SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 CHAIR’S COLUMN Take time to appreciate broadcasting’s strength I was in a training session with some of the station newspaper business. The day I started there were 400 employees and staff in mid-August. I reviewed my notes this week to our Sunday circulation was darn near six figures. try to spark an idea for this column. I have to admit, I Do I ever appreciate what we are today! There is no doubt, as local have a ton of ideas of topics to write, but I often broadcast radio and television broadcasters, our business model is struggle as to whether the readers would care. changing, but it is far from broken. Had we not changed we would One sentence that caught my attention was,”Do we become increasingly irrelevant. Innovation and technology have fully appreciate what we are today versus allowed us to more efficiently and effectively run our operations. We are Steve Lavin remembering what we were yesterday?” able to monetize our valuable digital and social media content that WBA Chair wasn’t even invented back in the mid-90s. Our local broadcast radio and I thought back to some of the audience numbers I TV creative advertising messages delivered to the right audiences still could quote to prospective media buyers when I broke into the TV sales puts butts in seats, creates website visits, and makes the phones ring. business back in 1996. They were huge. TV stations had one channel Our news departments still hold public officials accountable and when with a variety of network, syndicated, and news programs that in one severe weather is approaching the market still trusts local broadcasters program could deliver an audience that exceeded the capacity of to keep them out of harm’s way. Lambeau Field. I’m sure there were radio groups that could find audiences that dwarfed the capacity of the large stadiums in their local And, I appreciate I can do this in the great state of Wisconsin that market. provides our employees with exceptional quality of life and a taste of all four seasons. Your business interests are supported by one of the best, if I quickly thought back to where I started my career. I started in the local not the best, state broadcasters associations in the country. PRESIDENT’S COLUMN CONTENTS WBA moves to new member app. 2 Directory shares podcasts from Deadline quickly approaching for YP Wisconsin broadcasters. 2 Jacobs Media: What we learned nominations Results Education Grant, which will provide $1,000 in debt at the 2019 Podcast Movement There are only a few weeks left to relief to broadcasters who are paying off their student Conferrence . 3 submit your nominations for the debt. Among other criteria, applicants must be employed Wright joins WBA Legislative Committee . 3 WBA Young Professional of the with a broadcaster in Wisconsin for at least a year. 2019 WBA Broadcasters Clinic . 4 Michelle Year. We will recognize six finalize Applications will be accepted starting Jan. 1 and the grant Wisconsin radio, TV stations join First Vetterkind, and award the YP of the Year at the will be awarded at the WBA Summer Conference. Amendment campaign. 6 CAE 2020 WBA Summer Conference. In the meantime, applications are now being accepted for NCSA/PEP program offers many WBA President The nomination deadline is Sept. benefits. 8 our four student scholarships, including the new David L. and CEO 30. Find a link to the nomination Members in the Spotlight. 10 and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund Scholarship. Applications form under “Rapid Resources” on are due Nov. 1. Look for more details on page 19. WBA program helps stations the WBA homepage. plan for crisis . 11 Sports Workshop returns to Miller Park WBA’s 2019 Doug Chickering SBE National coming to Broadcasters Clinic WIAA Sports Workshop. 12 Those attending the WBA Doug Chickering WIAA Sports Young Professionals Column. 12 Planning for our award-winning Broadcasters Clinic Workshop at Miller Park in July were treated to some great In Remembrance . 13 is hitting its stride. Registration is open and hotel stories from Brewers radio announcer Jeff Levering and reservations are due Sept. 23. SBE National is Names in the News . 13 new Brewers PA announcer and radio personality Mark joining us at the Madison Marriott West this year. WBA Assistance Action Plan for EEO Richards. We also got some insightful updates from the Compliance (as of July 2019). 14 We hope you can join us Oct. 15-17 and make sure WIAA about the state of high school Your WBA Serving You . 16 your engineering staff is there. sports. Educators Column . 18 Clinic Committee Chair Kent Aschenbrenner, Linda A highlight for me was running into Awards. 18 Baun, and the Clinic Committee have put out a legendary Brewers radio announcer Bob WBA Foundation: . 19 fantastic agenda which can be found on page 4. Uecker. He and former WBA President Student scholarship Registration is easy to find on the WBA website competition underway John Laabs are both members of the homepage. Educational Support Grants WBA Hall of Fame. total $3,000 in 2019 Read more about the Sports Workshop Thank you, WBA Foundation! Education grant aimed at student debt relief on page 12. Calendar of Events . 20 The Results Broadcasting Scholarship is now the Continued on page 2> PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Continued from page 1 Promote your podcast in our new directory We just added a new feature to the WBA Wisconsin Broadcasters Association homepage to promote podcasts published by Officers & Board of Directors WBA member stations. If your podcast isn’t OFFICERS 2019-2020 already on the list, be sure to submit it so we Chair of the Board can add it. Get more details below. Steve Lavin WBAY-TV, Green Bay Vice Chair - Radio, Chair Elect Milwaukee area broadcasters visit Rep. Moore Chris Bernier Radio Plus, Marinette/Fond du Lac A group of radio and TV general managers Vice Chair - Television paid a visit to Rep. Gwen Moore in August as Don Vesely WMTV-TV, Madison part of an effort to visit our DC representatives Treasurer when they’re home in their districts. Lupita Montoto La Movida WLMV Radio, Madison The meeting with Rep. Moore was insightful and productive. Issues related to broadcasting were Secretary discussed along with talk about planning for the arrival of the Democratic National Convention in Jan Wade WISN-TV, Milwaukee Milwaukee next summer, which is certain to be a huge event for the city. Immediate Past Chair Steve Wexler Jeff Wright from Midwest Communications is joining the WBA Legislative Committee. You can read Good Karma Brands, Milwaukee more about that on page3. Finally, this is a busy time of year for anniversaries at the WBA. I just celebrated by 24th anniversary BOARD OF DIRECTORS with the WBA, along with Liz Boyd (14 years), Linda Baun (13 years) and Kyle Geissler (2 years). Judson Beck WLAX-TV/WEUX-TV, Thank you to all of you, our valued members who make it such a pleasure to work on your behalf. La Crosse/Eau Claire We’re a strong association, thanks to you. Keith Bratel iHeart Media, Madison Brian Burns Morgan Murphy Media, Madison Paul Cameron The Family Radio Network, Appleton Herb Cody QueenB Radio, Platteville Dave EdwardsWUWM-FM, WBA staff celebrates anniversaries Milwaukee Public Radio, Milwaukee Three WBA staff members marked work anniversaries in July and Anna Engelhart WKOW-TV, Madison August. Aleese Fielder NRG Media-Wausau/ Michelle Vetterkind, President and CEO, 24 years on August 28 Stevens Point, Plover Linda Baun, Vice President, 13 years on July 17 JT Koser Koser Radio Group, Rice Lake/Hayward Liz Boyd, NCSA/PEP Coordinator, 14 years on July 19 Mike Smith WFRV-TV, Green Bay Congratulations and thank you for your service to the WBA. Mark Strachota Weigel Broadcasting Co., Milwaukee Chuck Sullivan Entercom Communications, Hales Corners WBA moves to new member app The “MemberPlus” app is available now and can be Jeff Welton Nautel, Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia found by searching “MemberPlus” in the Apple or Michael Wright Midwest Communications, The WBA has a new member app to more closely Google app stores. Green Bay/Wausau integrate member services. To log in, you’ll Ex Officio - NAB Board The new app is available now and includes: need to use your Tom Walker Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Madison • Member directory • News headlines username and password for the • Job postings • Podcast directory new member’s only section of the WBA website. Look WBA Team • Other WBA resources to the WBA website homepage President & CEO Michelle Vetterkind, CAE for more information about the new login. This is a fairly new app from our database vendor and [email protected] we expect many new features to be added in the near Thank you to all our members who used the previous Vice President - Administration future. app and provided us with outstanding feedback. Linda Baun [email protected] NCSA/PEP Coordinator Liz Boyd Directory shares podcasts from The directory can be found here and it’s linked in the [email protected] “For the Public” section of the navigation on the WBA Director of Operations and Public Affairs Wisconsin broadcasters website. https://mywba.wi-broadcasters.org/ Kyle Geissler [email protected] podcast-directory WBA Board minutes are always available for WBA website launches new member service, members. Please email Linda Baun at directories The search bar in the directory can be used to find [email protected] to request a copy. podcasts by city, topic, or call letter. A new directory on The directory launched with 34 podcasts listed, but the WBA website Wisconsin Broadcasters Association catalogs podcasts published we know there are more podcasts out there.