T. Howard Foundation and SBCA Welcome Intern Class for 2004

Alexandria, Va., June 16, 2004 – The T. Howard Foundation and Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) welcomed this year’s T. Howard interns last Thursday at an orientation event at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The T. Howard Foundation places women and minority students in internships with companies that work closely with the satellite industry. The Foundation has 42 interns this year.

Orientation speakers included Kerry Chandler, senior vice president of Human Resources for ESPN; Doug Holloway, president of Cable Investments for NBC Universal; Juan Herrera, director of Diversity at MTV Networks; and Tom Hayden, executive vice president and general manager of Direct to Home Services for Showtime Networks. A “Satellite for Beginners” course was also taught at orientation by SBCA’s senior director of Training Development, David Pedigo. The course teaches the technical, regulatory and market research basics of the consumer satellite industry and has long been a staple for professional analysts, media and executives new to the satellite industry.

“We are thrilled to have such a dedicated and wonderful group of students this year,” said Cynthia Dinkins vice president of programs and business development of the T. Howard Foundation. “I would like to thank our orientation speakers for taking time out of their busy schedules to talk with our interns. They all did a great job of encouraging the students to get as much out of this opportunity as possible, and I know this group of talented students will heed their advice.”

Companies such as DIRECTV, Viacom, Showtime Networks, ESPN, HBO, Black Entertainment Television (BET), SIRIUS, and the National Football League (NFL) are hosting interns this year and have been active participants with the T. Howard Foundation for multiple years. Boeing, Futron, and the International Channel are hosting T. Howard interns for the first time. The summer internships paid average eight weeks and give students the chance to learn first hand about the rapidly growing satellite industry. Several former T. Howard Interns have returned to work full-time within the industry following graduation. This program helps open the door for many women and minority students who may not have had the opportunity to participate in this field otherwise.

“The mission of the T. Howard Foundation is so important to our industry and we at SBCA are behind them 100 percent. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with this year’s impressive group of interns and hope that the information they learned in our ‘Satellite for Beginners’ course will help them succeed in their internships,” said Richard DalBello, president SBCA.

The mission of the T. Howard Foundation is to increase the number of women and people of color in the satellite & telecommunications industry.  To accomplish this mission, the Foundation strives to increase the talent pool of quality applicants and to dramatically increase employment opportunities for people of color and women in entry and management level positions; to foster the participation of women and people of color in the development, deployment and utilization of advanced satellite/telecommunications technology; and to ensure that women and people of color are properly educated and aware of the value of various technologies and products in the satellite/telecommunications industry.  The T. Howard Foundation, a 501-c-3 non-profit organization, was established in 1994 and named for Taylor Howard, the widely recognized founder of the direct-to-home satellite industry.  

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry. It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive, and broadband services. SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies that make up the satellite services industry. Additional information can be found at www.sbca.com.