` and has members spanning the state, including major networks.
`What that means is we try to protect our members from what we would consider to be unnecessary laws that would have negative impact on our business and vice versa to promote rules and regulations that would help our industry,` said Reilly.
Reilly spent his tenure building the most functional, multi-faceted and effective association he could.
One program he established to generate revenue is the reason for many of the Army National Guard public service announcements and other non-profit commercials shown locally on TV.
`We assist various non-profit entities, including the state, and receive a grant from [them],` said Reilly. `For example, the Army National Guard; we get a grant from them and all our member stations run public service announcements promoting recruitment and we’ve been very instrumental in the guards staying at their budget and meeting their recruitment levels every year.`
Grant income goes to performing member service, like training member sales people, putting on news seminars and funding an internship and scholarship program.
`We turn all that money that we receive from these non-profits into member services and have been very successful at it,` said Reilly.
There have been too many victories to count, said Reilly, but one of his proudest moments was opening New York’s courts to cameras and microphones.
`That was one of my more significant accomplishments, cameras in the courtroom,` said Reilly. `I’ve always believed the courts belong to the people and we couldn’t get access for years we shouldn’t be limited to 50 seats in a courtroom and should be able to see what goes on.`
His rise to fame within the very industry he strives to protect was a colorful one and spanned radio DJ to station owner of WWOM (Wonderful World of Music) in Albany for 10 years.
The decades of hard work didn’t feel like work at all, though.
`One thing I’ve learned in life is if you’re passionate about what you do, it’s not really work. If you don’t like what you do, just get out,` said Reilly. `My life passed very quickly because I’ve had fun.`
His positivity overshadows the bumps he’s overcome along the way and he said attitude is everything.
`The thing that keeps me going is my Type A personality and to have an active mind. Even having things to worry about is better than not having anything on my mind,` said Reilly. `It’s all about balance, enough to keep you going`too much you have ulcers and a nervous breakdown, not enough means depression.`
David Donovan out of Washington DC is poised to fill Reilly’s shoes, chosen by a search committee and given the informal stamp of approval by Reilly himself.
`He worked for the FCC as a lawyer and ran a trade association in Washington broadcast for 10 years,` said Reilly. `We’re very fortunate to find a man of his caliber who would take this job.`
This isn’t the last you’ve seen, or heard, of Reilly.
`I’m on a lot of boards so that’ll keep me busy and I have a couple projects I’m in the process of working on and if either one of them comes through`which I’m pretty sure one will, if not both`I will be working harder at that than I am now,` said Reilly.
Before his final goodbye, Reilly celebrated his induction into NYSBA’s 2011 Hall of Fame at the Tony Malara Awards Dinner at the Sagamore Resort and Hotel on Lake George on Monday, June 27.
`Joe Reilly is an industry pioneer,` said Hall of Fame Chairman Ed Levine. `His decades of service have been exemplary and he has not only paved the way for the NYSBA and its members, but also been a champion for the media nationwide. He is so deserving of this honor and will be sorely missed by his colleagues in this industry.`
Despite a man who’s rolodex boasts big name friends like Brian Williams, Regis Philbin and Deborah Norville, his unassuming and modest attitude prevails.
`When I look at some of the names and look around it’s a very impressive list of inductees over the years, people far greater than I in any respect, so I’m very humbled to be thought of in that light,` said Reilly.
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