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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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Man involved in getting first TV station in Madison on the air dies
A Madison man involved in getting the first TV station in the city on the air has died. Herbert P. Jordan moved to Madison in 1953 and went to work for WKOW-TV, where he helped get the station on the air, according to his obituary. He also worked for WTKM in Hartford, WISC-TV in Madison,…
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Radiothon helps charities serving children
Two Beaver Dam radio stations broke a record raising $126,852 through a radiothon for ten charities serving children. The 20th annual WBEV-WXRO Children’s Radiothon started 6 a.m. June 22 and ended 27 hours later. It raised money through an on-air auction with items donated by local community members and advertising partners. Money was collected with…
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Monona LPFM listeners can ‘adopt a watt’
A Monona low-power FM radio station is encouraging listeners to “adopt a watt” as part of its first ever fundraiser. The Friends of WVMO is selling naming rights for each of its 100 watts. A watt can be ‘adopted’ and named for $250 per watt. “At WVMO, we have so few watts, each one could…
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WPR host retires after 44 years in radio
Wisconsin Public Radio host Kathleen Dunn is retiring after a 44 year career in radio. She was at WPR for 24 years. During her career, Dunn conducted more than 10,000 interviews including conversations with Maya Angelou, Ken Burns and Studs Terkel, according to a release from WPR. She was inducted into the Milwaukee Media Hall…
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Miles named GM at Wausau TV station
A 25-year veteran broadcaster is coming to Wisconsin to become general manager of a Wausau TV station. Curtis Miles comes to Quincy Media-owned ABC affiliate WAOW-TV from WLS Chicago, where he is vice president of creative services and local programming. During his career, Miles has served as a news director, production manager and research consultant.…
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Photojournalism course dedicated to Rick Jowett
A two-day photojournalism course in Madison will be held in memory of Rick Jowett. The WBA has partnered with the National Press Photographer’s Association (NPPA) to offer a Madison Driving Short Course to be held on August 18-19 on the UW-Madison campus on Lake Mendota. The event will also highlight the introduction of the Rick…
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WISN-TV president, GM, WBA Board member among ‘Women of Influence’ honorees
WISN-TV President and General Manager Jan Wade was one of more than two dozen women recently honored as “Women of Influence” in the Milwaukee area. The Milwaukee Business Journal held a luncheon on June 16 honoring Wade and dozens of other women. The luncheon was a “celebration of women and their accomplishments in aspects of…
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State Supreme Court delivers open government victory
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled unanimously in support of open government advocates in a case involving a school district that held closed-door meetings. The June 29 ruling said the Appleton Area School District violated open meetings law when it allowed a committee to review curriculum in a closed setting. The court ruled that the committee…
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Fast-moving developments for smart speakers
Last quarter we wrote about the newest hot gadget on the market – “smart speakers,” like Amazon’s Echo and Google Home. This space is heating up so quickly that we’re going to stay on this topic because of the impact and opportunity they present for radio and television stations. For example, in mid-June SiriusXM satellite…
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Eau Claire TV station raises money after tornado
An Eau Claire TV station raised $40,000 for victims of a tornado. WEAU-TV raised the money from the community after a tornado ripped through northwestern Wisconsin on May 16 killing one person, injuring others and causing millions in damage. One of the biggest casualties was a trailer park in the Chetek area that was completely…
