Celebrating a Founding Force: Nan Rubin Receives the 2025 Sally Kane Leadership Award

Twelve years ago, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) stood on uncertain ground. A poorly attended conference in Reston, Virginia—with unused hotel blocks and more questions than answers—marked the lowest point in the organization’s history. It was a make-or-break moment. Under the steady leadership of Sally Kane, NFCB slowly began a bold and determined renewal. She brought our movement back to the national table, restored our shared sense of purpose, and reminded us that community radio was—and always will be—a family.

To honor Sally’s decade of service, the NFCB Board established the Sally Kane Leadership in Community Media Award—recognizing an individual or organization who has demonstrated sustained leadership, dedicated service, innovation, and impact in the field. Sally received the inaugural award in 2023. This year, we opened the process to community nominations. From a field of powerful and worthy candidates, one name stood out—submitted by 20 nominators from across the country and around the world.

And in this, our 50th anniversary year, there could be no more fitting honoree than one of our original visionaries: Nan Rubin.

Nan has dedicated her life to noncommercial media. Her journey began as a student at Antioch College’s WYSO-FM, where she first experienced the power of local voices on the air. In 1975, she co-founded WAIF-FM in Cincinnati, where she handled the technical, regulatory, and programming work needed to bring a station to life. But her work didn’t stop at the local level—Nan went on to become one of 24 incorporators of NFCB, helping shape its very foundation. She co-wrote the organization’s bylaws and was elected the first chair of the NFCB Steering Committee, launching what would become a national community radio movement.

In 1978, Nan joined NFCB staff as its first Director of Station Services, traveling the country to help stations get on the air and stay on the air. She launched the Minority Ownership Project, creating pathways for Native American and Latino-led organizations to build stations of their own. She crafted NFCB’s early national conferences into training-rich, community-building events—planting seeds that still bear fruit today.

After NFCB, Nan’s dedication only deepened. She helped launch bilingual station KUVO in Denver, co-authored a landmark study on philanthropic support for community media, and later worked at WNET in New York developing archival systems for public television. She served on the board of WBAI-FM and eventually settled in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where she supported KTAL-LP before she even unpacked. She also hosted a regular program there.

Nan’s work has always extended beyond borders. She served for years on the board of the Native American Public Broadcasting Consortium and was a champion of AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters. From Canada to Cuba, Nan built lasting international ties rooted in shared values and collective voice.

Even as her health kept her from traveling, Nan remained deeply engaged. In recent years, she participated in academic panels, stayed connected with NFCB leadership, and continued asking—like only Nan can—about this year’s conference agenda.

Her nomination was a collective act of gratitude from: Harriet Baskas, Terry Clifford, Arthur Cohen, Michel Delorme, Marie-Thérèse Forest, Evelyne Foy, Adi Gevins, Bruce Girard, Michael Johnson, Josée Kaltenback, Diane Kaplan, Helen Kennedy, Sharon Maeda, Rich McClear, Hugo Noe Morales, Carol Pierson, John Stark, Bruce Theriault, Bill Thomas, and Tom Thomas.

Nan’s nominators offered heartfelt reflections on her profound impact:

Harriet Baskas: “Nan was there for me and hundreds of others with information, encouragement, and crucial networking advice as we built and tried to keep various community stations on the air and of use to our communities. Dedicated to the cause? Yup! Smart and sassy? You bet. Mentor material? Absolutely. Award-worthy? Oh yes!”

 

Terry Clifford & Tom Thomas: “Nan had a remarkable ability to engage with people of different backgrounds and widely varying levels of media experience. She brought passion for community-based media, commitment to empowering women and people of color, and a belief in participatory governance. At one NFCB conference, Tom jokingly called her the ‘sheer veneer between members and the difficult venue.’ Nan returned the next year with a sparkly shirt that read ‘Sheer Veneer.’”

 

Michel Delorme: “Nan, you supported the idea of a global network of local radio stations. You have always moved things forward. You were important in my life, very inspiring.”

 

Evelyne Foy: “Always present, always enthusiastic. From AMARC meetings to foundation outreach, Nan Rubin was there. This honor is hers.”

 

Dennis Kita: “I will be forever grateful for Nan’s mentorship when we worked elbow to elbow in the NFCB office on 11th and K. Her dedication to public media was and is unwavering.”

 

Sharon Maeda: “I became station manager at KRAB-FM during a crisis. Nan asked, ‘How fast can I get there?’ She helped with everything—FCC, programming, and team dynamics. At Pacifica, when KPFT was in deep trouble, we lived in a scuzzy rent-by-the-week motel, fixing things on the fly. KPFT called us the Wicked Witch from the East (Nan) and the Wicked Witch from the West (me). I will always consider Nan my community radio sister.”

 

Bill Wax: “Nan was one of the early core staff of NFCB—true Johnny Appleseeds for community radio. I later reconnected with her at WBAI. She never lost her zeal for community voices. Few people have carried this torch their whole life. She is worthy.”

 

Nan Rubin didn’t just help build this house—we’re still living in the rooms she imagined. Her spirit is woven into every training session, every startup station, every story shared over the airwaves. In a year when we celebrate our collective history, we could not imagine a more perfect person to honor.

Thank you, Nan—for the vision, the fight, the spark, and the love. You are, and always will be, part of the soul of community radio.