KCBS Director to train Benztown protégé

Benztown, a leading international radio imaging, production library, programming, jingles and voiceover services company with over 2,300 affiliations on six different continents, and The National Radio Talent System™, the system of Radio Talent Institutes across America discovering and preparing the next generation of broadcasters, announce the selection of the Benztown Mentorship Program’s first quarter mentee, Jonathan O’Brien, a sophomore student at Georgia College and State University. This is the third student from the National Radio Talent System™ to participate in the mentorship program.

O’Brien, who attended the GAB Radio Talent Institute at the University of Georgia last summer, currently does the news on his college radio station, WGUR-FM, and is passionate about radio news. Accordingly, he will be mentored by broadcast journalist, Jennifer Seelig, Director of News and Programming for all news simulcast 740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC in San Francisco, CA, and 19-year veteran of the station. Seelig will personally mentor O’Brien in Entercom’s San Francisco studios during his Benztown-sponsored trip on March 15-17, 2020. She will also mentor O’Brien virtually throughout the spring academic semester.

The Benztown Mentorship Program offers one-to-one mentoring to select students who are accepted into The Radio Talent Institutes of the National Radio Talent System™, on an ongoing basis, with structured mentoring opportunities during the spring and fall semesters.

Dave “Chachi” Denes, Benztown President, said: “If Jonathan O’Brien is any indication of the future of our industry, we’re in great shape. We are so pleased to be able to provide this opportunity with the assistance of our friends at the National Radio Talent System™ and the incredible Jennifer Seelig and KCBS.”

Dan Vallie, President, The National Radio Talent System™, remarked: “Every broadcaster can get excited when seeing a talented, young, passionate-about-radio college student like Jonathan being mentored by such a professional as Jennifer Seelig at KCBS in San Francisco – and thinking: ‘I wish I had had that opportunity when I was that age.’ Thanks to Chachi and Benztown for making it happen.”

Jennifer Seelig, Director of News and Programming, KCBS, said: “What an honor to play a role in the development of future radio superstars. I commend Benztown and National Radio Talent System for opening the door for Jonathan and other up and coming broadcasters.”

Jonathan O’Brien commented: “I am sincerely grateful to Dave “Chachi” Denes and Benztown for the opportunity to get to meet Jennifer Seelig and see the world-class operation at KCBS. It will no doubt be an incredibly valuable experience. My grandmother always says that no textbook can teach you what real-world experience can, and I think that is especially true in this case. I look forward to learning from the best in the business!”

For more information about the Benztown Mentorship Program or to participate in the program as a mentor, contact Susan Aksu at sa@benztown.com or at (818) 842-4600.

About The National Radio Talent System™

The National Radio Talent System™ was created to answer the long discussed issue of a radio talent farm for the industry, an incubator of well-rounded, well-educated college talent with a passion for radio and a determination to get into the business. The National Radio Talent System™ is made up of multiple Radio Talent Institutes located on colleges and universities throughout the United States. Each Institute brings in broadcast professionals from around the state and country to act as Guest Professional Faculty, and to teach all the sessions during this intensive 10-day summer program. The National Radio Talent System™ is the campus-to-career connection most students need to begin their broadcast career, and the connection for broadcasters to discover and hire entry-level talent today that can be the leaders in the broadcast industry tomorrow.

About Benztown

Benztown is a leading international radio imaging, production library, programming, jingles and voiceover services company with over 2,300 affiliations on six different continents. In 2017, Benztown was named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 by Inc. magazine for the fifth consecutive year as one of America’s Fastest Growing Privately Held