McCarthy To Succeed Thompson As BFA Pres.
• Jim Thompson, who has served as President of the Broadcasters Foundation of America since 2009, announced his retirement, effective at the end of 2022. In conjunction with that news, the Broadcasters Foundation unveiled a succession plan whereby Thompson (left) and fellow broadcast executive Tim McCarthy (right) will serve as Co-Presidents throughout 2022, at which time Thompson will move into an active consultancy role. The Search Committee unanimously chose McCarthy as the best candidate for the position, and the Board of Directors unanimously endorsed him and the succession plan, which goes into effect on Nov. 1.
Scott Herman, Chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation, remarked, “I have known Tim for almost 20 years. He’s an outstanding leader and I look forward to working with him and Jim for a seamless transition. Jim has done a phenomenal job getting the word out about our mission and increasing the number of broadcasters we help. The entire Board and I are delighted that he will remain with the Foundation as Co-President and then as a Consultant.”
McCarthy was most recently with ESPN/Walt Disney Company as SVP/GM of Audio Play-By-Play & GM of New York and L.A. Radio. He joined ESPN in 1998 as GM & President of WABC/Radio Disney/ESPN. McCarthy began his radio career at WABC Radio in 1990. During his 40+ year career, Thompson was President of Westinghouse Broadcasting’s Radio Division, President & Co-Owner of Liberty Radio Group, and GM of KYW-TV/Philadelphia.
“Serving the mission of the Broadcasters Foundation has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” said Thompson. “I cannot think of a more worthy task then helping our colleagues in their darkest moments. The search committee and the Board have made an excellent choice in Tim — I know I will be leaving our mission in good hands.” McCarthy commented, “I look forward to working with Jim and the entire Board to continue the important work of the Broadcasters Foundation. I have been in broadcasting throughout my career, and it’s an honor to be in a position to give back by providing aid to those in our industry who need it most.”
Chairman Emeritus Phil Lombardo noted, “I worked with the search committee 12 years ago to bring Jim onboard, and I’m pleased to again have worked with the current search committee to identify Tim as the best person to take on our mission of helping broadcasters in acute need.”
