Diane Sutter '72Broadcasting Veteran Helping Others to Be Heard
A longtime broadcasting veteran, Diane Sutter '72 is an expert on having her voice heard. And now she's helping to ensure that everyone's voice comes through loud and clear through the Broadcast Leadership Training program, a 10-month executive MBA program that Sutter recently developed and activated. Through the program, women and minorities are trained by practicing and experienced professionals to become owners of broadcast properties.
"It's important to have some diversity of voices in ownership," Sutter explains. "Women make up less than three percent of broadcast owners, and there isn't much more representation of minorities. This program provides an opportunity to get access to the information needed."
Twenty students are currently enrolled in the program, and Sutter says that these are only the beginning. And with the amount of support she's already received, that's no idle promise. Sutter raised more than $380,000 for the program, an amount that was matched by a grant from the Education Foundation of the National Association of Broadcasters. This financial support has ensured that the program is fully funded for the next three years.
But Sutter's activism is not new. She's managed to make time for advancing women in broadcasting for as long as she's been in the field, a juggling act that she accomplished even as the owner of a CBS affiliate in Texas. "I tend to be pretty involved in community and individual projects," she says. "This is part of what you need to do to grow.
"Obviously, I'm a person who doesn't say 'No' very well," she laughs.
If that's the case, Sutter's career certainly says something for being agreeable. Originally from the Golden Triangle, Sutter experienced much success as a sales manager of WWSW-AM/FM, a Shamrock broadcasting company in Pittsburgh, and was promoted to general manager of the radio company "at the ripe old age of 28" in 1979. During this time, she also became involved with the Pittsburgh chapter of American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT) and eventually became president of the organization's national chapter.
Rising quickly through the ranks, Sutter was employed at several Shamrock-owned radio and television businesses and eventually became president of the company's television organization. In 1995, when Shamrock was forced to divest itself of a number of its stations, Sutter snatched up a CBS affiliate in Abilene, Texas, and formed Shooting Star Broadcasting. She recently sold the Texas-based station, and is in the process of purchasing another in Pittsburgh.
Yet despite her personal success, Sutter continues to make strides in helping others pursue their broadcasting dreams. Most recently a keynote speaker at the 2000 Athena Awards in Pittsburgh, Sutter has earned AWRT's National Achievement Award and the President's Award from AWRT's Pittsburgh chapter for her efforts to help women and minorities in broadcasting. She was also recently featured in Entrepreneur magazine for a piece on the role of women in the field.
Like many Allegheny graduates, Sutter encourages students to remain committed to Allegheny and urges alumni to continue their involvement with the College. "This past year, I chaired a committee for the Alumni Council that raised $17,000 from alumni to support the College's Center for Experiential Learning," she says. "I hope we can continue to have that alumni support, because it's a great way to give back and help out future students."
The success of Allegheny College alumni is demonstrated by the breadth of their endeavors, significance of their accomplishments and the strength of their commitment to service.
