MAY/JUNE 2021 See whichINSIDE! stations from across the state won WBA Awards! CHAIR’S COLUMN Positivity leads to successful broadcasting operations As managers and owners of radio and TV stations in of August at Blue Harbor in Sheboygan. Please attend and bring many Wisconsin, what is the most important part of our of your staff with you. They will enjoy the seminars and sharing ideas job? In some cases, it depends on who you ask. with fellow broadcasters. Retiring NAB head Sen. Gordon Smith will The FCC expects you to operate in the community be attending. It will be great to participate in a LIVE event! interest and follow their technical specifications. The shareholders, or your partners, or the bank expect you to make money so you can pay them. Chris Bernier Yes, those are important, but any successful broad- WBA Chair cast operation is an enjoyable place to work. The employees find it fun to come to work. I believe if we do a good job motivating our staff the business will succeed. One of the first things we must do is lead by example. When we get to the office, we need to be a positive force. We need to be excited to get to the office. When we talk to staff, we need to project enthusi- August 25-26, 2021 asm! The Summer Convention is shaping up to be a terrific event the end Blue Harbor Resort ~ Sheboygan, WI More on pages 4-5 CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Support for LRFA..........................2 WBA award winners provide inspiration Your WBA is in the fortunate position find the full rundown on pages 4-5. Registration Tornado drill successful ................2 of getting to not only see and hear is open on your WBA website. We’re excited to but also share the great work that finally recognize the Local Broadcast Legends and Zaragoza to be honored ...............3 you, our valued radio and TV broad- Hall of Fame inductees we announced in 2020. Michelle casters, are doing each and every day And we get to give a giant thank you to our friend, Summer Conference preview ... 4-5 Vetterkind, across Wisconsin. The WBA Awards Senator Gordon Smith, NAB President and CEO, Review your digital strategy ��������6 CAE Gala gives everyone a chance to see who recently announced his retirement at the end WBA President the amazing work and dedication you of this year. He’ll be there to deliver our keynote. Stations making a difference .......7 and CEO bring to your communities, particu- We will also honor the WBA Young Professional of larly in 2020. You can see a long list of the Year, Terry Stevenson and WBA Distingiushed Member News ......................... 7-8 those award-winning examples on pages 10-21. Service Award winner Dick Zaragoza. Thank you to our Awards Committee and everyone Thank you to our Conference Committee for the WBA Award winners ............ 10-21 who contributed to putting on this year’s online award effort you put into this important first in-person galas. And while they were successful events, we great- event since the start of the pandemic. We hope to Learning during pandemic ��������22 ly look forward to celebrating the awards in-person, see you there! radio and TV together, as we’re accustomed to, at the HOF inductee remembered ��������23 Diversity Committee hard at work Madison Marriott West in 2022. Our WBA Diversity Committee, which you’ve read Summer Conference agenda released Jowett Fellowship deadline .......23 about in recent issues of the newsletter, is now We are most proud to bring you the agenda for our meeting monthly and looking to turn words into Legends to be honored ..............23 WBA Summer Conference coming up Aug. 25-26 at the actions. Your first chance to see it in action will be beautiful Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. You can at our Summer Conference where the committee Calendar of Events .....................24 will be hosting a roundtable session with Binnu Continued on page 2> PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Continued from page 1 Palta Hill from the Wisconsin School of Business constituents during the pandemic. ahead of her EEO session. Binnu was a WBA Announcements coming soon about favorite when she spoke to us a few years ago at Broadcasters Clinic a WBA Conference and we’re excited to have her act as moderator. Our Broadcasters Clinic Committee is nearly Wisconsin Broadcasters Association done setting the agenda for the Broadcasters Officers & Board of Directors Committee members will be leading discussions Clinic to be held Sept. 8-10 at the Madison at the tables about diversity in broadcasting with OFFICERS 2020-2021 Marriott West. This is another return to normal Chair of the Board the aim of giving attendees actionable ideas for us, albeit earlier in the year than the Clinic Chris Bernier Radio Plus, Marinette/ to make sure their stations reflect more voices would typically happen. Fond du Lac in their communities. We hope you can join We’re hearing there are many out there interest- Vice Chair - TV, Chair Elect the Diversity Committee in Sheboygan for this Don Vesely WMTV-TV, Madison ed in attending but waiting to get the all-clear important session. Vice Chair - Radio because of the pandemic. We’re hopeful for Broadcasters meeting with lawmakers Lupita Montoto La Movida WLMV Radio, continued success in the vaccine rollout so Madison The pandemic hasn’t kept broadcasters from broadcast engineers, vendors, and experts can Treasurer connecting with lawmakers through your WBA. again share the same space at the Clinic. Jan Wade WISN-TV, Milwaukee While our annual WBA DC trip didn’t happen Watch your inboxes for the Broadcasters Clinic Immediate Past Chair in person this year, we’re organizing a virtual agenda and updates on all the other events we Steve Lavin WBAY-TV, Green Bay visit to Capitol Hill with calls and video con- have in the works. Your WBA knows you’re ready ferences with Congressional offices over three BOARD OF DIRECTORS to get back to networking with your fellow days in May. We expect to talk to our Wisconsin Judson Beck WLAX-TV/WEUX-TV, broadcasters. We absolutely can’t wait to see Congressional delegation about preserving local La Crosse/Eau Claire you again too. journalism and the tremendous work that you, Brian Burns Morgan Murphy Media, Madison Wisconsin’s Broadcasters, put in to help their Keep up the great work and stay safe! Paul Cameron The Family Radio Network, Appleton Reps. Kind, Grothman, Tiffany cosponsor LRFA Herb Cody QueenB Radio, Platteville Sean Dwyer WXOW-TV, La Crosse Wisconsin Congressional Representatives Ron Kind Stevens Point (D-WI-3), Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6) and Tom Tiffany Anna Engelhart WKOW-TV, Madison (R-WI-7) are supporting the recently reintroduced Aleese Fielder NRG Media-Wausau/ Local Radio Freedom Act (LFRA). The resolutions Stevens Point in the House of Representatives and the Senate Andy Gille Midwest Communications, oppose “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or Green Bay other charge” on local broadcast radio stations. Dean Kallenbach Wisconsin Public Radio, The version of the LFRA introduced in the last Senior Regional Manager, Eau Claire Kind Grothman Tiffany session of Congress was supported by Senator Ron Mike Smith WFRV-TV, Green Bay Johnson and House representatives Bryan Steil (R- Colleen Valkoun iHeartMedia, Milwaukee WI-1), Ron Kind (D-WI-3), Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6), Tom Tiffany (R-WI-7) and Mike Gallagher Jeff Welton Nautel, Hackett’s Cove, (R-WI-8). Last session more than half the members of the U.S. House cosponsored the bill. Nova Scotia The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) signals Members of Congress’s opposition to any poten- Ex Officio - NAB Board Tom Koser Koser Radio Group, Rice Lake tial legislation that would impose new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations for music airplay. Stations step up for statewide tornado drill WBA Team Radio and TV broadcasters across Wisconsin used Severe Weather Awareness Week and a state- wide tornado drill to prepare their communities for the upcoming severe weather season. President & CEO Michelle Vetterkind, CAE Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin was recognized April 12-16 and a statewide [email protected] tornado drill was conducted on April 15. The WBA coordinated the event alongside Wisconsin NCSA/PEP Coordinator Emergency Management and the National Weather Service. Liz Boyd [email protected] Radio and TV stations used the occasion to review severe weather preparedness tips and edu- Director of Operations and Public cated the public about watches and warnings issues by the National Weather Service and what Affairs they should do when one is issued. Stations promoted the awareness in their on-air programs Kyle Geissler and on their websites and social media. [email protected] The live code test that was typically a part of Severe Weather Awareness Week was called off this year primarily because technological hurdles have made the EAS live code portion of the test no longer viable. Rather than risk an error that reduces public confidence in alerting WBA Board minutes are always available for members. Please email Kyle Geissler at systems, the decision was made to remove that aspect of the drill. The alerting systems used in [email protected] to request past tests that were not tested this year are regularly tested in other ways. a copy. Thank you to all the stations that participated in this important public safety education cam- paign. 2 Wisconsin Broadcaster | wi-broadcasters.org Zaragoza to receive WBA Distinguished Service Award at Summer Conference The WBA’s now retired Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Founda- with the National Association of Broadcasters.