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2026 WBA Awards for Excellence Rulebook available now
Hello Wisconsin Broadcasters, On behalf of your WBA Awards Committee, we hope you have had a great first half of the year, and that you have been saving your potential entries for this year’s contest. You are a part of the largest state broadcaster awards program in the nation, and we can’t wait to see…
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Ambassador program extends to second UW campus
The WBA campus ambassador program is expanding to a second campus after its pilot year at UW-Oshkosh. Two students at UW-Whitewater will serve as WBA ambassadors starting in the fall semester. The ambassador program was launched in 2025 on the UW-Oshkosh campus with two students: Dylan Przybylski and Jacob Link. The students acted as representatives…
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Wisconsin Broadcaster available now
The September/October issue of Wisconsin Broadcaster is now available. Highlights from this issue:
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Shockleys establish Young Broadcasters Development Fund
WBA Hall of Famers Terry and Sandy Shockley are the founding grantors of the newly established Young Broadcasters Development Fund, aimed at inspiring career building in the broadcast industry. “Our mission with this fund is to inspire and motivate young people to pursue a career in broadcasting,” Terry and Sandy Shockey said. “The rewards are…
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Student scholarship competition underway
Do you know a student who could use assistance with educational expenses? The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation offers three $2,500 scholarships and one $1,500 scholarship. Students who meet eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. The application process is online. It’s available on the WBA website at wi-broadcasters.org/scholarships Students who have completed at…
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More than 500 kids gather treats from WWIS event
WWIS Radio in Black River Falls found a way to share Halloween spirit in the community by hosting a drive-thru trick-or-treat event. The station helped prepare goodie bags for the WWIS Radio and Hansen’s IGA Drive Thru Trick or Treat Event on Halloween. There were also giveaways including gift certificates and coffee mugs.
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Don’t let awards season creep up on you
Hello broadcast operations, and especially newsrooms, across Wisconsin. As the very bizarre year of 2020 heads into the home stretch I first hope that you, your families and friends, are well and staying safe. Whether it’s a TV station, or radio station with either a music or news/talk format, pretty much every aspect of what…
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Student navigates college as an aspiring broadcast journalist
Be persistent. It’s a simple phrase, but one Gretchen Gerlach lives and breaths right now as she’s wrapping up her senior year at UW-Madison. If worrying about the pandemic isn’t exhausting enough, Gerlach has taken on several experiences to prepare her for her future career as a broadcast journalist. She works as the PR director…
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Prepare for an unprecedented holiday shopping season
Since March, has there been anything in our lives that passes for “normal?” The onslaught of COVID-19 has upended everything – the way we comport ourselves in public, family gatherings, our work lives, the way we educate our kids, and even the way we shop at the grocery store. While Americans have adapted and adjusted,…
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Vetterkind named chair of WSAE
WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind has been named Chair of the Wisconsin Society for Association Executives (WSAE). Vetterkind has been involved with the organization since 1997 and was recognized with the WSAE Association Leadership Award in 2017. She said WSAE was instrumental in helping her earn her CAE credential in 2000 and is invaluable…
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Starting a podcast from scratch
For the last five weeks Noah Manderfeld, Reece Van Haaften, and Matt Infield—the ‘sports guys’ at WSAW-TV have collaborated to do a weekly podcast. There is a lot of freedom with podcasts. They’re basically like an audio blog, right? But if you work in TV, the path to starting a podcast may seem a little…
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Radio marks 100 years
Radio is celebrating its 100th birthday amid a pandemic and historic election. With the first commercial radio broadcast on KDKA on Election Day showcasing the power of radio’s immediacy, the impact of the medium still shines even in a digital world. Heather Storm Woodward Radio Group
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Wisconsin Broadcaster available now
The November/December issue of the Wisconsin Broadcaster is now available. You can download it here [PDF]. Highlights from his issue: WBA Chair Chris Bernier writes about keeping your staff connected. WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind writes about planning for 2021 events. WBA joins “Stop the Spread” Coalition Membership renewals are in the mail.…
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Planning underway for whatever comes our way next year
Like you, your WBA is working with a lot of uncertainty these days. And, it probably comes as no surprise that there’s a lot we don’t yet know about our 2021 events. That said, please know that we are making plans to hold all the events you’re used to, whether they’re in person or held…
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Keep social interaction going during pandemic
….and it goes on and on. The pandemic continues with no end in sight. Sorry to start this column on such a depressing note. The biggest challenge we face is how to keep morale up. The age-old traditions of company Christmas parties or company picnics are being tabled until this COVID thing is brought under…
