NAFB Blog

Marlin Bohling describes new RD-TV Studios in Nashville, “The new RFD-TV studios are a feat of engineering. Designed and constructed by companies from New York, the main television studio room is actually comprised of six different sets located around the periphery of the main room,” reports Marlin Bohling, Markets Editor (RFD-TV and Rural Radio, Nashville, TN).  He added, “The five cameras, including an overhead jib camera, are all located in the center of the room and can pivot to cover all of the different sets, which are used for everything from our ag news and market reports to western sports coverage, weather, stand-up teases, and cozy interviews in a living room setting complete with a realistic ‘digital’ fireplace.” He continued, “Hundreds of lighting components are all computer-controlled and instantly reconfigurable. Ten giant LCD monitors arranged on end and combined in two banks of five serve as an amazing backdrop to our news stage and can show any combination of images, graphics, and videos in any size configuration for a dynamic high-action set. New world-class hardware and software systems allow for top tier production capability rivaling other national networks.” 

Joe Cornely (Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Columbus, OH) shared this photo from a recent taping of the Ohio Farm Bureau weekly public affairs radio show Town Hall Ohio. Joe put Dave Russell, at left, (Brownfield Network, Dublin, OH) on the other side of the mic when he conducted a roundtable with Ohio agricultural journalists. Along with Dave are Susan Crowell (Farm and Dairy newspaper) and Matt Reese (Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net). Joe is senior director of corporate communications for OFBF, and he served as NAFB President in 1995.

A new book chronicling the life and broadcast career of Larry Steckline, written by his current wife, Carla Stovall Steckline, former Kansas Attorney General, she also shares her professional life, their courtship and her exit from politics. The book offers a comprehensive look at challenges Larry overcame and achievements he attained in his 50 years of farm broadcasting in Kansas. The book cover says about Larry, “He grew up using an outhouse, became an ag broadcasting powerhouse, was an invited guest at the White House, and now lives in a penthouse – this is the story of Larry Steckline, the ‘farmer's friend.’”Carla said, “We are selling this book on www.larrysteckline.com on behalf of local National Association of FFA chapters. The entire $20 purchase price is being donated to FFA because Larry wants to give back to the agricultural community that made him – personally and professionally – the man he is.” 

Sabrina Hill (AgNet West Radio Network, Sanger, CA) traveled to the Midwest for two weeks to experience June Dairy Month in Wisconsin and follow up on dairy stories in South Dakota. There she sat down with the governor for an in-depth interview and also talked with several other agriculture leaders. She toured parts of Minnesota and North Dakota and learned more about agriculture in those states. During her two-week tour, she also represented California agriculture and was featured on radio stations in Wisconsin and South Dakota, where she talked about the struggles California producers are having with the drought. “I’ve worked in news for a long time, but I’ve never found the camaraderie among colleagues like there is within farm broadcasting. A few weeks ago, I traveled from California to the upper Midwest to follow several dairy stories and share the story of California agriculture. 

AgNet West Radio Network in California is one of the recipients of an NAFB Foundation internship grant. College senior Allison Rosa is joining the team for the 2015 fall semester. Rosa grew up on a small, but popular, dairy farm in Hanford, CA, and is attending Fresno Pacific University and majoring in communications. “Agriculture has been a huge part of my life, not only through my family but also with my participation in FFA, 4-H, and serving as a Kings County Dairy Princess through the California Milk Advisory Board,” she said. “Along with my passion for the agricultural industry, I have an appreciation for news and media. After graduation, I plan on starting a career within the agricultural industry focusing on either radio or print media.”