The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Broadcast Pioneers member Bill McCloskey

Broadcast Pioneers member Bill McCloskey is a contract copy editor for the publications of Warren Communications News.

He retired in 2007 as the Washington, D.C. based Director of Media Relations for BellSouth Corporation. In this position, he was responsible for explaining the company’s regulatory and legislative positions to the national press. As part of a multi-company taskforce, he led a committee of Bell company public relations executives who successfully promoted via media relations and advertising what became the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996. The taskforce developed one of the first ever advocacy homepages on the Internet.

Before coming to BellSouth in 1987, Bill worked for 11 years with The Associated Press in Washington, first as assistant managing editor for its 1100 station radio network and for the final two years as telecommunications reporter, covering the Federal Communications Commission, telephone and broadcast companies and legislation affecting communications issues on Capitol Hill. He was also assigned to cover housing, transportation and postal issues.

He was assigned to cover the national political conventions in 1976, 1980 and 1984, participating in the logistical arrangements for each. From 1988 until 2004, he has organized the BellSouth media hospitality lounges at the party nominating conventions.

Bill's professional career started in 1961, when, as a high school junior, he took a summer newsroom job at Metromedia's WIP Radio in Philadelphia. He remained with Metromedia in Philadelphia until he was drafted into the Army upon graduation from Villanova University in 1966.

Ironically, the Army assigned him to the information office of the 1st Signal Brigade in Vietnam where he wrote press releases about the Army's telephone system.

Following his tour of duty, he was assigned by Metromedia to set up a news department for WASH-FM in Washington. From 1968 until 1975, he worked as news director, network correspondent and TV news producer and writer for Metromedia in Washington. During his tenure, he and his colleagues shared several major national broadcasting awards.

Bill has been the president and treasurer of the Little Falls Swimming Club in his Bethesda, Md. neighborhood and was chairman of his local Boy Scout troop committee. He is a member of the Radio TV Digital News Association where he has served on the organization's "Task Force 2000" and served on the advisory board of the Radio TV News Directors Foundation "News in the Future Project."

Bill has chaired the RTDNA Foundation’s annual fund-raising dinner. He is past president of the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, currently serves on the Society’s national board, was the Society’s Region 2 director and was chairman of the SPJ's national By Laws Committee. He has three times been recognized with SPJ’s “President’s Award” for distinguished volunteer service to the Society. In 2008, he was awarded the Society’s “Wells Key,” its highest award for volunteers. He was appointed by the Montgomery County, Md. Executive to represent has his community on the Friendship Heights Transportation Management District Advisory Committee. An active member of the National Press Club, he serves on its Broadcast Committee.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com