WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) will honor legendary broadcaster and former NAB Television Board chair Marci Burdick with the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award during the NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
Created in 2003, the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award recognizes an individual demonstrating leadership, service and commitment to local television in medium and smaller markets. Past recipients include Patsy Smullin, Carolyn Wilkins and Franklin Schurz.
“For decades Marci has been a leader in local television broadcasting, and throughout her storied career, she has left a lasting impact on every corner of the industry,” said NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “We look forward to honoring her and celebrating all she has done for local television with broadcasters from across the country at this week’s NAB State Leadership Conference.”
Marci Burdick began her 48-year career in broadcasting at age 14 when she started an after-school job at a radio station in her hometown of Rapid City, S.D. She then moved into television where she worked as a weathercaster and reporter, moving up to news director, general manager and eventually corporate officer. In 1988, Burdick joined Schurz Communications, where she held a variety of positions, including senior vice president of the Electronic Division (cable, TV and radio) and senior advisor.
Burdick has received numerous honors, including two national Edward R. Murrow Awards, the national Iris Award, the national Silver Gavel Award, a regional Emmy Award and several dozen other regional and state broadcast journalism awards. In 2010, she received the South Dakota Broadcast Association’s Tom Brokaw Award for broadcast excellence.
In 2012, the Radio Television News Director’s Association (RTNDA) awarded Burdick their First Amendment Leadership Award. Burdick was named Broadcaster of the Year in 2013 by Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. In 2017, she was inducted into the Missouri Broadcasters Hall of Fame and in 2020, she received the Broadcasters Foundation of America Leadership Award.
Throughout her almost five decades-long careers, Burdick has been a strong leader and advocate in the industry, as well as a role model for women in broadcasting.
She is the immediate past board chair of South Dakota News Watch, the first nonprofit news organization in the state. She is past chair of the South Dakota Hall of Fame Board, is on the board of the S.D. School of Mines Hardrock Club and on the board of the South Dakota Community Foundation. Burdick previously served as the chair of NAB’s TV Board of the National Association of Broadcasters, the NBC Affiliates Association and the Radio-of Directors. In each case, she was the first woman to hold the top leadership position of the organization. Burdick has testified in front of three U.S. House and Senate committees on behalf of the broadcast industry and remains a fierce advocate for broadcasting.
