RFD-TV helps FFA tell its story in a $5 million, five-year sponsorship

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Telling the FFA story to a larger audience just got a little easier thanks to a new agreement between RFD-TV, the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation.

RFD-TV has committed to a five-year sponsorship with FFA that provides cash and in-kind support valued at $5 million over five years. The agreement puts RFD-TV at the highest level of corporate support within the National FFA Foundation. It is just one of many ways the company has supported FFA during their 25-year relationship, providing opportunities to members and helping grow FFA and agricultural education.

"RFD-TV is so proud to be able to expand our support of FFA," said Patrick Gottsch, founder and chief executive officer of RFD-TV. "This new five-year commitment will allow us to plan and build on our momentum to better serve FFA members, agriculture teachers and FFA alumni through the weekly 'FFA Today' shows on Rural Media Group's growing television and radio properties. It is RFD-TV's goal to reconnect city with country again, and our long-term partnership with FFA is an important link with these efforts."

The impact of the relationship will be seen and heard throughout the country starting the last weekend in October when more than 30 hours of live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 87th National FFA Convention & Expo will be simulcast Oct. 29-Nov. 1 on RFD-TV, FamilyNet and RURAL RADIO SiriusXM Channel 80. In addition to coverage from the national FFA convention, stories about FFA members, advisors and supporters can be heard weekly on "FFA Today" on RURAL RADIO which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 80 Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. EST and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. EST.

"We could not be more pleased to build on our close relationship with RFD-TV," said Dwight Armstrong, chief executive officer of the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation. "The personal commitment of Patrick Gottsch and everyone at RFD-TV has clearly been a game changer in helping us tell the FFA story to a broader audience and encouraging others to do what they can to help local FFA chapters build leaders who make significant contributions to their communities."

Throughout the past 25 years, RFD-TV has been an important media partner with the National FFA Organization. The company helped FFA spread the word about agricultural education through extensive broadcast support. In addition to televising the national FFA convention, the largest annual student convention in the nation, RFD-TV made it possible for FFA to develop a weekly hour-long television program, "FFA Today," which shares important information about the achievements of FFA members and the contributions they make to American agriculture. RFD-TV and its viewers supported local FFA chapters by contributing to FFA's "Seeds of Hope" campaign that raised funds for coastal chapters ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, and RFD-TV helped FFA reach out to its members in Native American communities to encourage leadership and economic development by bringing representatives to the national FFA convention.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 students belonging to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 610,240 student members as part of 7,665 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees comprised of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA alumni, the foundation is a separately-registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.

About RFD-TV and Rural Media Group
Rural Media Group, Inc. is the world's leading provider of multimedia content dedicated to the rural and western lifestyle. RMG is the parent company of RFD-TV, FamilyNet, RURAL TV, RFD-TV the Magazine and RFD-TV the Theatre. RFD-TV, the flagship network for RMG, was launched in December 2000. RFD-TV is the nation's first 24-hour television network dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural America with programming focused on agriculture, equine and the rural lifestyle, along with traditional country music and entertainment. RMG networks are distributed into more than 63-million homes worldwide by DBS, telco and cable systems including DISH Network, DIRECTV®, Comcast, Verizon FiOS TV, AT&T U-Verse, Mediacom, Charter, Optimum, Bright House, Suddenlink, Time Warner, Cox, and more than 600 independent rural cable systems. RFD-TV The Magazine is the print programming guide for the networks, which has attracted over 180,000 paid subscribers. RFD-TV The Theatre is a 2,000 capacity soft seat venue in Branson, MO where entertainment programming is produced. Corporate headquarters are in Omaha, NE, and production operations are in Nashville, TN.

CONTACT
Kristy Meyer
Marketing and Communications
National FFA Organization
[email protected]
888-332-2589

SOURCE National FFA Organization