A reporter and anchor at Seehafer Broadcasting in Manitowoc, Steven Devine, is the WBA Young Professional of the Month for the month of August.
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 2026 WBA Awards Gala on May 2 at the Madison Marriott West.
Devine was nominated by Seehafer Broadcasting News Director Ryan Brahmstadt who write that Devine took over the morning news on WOMT after the retirement of “industry icon Damon Ryan.”
“He has evolved into the Voice of Manitowoc News. His commitment to the newsroom can be found in his willingness to cover any story at any time,” Brahmstadt wrote.
Devine is credited with ensuring that WOMT is the “source for all things Manitowoc County.” Brahmstadt said Devine played a key role in the station again winning Medium Market News and Talk Radio Station of the Year in the most recent WBA Awards for Excellence contest.
“He (Devine) has put a lot of time and effort into improving his delivery and writing skills, all of which have paid off in droves.”
Nominate a YP of the Month here.
Here’s more about Steven:
Company: Seehafer Broadcasting
Position: News Reporter/Anchor
Years at station: Two
Started in broadcasting (year): 2021
How did you get into broadcasting?
I remember taking a tour of my local radio station when I was 12 years old and I knew I wanted to get involved in whatever way I could. I decided to start at a two-year university before transferring to UW-Oshkosh to study Radio/TV/Film and minor in journalism. During that time, I interned at a community radio station before becoming the production director at WRST in my last two years of college. After graduating, I found an entry level position in Illinois for two years before I decided to move back to Wisconsin to continue my career at WOMT in Manitowoc.
How do you view the role of young professionals in broadcasting?
I see a young professional as someone who can be a future leader while showing that they can help where needed in the role they have now. As young professionals, we have a lot we can achieve since we are still newer in what we do in broadcasting. But whether it’s writing news or running traffic, we always want to continue to do our best for whatever station we work for no matter where we are in our career.
What advice would you give to other young broadcasters?
Always be willing to listen and learn. In a field focused on what you know what to do in broadcasting, those lessons will lead to a fulfilling career.
What does the future of broadcasting look like to you?
I see a future where listeners or viewers will continue to want to have a place to relisten or rewatch programming they consume. Whether it’s a podcast of their local news or morning program or a recording of their favorite TV news program, in a world that moves so fast, viewers and listeners will want to enjoy media on their time. I also see a future where AI is a part of the general fabric of news, which has its positives and negatives. News consumption also seems to not be going away from social media, meaning we as broadcasters have to do our best to report and entertain to as many people as possible.
