The Director of New Media at Seehafer Broadcasting in Manitowoc, Emily Freitag, is the WBA Young Professional of the Month for the month of March.
The WBA Young Professional of the Month is a nominee for the WBA Young Professional of the Year Award. The award seeks to recognize young broadcasters who have made a significant impact on their stations and communities. A subcommittee of the WBA Board of Directors will select the Young Professional of the Year, who will be recognized at the 2025 WBA Summer Conference on June 18 in La Crosse.
Freitag was nominated by Seehafer Broadcasting Vice President Terry Stevenson who that in just the three year’s she’s been with the company, Freitag “has shown herself to be the very definition of innovation.”
“Emily has enhanced our company’s brand through her creativity and graphic design skills, and she has helped us to create and maintain a cohesive branded image within the community across all platforms,” Stevenson wrote. “She has been absolutely instrumental in helping Seehafer Broadcasting win WBA Awards across multiple online news and social media categories. Most recently, Emily oversaw the launch of Seehafer Digital, our new digital marketing division, allowing us to provide our clients with web development, graphic design, logo development, and other digital marketing services.”
Stevenson said Freitag represents the new generation of young professionals in broadcasting.
“She shows up each day with a smile on her face and a positive attitude, she connects employees, advertising partners and community members across generations in fun and innovative ways, which is ultimately the mission of local broadcasting.”
Here’s more about Emily:
Company: Seehafer Broadcasting
Position: Director of New Media
Years at station: Three
Started in broadcasting (year): 2022
- How did you get into broadcasting?
I went to college for biology, but graduating in the spring of 2020—right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic—meant I had to take jobs outside of my field since opportunities in my area of study were limited. During that time, I got involved in some digital marketing side projects and realized that’s where I wanted to be. When Seehafer Broadcasting had an opening for Director of New Media, they took a chance on me, and I’m so glad they did. Now, I’m part of an industry and company I hadn’t originally thought about, and I’m really glad I took this path.
- How do you view the role of young professionals in broadcasting?
As a young professional working to bring radio into the digital world, I think young broadcasters have a unique opportunity to connect with their audience in ways past generations couldn’t. By using digital platforms, we can build more personal relationships and get instant feedback from listeners. It’s a great way to blend the traditional with the modern, bringing broadcasting into the digital age while giving listeners a bigger voice in the industry.
- What advice would you give to other young broadcasters?
Don’t limit your career searches to just being on-air or on-screen—there are tons of creative opportunities behind the scenes too. You might find something that fits you better than you thought. When I was in high school and figuring out which career field to pursue, my counselor told me that my future job might not even exist yet, and she was right! Broadcasting is always evolving, and there’s space for everyone’s unique talents to shine.
- What does the future of broadcasting look like to you?
Although there’s talk about broadcasting becoming less relevant, I believe it has the potential to grow stronger than ever. People will always rely on local news and entertainment; we just need to adapt to where the audience is and keep bringing them what they care about. Right now, that might mean having a presence on social media, but in ten years, it could look completely different.
