Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc., a Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit organization that promotes the growth of country radio and the country music industry through education programs, has donated $25,000 to UNT's Department of Media Arts for a scholarship endowment.

The scholarships will be awarded to undergraduates majoring in radio, television and film who plan to pursue careers in radio, have completed at least 60 academic hours toward their degrees and have an overall GPA of at least 2.75. The first scholarship is expected to be given during the 2016 spring semester.

Department Chairman Alan Albarran will accept the gift on Wednesday, Feb. 25, during the opening session of Country Radio Broadcasters' annual convention which is designed to educate and promote the exchange of ideas and business practices in the country music industry. Country Radio Broadcasters gives one award per year to a higher education institution, which must submit an application.

Dan Halyburton, a member of the organization and president of the Department of Media Arts' Executive Board, said that from the time that County Radio Broadcasters was formed in 1970, the organization has focused on bringing new professionals into the industry. "One way to accomplish that is to offer scholarships for students," he said, adding that for several years, he has attended the Department of Media Arts' annual spring recognition ceremony for students who received scholarships. "When you see the students at the ceremony, you understand how important and significant any amount of scholarship is," Halyburton said.

The Department of Media Arts -- formerly the Department of Radio, Television and Film -- offers undergraduate degrees in both converged broadcast media and radio, television and film; master of arts degrees in critical /cultural studies and industry studies; and a master of fine arts degree in documentary production and studies. In addition, the department administers certificate programs in television news producing, media management and Spanish language media. Approximately 1,200 students were enrolled in the department's degree programs during the 2014 fall semester.