Broadcasters Foundation of America shares the news of the passing of Philip J. Lombardo, who died early Friday (1/5) following a brief illness. Lombardo was CEO of Citadel Communications and chairman emeritus of the Broadcasters Foundation, having previously served as chairman for 15 years. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Philip J. Lombardo Memorial Fund, which will be established by the Broadcasters Foundation this week in honor of Lombardo’s
dedication and service to the broadcasting industry and to the Foundation’s charitable cause. BFoA chairman Scott Herman says, “The Broadcasters Foundation and the broadcast industry lost a great man. As chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation for many years, Phil left an indelible mark. He was passionate about our mission and one of our biggest donors, giving both time and money to helping colleagues in need.” To honor his longstanding dedication to the Broadcasters Foundation, in 2000 the Board passed a near unanimous vote to rename the annual golf tournament and fundraiser, held during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, to the Philip J. Lombardo Charity Golf Tournament. The one ‘no’ vote was cast by Lombardo. The majority of Lombardo’s storied career was focused on buying, turning around, and selling TV stations for his privately held company, Citadel Communications. In 2003, Lombardo was elected to serve as joint board chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters. He was inducted into the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame in October 2015.
