An endowment from the estate of WBA Hall of Fame broadcaster and WBA Foundation Legacy Club member Duke Wright will secure the long-term future for the WBA Media Technology Institute, which will now bear the name the “WBA Duke Wright Media Technology Institute.”
Wright died in December 2022 after a remarkable lifetime in broadcasting. A pioneer in radio, Wright recognized and implemented innovative changes that would later prove to have major impacts on the industry.
Wright was a supporter of the Media Technology Institute from the beginning, making his Midwest Communications an annual sponsor.
“Duke had a great passion for broadcast engineering and considered himself an engineer,” Midwest Communications Chairwoman and Duke’s wife, Pegge Wright, said. “By supporting the Media Technology Institute’s efforts, we believe that we can both nurture the talents of upcoming engineers and pay tribute to Duke’s memory.”
The Media Technology Institute was established in 2012 under the direction of WBA Hall of Famer Terry Baun. Bill Hubbard took the helm in 2019.
“Duke was a staunch supporter of Terry Baun and MTI from the beginning. There was a heartfelt mutual admiration between the two of them.” said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. “We couldn’t be prouder to see the WBA Duke Wright Media Technology Institute continue into perpetuity.”
“Duke always spoke proudly of his association with the WBA’s Media Technology Institute and the great training,” Midwest Communications President Peter Tanz said. “Technical professionals are the silent backbone of every broadcasting organization and Duke was always adamant they had the tools and training they needed.” The name change is effective immediately and will be recognized at the upcoming WBA Duke Wright Media Technology Institute at the WBA Summer Conference in Elkhart Lake this June.