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Broadcasters collect their WBA Awards for Excellence
Radio and television stations from across Wisconsin came together Saturday to celebrate their award-winning work at the 2026 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Awards Gala. The awards were handed out at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton with 350 in attendance. Competition for this year’s awards was as strong as ever with 1,322 award entries. A total…
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WBA Foundation announces date for gubernatorial debate
The WBA Foundation Board will continue its 36-year tradition of holding statewide televised debates for Wisconsin’s voters by airing a general election debate in the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race. Qualifying gubernatorial candidates will be invited to participate in a debate on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., hosted by Milwaukee PBS. Radio and television stations from…
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4 to be inducted into WBA Hall of Fame in June
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation is proud to announce the 2026 WBA Hall of Fame inductees: Dave Magnum has turned a network of radio stations into a second generation legacy in Wisconsin. Kelly Radandt’s broadcasting career reflects a rare blend of strategic leadership, compassion, and unwavering dedication to people and community. Jeff Tyler’s career stands…
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4 to be honored as Local Broadcast Legends
Four Wisconsin broadcasters are 2026 WBA Local Broadcast Legends. Randy Allen, an on-air presence with deep knowledge of country music and unwavering professionalism which has made him a trusted companion to listeners throughout the Green Bay, Appleton, and Oshkosh markets. Dave Luczak, the voice Milwaukee woke up to, becoming one of the most trusted and enduring…
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WBA 75th anniversary Summer Conference agenda released
The preliminary agenda is now available for your WBA’s Summer Conference celebration of the association’s 75th anniversary will be held June 17-18 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva. Registration is also open. The registration deadline is May 28. The hotel booking deadline is May 25. Speakers for this year’s conference include: Keynote: Curtis…
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The pros of negative audience feedback
“Angry viewer email.” Those three words likely triggered an involuntary eye roll or sigh. No one enjoys being criticized, but there is a benefit. No industry sees the volume of complaints quite like food service. And if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant you know exactly what I mean. Years ago, while serving at an…
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Wisconsin Broadcaster available now
The July/August issue of the Wisconsin Broadcaster is now available. You can download it here [PDF]. Highlights from his issue: WBA Chair Chris Bernier writes about preparing for the election season. WBA Vice President Linda Baun is retiring in September. WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind writes about Linda Baun’s lasting impression on the…
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Weekly Radio Addresses discuss bills regarding pandemic, redistricting
This week’s Weekly Radio Addresses from Wisconsin’s Capitol discuss two GOP bills aimed to helping schools and businesses during the pandemic and Gov. Evers’ People’s Maps Commission. These addresses are available for Wisconsin broadcasters to use as they see fit. Here are the summaries from WisPolitics: — Sen. Chris Kapenga in this week’s GOP radio…
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WBA program helps stations plan for crisis
Radio and TV stations throughout the state can take an easy step toward being prepared for an emergency by getting Broadcaster Emergency Personnel ID cards for engineering staff members. Many stations already participate in the Broadcaster Emergency Personnel ID program, but all WBA member stations are invited to participate. Broadcaster Emergency Personnel ID cards are…
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WBA Awards brochure updated after printed versions mailed
WBA member, You might have recently received the 2020 WBA Awards for Excellence brochure in the mail. The WBA Awards Committee issued a revised brochure today that is available here. Here’s an explanation from Awards Committee Co-Chair Kelly Radandt: Dear WBA Membership (especially our radio play by play sports announcers), We heard you…
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2 photographers awarded Jowett Fellowship
A television photographer working in La Crosse and another working in Superior/Duluth are the 2020 recipients of the Rick Jowett Fellowship. Justin Runberg works at WKBT-TV in La Crosse. He was awarded $1,000 to take classes to further his skills to make a greater impact on the communities he covers. He said he was motivated…
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Linda Baun’s dedication will leave permanent mark on your WBA
To say that it’s difficult to summarize all the ways in which our Linda Baun has left her mark on your WBA is an understatement… Lin has given 14 years of dedicated service to your WBA. She’s earned her reputation for her dedication to broadcasting, amazing work ethic, and boundless kind-heartedness. She put in countless…
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Meteorologist Daji Aswad joins WISN-TV
Meteorologist Daji Aswad is joining WISN-TV’s Weather Watch 12 team. Aswad will join anchor Ben Wagner on weekend evening newscasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturdays, along with Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. She starts Sept. 29. “We’re lucky to have Daji become a part of the WISN 12…
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Chairman Pai to appear at virtual Broadcasters Clinic, agenda released
FCC Commission Chair Ajit Pai is scheduled to appear at the WBA’s virtual Broadcasters Clinic. The three day conference will take place online Oct. 13-15. The virtual Clinic will include three days of sessions about the latest developments in broadcast engineering. Topics include: –NAB Technology Update –Implications of new cloud technology –Working from home –Preparing…
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Respond to pandemic’s ripple effects with solutions
No business category (except for possibly airlines) has felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic like broadcasters. As entire communities shut down, ad budgets disintegrated, virtually overnight. Many of us have lived through economic downturns and thought the Great Recession of 2008 was the worst we’d see in our lifetimes. And then along comes the…
