October 2000
Hubbard Broadcasting
gives $10 Million for U’s School
of Journalism and Mass Communication
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The University of
Minnesota has received a gift of $10 million
from Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. The gift,
earmarked for the School of Journalism
and Mass Communication, is the largest
ever to the school and will provide new
resources to reinforce its standing as
one of the country's leading journalism
schools.
In addition, Hubbard Broadcasting is making
other gift commitments toward Campaign
Minnesota totaling approximately $4 million.
These gifts have been designated to the
Strategic Initiatives Fund to be used
at the discretion of the university president,
to the Medical School for three endowed
faculty positions, and to General College.
The Hubbard Broadcasting gift to the School
of Journalism and Mass Communication will
be used primarily to enhance the new ways
the school is using technology for teaching
and research, and for new media studies.
"Hubbard Broadcasting has been interested
in the new ground that the J-school has
broken in the way it prepares its students
for careers in today's high-tech, interactive
media environment," said a Hubbard
spokesperson. "Hubbard Broadcasting
believes that this is the right path for
the school to be taking, and this gift
is intended to help make that possible.
Hubbard Broadcasting wants to do what
it can to help ensure that Minnesota has
an absolutely world-class journalism school,
now and far into the future."
"This is a visionary gift, given in
response to the school's visionary new
way of preparing students for communication
careers in a digital age," said university
President Mark Yudof. "The new media
initiative got its first big boost through
funding from the legislature, and it is
fitting that the next big boost is coming
from this communications industry leader."
New media was one of five academic initiatives
the University targeted for investment
in 1997. Through legislative funding and
private giving, Murphy Hall was renovated
into a high-tech teaching and research
facility, new faculty were hired, the
Institute for New Media Studies was founded
and a director hired, and curriculum changes
were implemented. "Minnesota's journalism
school has been known for its leadership
in journalism education since its founding
in the 1920s. The next chapter of this
legacy is now unfolding," said Yudof.
"The future dividends on a gift of
this magnitude are immeasurable, for both
our students and our faculty, not to mention
the larger community," said Steven
Rosenstone, dean of the College of Liberal
Arts. "What Hubbard Broadcasting
has set in motion will do us all proud
in the years ahead, building on the momentum
of a magnificent J-school tradition and
accelerating our forward progress into
this new age of digital media."
"This gift catapults the school into
the uppermost tier of journalism schools
at a time of intense competition for the
most outstanding students and faculty,
and ensures that we will remain the vanguard
of new media research and education,"
said Albert Tims, director of the School
of Journalism and Mass Communication.
"This is a very exciting time, intellectually
and professionally, for the faculty, our
students, and our alumni. With this gift,
we can carry that excitement into a new
golden age of journalism education and
research at the University of Minnesota."
The Hubbard gift is one of the largest
gifts to Campaign Minnesota, which aims
to raise $1.3 billion in private gifts
by 2003 for endowment and ongoing program
support. Campaign gifts through September
totaled $914 million, not including this
new gift.
Hubbard Broadcasting operates KSTP-AM-FM-TV
and KSTC-TV, Channel 45, in the Twin Cities,
WDIO-TV in Duluth, WIRT-TV in Hibbing,
KSAX-TV in Alexandria, KRWF-TV in Redwood
Falls, as well as Conus Communications
and the Hubbard Media Group, both of which
are headquartered in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Hubbard has also entered into a contract
to purchase KAAL-TV in Austin, Minnesota.
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