SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 CHAIR’S COLUMN Prepare for election season Baun takes bow after 14 years at WBA We are now entering the election window. One very WBA Vice President Linda Baun will retire from the important heads up: You must upload everything organization in September after 14 years. to your Political File (orders, copy, audio or video) Baun joined the WBA in 2006 and led numerous WBA as soon as possible. As soon as possible is the catch events including the Broadcasters Clinic, the WBA phrase. Numerous broadcast companies, large and Awards for Excellence program and Awards Gala, the small, have signed off on Consent Decrees with the Student Seminar, the winter and summer confer- FCC for violating this phrase. What I have been told is, ences, and many other WBA events including count- get it in your Political File by the next day. less social events and broadcast training sessions. She Linda Baun Chris Bernier There are so many great examples of creative pro- coordinated the WBA’s EEO Assistance Action Plan, WBA Chair gramming and selling around the state. Many of you ran several committees, and handled administration are running the classic Packer games in place of the of the WBA office. normal preseason games. With high school football moved to the “Linda’s shoes will be impossible to fill,” said WBA President and CEO spring in Michigan our radio stations there will air archived games Michelle Vetterkind. “Linda earned a well-deserved reputation for from past successful seasons. This has been well received and we always going above and beyond what our members expected of her were able to hang on to billing for the fall. and the extra special personal touches she added to every event.” This past weekend we had our first positive COVID-19 test of an “It’s difficult to lose somebody that has been such an integral part employee, actually three employees, in one market. It is amazing how of your organization,” said WBA Board Chair Chris Bernier. “Linda has Continued on page 14> Continued on page 3> CONTENTS PRESIDENT’S COLUMN New bylaws passed .....................2 Linda Baun’s dedication will leave New WBA Awards categories .......3 permanent mark on your WBA Virtual Broadcasters Clinic ....... 4-5 To say that it’s difficult to summarize exhibitors and never (ever) missed the chance to Stations making a difference .......6 all the ways in which our Linda Baun hand out lunches to the exhibitors to make them Jacobs on pandemic response .....7 Michelle has left her mark on your WBA is an feel appreciated. As I’m sure you’ll agree, these understatement… events will simply not be the same without her. Young Professional updates ........7 Vetterkind, CAE Lin has given 14 years of dedicated You can read more about Lin in the front-page NCSA/PEP recognition ............. 8-9 WBA President service to your WBA. She’s earned article. WBA EEO Action Plan ..................8 and CEO her reputation for her dedication to Lin, our dear friend - thank you isn’t enough. Emergency ID card.......................9 broadcasting, amazing work ethic, We will miss you more than you know. You will and boundless kind-heartedness. She put in countless Your WBA Serving You ...............10 ALWAYS be a part of the WBA Family! hours working to make life easier for you and your Member News ...........................12 fellow WBA members. She worked behind the scenes Broadcasters Clinic going virtual Obituaries..................................13 making our events exceed your expectations, and Your WBA’s award-winning Broadcasters Clinic always, always added her own touch to make events a Educator’s Column .....................14 event is returning this year as a virtual event, and little extra special. we’re excited to have FCC Chairman Ajit Pai mak- Hall of Fame, Legends delayed ..15 Lin’s work touched so many events and services ing an appreance! It’s still three days: Oct. 13-15 Jowett Fellowship recipients .....15 offered by your WBA. In particular, she threw her whole and will still bring together the best and brightest Calendar of Events .....................16 self into the WBA Student Seminar, the WBA Awards for on the topics broadcast engineers need to know Excellence, the WBA Awards Gala, and the Broadcasters about. You can learn all about the online event on Clinic. At the WBA Gala, you could spot her in her dress pages 4-5. and headset making sure everything was running New bylaws adopted smoothly and no one missed a cue. At the Broadcast- Thank you to all the WBA member stations who ers Clinic, she was always meeting with attendees and Continued on page 2> PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Continued from page 1 participated in the process of adopting changes advantage of free one-on-one digital strategy to the WBA bylaws. It was a prolonged process consultations we offer from Seth Resler from because the summer membership meeting had Jacobs Media. Here’s one quote: to be canceled; that said, we are so grateful to all “It was awesome! Not only did Seth give us great Wisconsin Broadcasters Association the station managers who studied the chang- feedback on our website, he also helped us with es and sent in their consent forms. Read more our strategies and making them more concrete Officers & Board of Directors below. and quantifiable.” OFFICERS 2020-2021 Have you listened to the Bob Barry podcast? Chair of the Board Seth is available to help your stations talk about Chris Bernier Radio Plus, Marinette/ You should! And you should subscribe so you your digital strategies, whether you’re just Fond du Lac can catch new episodes every Wednesday. WBA getting started on digital platforms or if you’re Vice Chair - TV, Chair Elect Hall of Famer Bob Barry is unearthing some of trying to figure out how to shift strategies to Don Vesely WMTV-TV, Madison his most interesting celebrity interviews from address changes in the market or curveballs like Vice Chair - Radio his decades on the air in Milwaukee. He recently the pandemic. Interested? Contact Kyle Geissler: Lupita Montoto La Movida WLMV Radio, Madison published interviews with Buffalo Bob, Rod- [email protected]. Treasurer ney Dangerfield, Gene Pitney, Tina Turner, and The ongoing pandemic and upcoming election Jan Wade WISN-TV, Milwaukee Phyllis Diller. The podcast is published by your season will no doubt keep the pressure on you Secretary WBA Foundation with support from WBA Hall of and your operations. Please know that your Michael Wright Midwest Communications, Green Bay/Wausau Famer Terry Baun. You can find the most recent WBA is here to help. You know about all the ser- Immediate Past Chair episodes and links to subscribe on our Wisconsin vices we offer (see page 10) , and you know that Steve Lavin WBAY-TV, Green Bay Broadcasting Museum website: https://www. your WBA is YOUR Go To Resource - but these wisconsinbroadcastingmuseum.org/ days we sometimes hear from members who BOARD OF DIRECTORS Valuable (and FREE) one-on-one digital con- simply need to talk…..and we’re here for that as Judson Beck WLAX-TV/WEUX-TV, sultations well. We’re so very proud of the work you do for La Crosse/Eau Claire Wisconsin. As always, stay safe. Stay healthy. We We recently gathered testimonials from some Brian Burns Morgan Murphy Media, Madison need you! of your fellow WBA members who’ve taken Paul Cameron The Family Radio Network, Appleton Herb Cody QueenB Radio, Platteville Membership adopts revised WBA bylaws Sean Dwyer WXOW-TV, La Crosse Stevens Point Changes effective July 30 Anna Engelhart WKOW-TV, Madison The member stations of the WBA this summer approved changes to the WBA bylaws. The changes were Aleese Fielder NRG Media-Wausau/ initially approved at the WBA Winter Conference and the second vote was to occur at the membership Stevens Point meeting at the Summer Conference. Because the membership could not meet this summer, the vote was Andy Gille Midwest Communications, Green Bay conducted remotely through the submission of consent forms from representatives of all stations that Dean Kallenbach Wisconsin Public Radio, approved of the changes. At least 80 percent of WBA member stations had to approve for the changes to Senior Regional Manager, Eau Claire be made official. Consent forms were received from 81.9 percent of the member stations and the changes Mike Smith WFRV-TV, Green Bay went into effect July 30. Mark Strachota WDJT-TV/CBS & Telemundo, The changes to the bylaws were in response to the 2019 WBA Task Force findings and a State Ethics Milwaukee Colleen Valkoun iHeartMedia, Milwaukee Committee ruling that disallows legislative receptions. It was proposed that elements of the WBA Winter Jeff Welton Nautel, Hackett’s Cove, Conference be held in conjunction with the WBA Student Seminar later in the spring. The WBA State Leg- Nova Scotia islative Day would be scheduled as needed to improve our member’s strategic advocacy effectiveness. Ex Officio - NAB Board As such, the WBA would eliminate its winter membership business meeting, and maintain the summer Tom Koser Koser Radio Group, Rice Lake membership meeting. WBA Team Because this change would affect WBA bylaws, the WBA worked with its attorneys to draft changes to the President & CEO bylaws. During this process, the attorneys found other changes for members to consider. Michelle Vetterkind, CAE [email protected] --Article IV: The changes remove references to specific annual meetings and leave it to the board chair Vice President - Administration and president to determine when and where the annual meeting will happen. The intention is to hold the Linda Baun annual meeting at the Summer Conference.