Donald G. Godfrey, Doctoral Program Director, Professor

Donald G. Godfrey is the immediate past editor of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. He was founding chair of the BEA Festival of Media Arts. He is a broadcast educator, a professional broadcaster, and a historian. He was Curator of the CBS-KIRO Milo Ryan Phonoarchive, University of Washington, a CBS Radio News World War II sound archive presently housed at the National Archive, Washington, D.C.

He has many honors for his creative works and scholarship including: BEA, Distinguished Education Service Award, 2008; NATAS, Silver Circle Society Inductee, 2007; MHA Best Documentary Book Award, 2007; NEH Archives Panelist, 2004/6; BEA Festival of Media Arts, Founder’s Award, 2004; NATPE Fellow, 2000; ITVA Merit, 1997; First and Second Place BEA Productions, 1992, 1996, 1997 & 1998; and Choice, “Outstanding Academic Books List.”

His academic scholarship includes refereed publications in the: Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism History, American Journalism, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, the Canadian Journal of Communications, Journal of Mormon History, American Review of Canadian Studies, and Southwestern Mass Communications Journal.

Dr. Godfrey has written and edited several books: Methods of Historical Analysis in Electronic Media, LEA, 2006; The Diaries of Charles Ora Card: The Logan Years, 1871-1886, BYU Religious Studies, 2006 (w/K.W. Godfrey); Philo T. Farnsworth: The Father of Television, University of Utah Press, 2001; Electronic Media, Wadsworth. 2000 (w/Craft & Leigh); Historical Dictionary of American Radio, Greenwood Press, 1998 (w/Leigh); Television in America: Pioneering Stations Across the Nation, Iowa State University Press, 1997 (w/Murray); The Diaries of Charles Ora Card: The Canadian Years, 1886-1903, University of Utah Press, 1993 (w/B. Y. Card); Reruns on File: A Guide to Broadcast Archives, LEA, 1992; A Directory of Broadcast Archives, Broadcast Education Association, 1983.

Dr. Godfrey served as president of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 1999-2000; and as a member of the Board of Directors, 1994-2001. He was chair of the BEA Festival Committee, 2001 to 2004 and president, of the Council of Communications Associations (CCA) in 1999. He is a member of BEA, AJHA, and MHA.

He’s worked in commercial radio, public and commercial television, and corporate communications. He spent twelve years at KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA, in production; two years at KSVN-AM, Ogden, UT, as morning news anchor; two years at KOET-TV, Ogden, UT, as an educational programs director and noon news anchor; and, a year at KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR, as general assignment reporter and sports anchor. His academic professional activity includes: KWAX-FM, Station Manager (University of Oregon); the design, FCC licensing, and faculty supervision of KCMU-FM (University of Washington); as well as twenty-one years supervising student news magazine programs airing weekly on KCTS- PBS, Seattle (12 years); KUAT-PBS, Tucson (2-years); KSDL-TV, a commercial independent, St. George (2-years); KAET-PBS, Phoenix (specials only); and Cox Cable, Phoenix (7-years). He retains professional involvement through corporate consulting.

Dr. Godfrey says the greatest reward of his career is still teaching, “I simply enjoy watching my students grow.” His undergraduate students have won awards in all major contests including the: BEA Festival (2 individual); Hearst Competition (8 individual and Best Student Newscast); SPJ (19 individual); Emmys (2 individual); MCA (2-individual); and Alfa Epsilon Rho (2-individual) awards.