WBA Sports Workshop Heads To The Kohl Center

July 2013
Chair’s Column
By Dean Maytag
Who Ya Gonna Call??
I
had a great time at the WBA
Summer Convention, but I have
some unfinished business. I started
a pretty good Rant about the value of broadcasters in emergency
situations, before I stopped. The
recent disasters; (Oklahoma, Sandy
Hook) focus on the critical role of
broadcasters in emergency situations. I recently attended a tabletop
exercise with emergency planners. The purpose of a tabletop
is to test the respective emergency plans from business
and government. The exercise consisted of an F4 tornado
going through a major Wisconsin downtown, damaging
businesses and requiring evacuation. The problem----How
do you find your employees? Tell them where to go? And
communicate Emergency Plans to them?
1. Land Lines?—Nope, infrastructure damaged
2. Cell Phones? –No, even if working, the number of
phone calls would overwhelm the system
3. Text messages—No, see #2
4. Check the web site—see 1,2,3
I raised my hand and suggested that they give all employees a radio and a 9V battery. Broadcasters can reach
99% of all the market. Oh!! Great idea!!
There is no single source of failure with multiple radio/
TV with backup power, we will be on the air.
We are a trusted source; viewers and listeners are used
to turning to us for info.
We know how to communicate information; in addition
TV has mapping, helicopters, LIVE cams.
We don’t need to rely on cell technology…find the old
2-ways
The WBA is a national leader in emergency planning.
Lastly and importantly, we are the Emergency Manager’s voice in an emergency. Our airwaves would be
dedicated to the flow of information, saving property and
lives. It is a role that, luckily, we have rarely been needed
to fulfill in Wisconsin, but we are ready to do so. So my
suggestion is….contact your Emergency Managers, remind
them of our role and skill in serving in the public interest
and the power of a radio, a 9V battery and broadcasters
commitment to the public.
OK, I have it off my chest, and can now pronounce
the WBA convention a 100% success.
WBA Summer
Conference Is A Hit!
See pages 4 thru 13 for Highlights
WBA Sports
Workshop Heads To
The Kohl Center
WBA’s 2013 Doug Chickering
WIAA Sports Workshop
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Kohl Center, UW-Madison
To Include The Following….
• Play-By-Play & Social Media Trends in
Sportscasting with Matt Lepay, Voice of the
Wisconsin Badgers
• What’s New at the WIAA with
Dave Anderson, Executive Director
of the WIAA & Todd Clark, Director of
Communications & Advanced Media
Matt Lepay
• “Behind The Scenes” Tour of the Kohl Center
• And More…TBD
Registration Fees: WBA Member $45.00; Non-Member $90.00;
Broadcast Student $10.00 (Includes sessions, continental breakfast, lunch)
PLEASE NOTE:
“Because we have to guarantee a meal count the WBA will not
refund any cancellations made after August 1st.
We will also invoice for all “no-shows”.
“The WBA’s Doug Chickering – WIAA Sports Workshop is
underwritten by the Oakley-Lindsey Foundation as part of their
6-year, $30,000 pledge to the WBA Foundation.
Register online at www.wi-broadcasters.org
Wisconsin TV Stations!
July 16: Pre-Filing Announcements to run
August 1: Filing Deadline for renewal of license applications
WBA & WBA Foundation Hold Joint
Board Meeting In Elkhart Lake
2013-2014 OFFICERS
Chair of the Board
DEAN MAYTAG
WISN-TV, Milwaukee
Vice Chair - Radio/Chair Elect
Kelly Radandt
Woodward Communications
Appleton/Green Bay
Vice Chair - Television
Scott CHORSKI
WKBT-TV, La Crosse
Treasurer
Jeff Tyler
Clear Channel Radio, Madison/Milwaukee
Secretary
TOM ALLEN
WKOW-TV, Madison
Immediate Past Chair
BILL HURWITZ
WZTI-AM/WLDB-FM/WLUM-FM, Milwaukee
President & CEO
MICHELLE VETTERKIND, CAE
mvetterkind@wi-broadcasters.org
Vice President - Administration
LINDA BAUN
lbaun@wi-broadcasters.org
44 E. Mifflin Street, Suite 900
Madison, WI 53703
Phone:
(608) 255-2600
Toll Free: (800) 236-1922
FAX:
(608) 256-3986
Website:www.wi-broadcasters.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
GENE PURCELL
CHRIS BERNIER
WI ECB
Armada Media
Fond du Lac/Marinette Madison
DAVID BOOTH
WXOW-TV
La Crosse
JOSEPH DENK
WFRV-TV
Green Bay
DICK RECORD
Family Radio
La Crosse
CHUCK STEINMETZ
WITI-TV
NANCY DOUGLASS Milwaukee
WLKG-FM
Lake Geneva
STEVE WEXLER
Journal Broadcast Group
DON GRASSMAN
Milwaukee
Results Broadcasting
Shawano
SCOTT LOPAS
wtkm am/fm
Hartford
LUPITA MONTOTO
WLMV (La Movida)
Madison
RICHARD WOOD
Resonant Resultls
Cottage Grove
VANESSA YOUNGER
WISC-TV
Madison
Ex Officio - NAB Board
Roger Utnehmer
DoorCountyDailyNews.com, Sturgeon Bay
2
(Following each meeting of the WBA Board of Directors, a summary of their major activities and
discussions is reported in narrative form in the Wisconsin Broadcaster. The report is only a summary
and official meeting minutes will continue to be kept on file and can be obtained from the WBA office.
he WBA & WBA Foundation tried something new in holding a joint board meeting (vs. their
normal separate summer meetings). The meeting was held on June 18, 2013 at the Osthoff Resort
in Elkhart Lake. WBA Chair, Dean Maytag, and WBA Foundation Chair, David Sanks, presided.
FINANCIAL REPORTS:
WBA Foundation Operations/Investments (WBA Foundation Treasurer, Tom Walker): Summary of January – April, 2013. Operating revenues are $19,335 and operating expenses are $19,689.
This does not take into account the $100,000 contribution from the WBA to the WBA Foundation (for
the Foundation’s operating expenses), which was deposited on May 3. Investments are up 8.17%.
WBA Operations/Investments (WBA Treasurer, Jeff Tyler): Summary of January - April
2013: When adjustments are made for timeliness of receipts or payments, the Operations report would
show Revenues over projections by approx. $31,330 and Expenditures are over budget by approx.
$18,451. At this point, then, the net effect would be that overall Operations are about +$12,879
to budget. In essence, at this time, we would be looking at an operating surplus of $74,634 (the
$61,755 that was originally projected + $12,879). Investments are up 4.49%.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (WBA & WBA Foundation President & CEO, Michelle Vetterkind):
Next WBA Board Meeting – Thursday, November 7, 2013, Copper Leaf Hotel, Appleton
Summer Conference/Media Technology Institute/ Joint Board Reception/Dinner: Discussed
agenda for the conference, and the kick-off of the media technology conference. Joint Board reception and dinner tonight, and the convention begins Wednesday morning, running through Thursday
night’s Hall of Fame. Attendance this year is up.
National Radio Hall of Fame Steering Committee: Michelle has been asked to be on this
national committee. John Laabs had been on it for many years. Michelle will be honored to serve.
Hall of Fame Plaques: They used to be displayed at the historical society, but the Society ran
out of room. Suggestions were requested for alternate display sites. Discussion to be continued.
WBA’s 2013 Doug Chickering WIAA Sports Workshop – August 7 – UW Athletics: To be
held at the Kohl Center. Hope to have Matt Lepay, coaches, WIAA reps, tour of the facility.
WI Army National Guard: Our partner in the NCSA/PEP program, as well as a sponsor of the
convention. When you see them this week, please thank them for all they do, and the support they offer.
Gala Recap, Clinic Preview: Linda Baun reported. Awards committee met after the gala, and it
was decided to go back to the Marriott next year. Contract has been signed. Next year’s gala is May 3,
2014. The clinic will be Oct 8-10th at the Madison Marriott West. Invitations to go out in early July.
FOUNDATION REPORT: David Sanks/ Michelle Vetterkind reported:
Visionary Committee: Recap of the March meeting at the Madison Club was given by David
Sanks. It was agreed at the Visionary committee meeting that a major focus is to make sure that going
forward our membership has a clear understanding of the Foundation’s role. David and Michelle
will take next steps to follow-up on the outline laid out at the March meeting.
HOF Backlog Initiative: Sanks updated the group on the approach going forward. Per the
WBA’s vote and contribution at their May, 2013 meeting, all 45 backlogged videos will be completed
over the next two years. Annual induction videos will continue as they have in the past.
Website Initiative: Susan Lewandowski joined the meeting to discuss plans going forward.
Susan has been working with the WBA in various ways since the late eighties. She outlined issues
with our current web host. She mentioned that there was much duplication and fragmentation in
our web efforts, and explained how we will consolidate the four current web efforts (Association,
Foundation, Museum, R Perry Kidder Broadcast News Resource Center) under one umbrella. Susan
will also help the Association focus on mobile solutions and social media developments. Goal is to
leverage our great content in an effective way with a fresh start.
High School Proposal, Distance Learning & RMP: (WBA Education Chair Ken Beno).
RMP: For 2013-2014, fund five RMP student seminars at $17,150 (taking the student rate down to
$20, as it was two years ago). The WBA now shares participant info with WBA members. In the
seven years the seminar has been presented and sponsored by the WBA Foundation, 513 out of the
543 (94.5%) have passed and been certified as RMP’s.
High School Proposal: In a proposal designed to target juniors and seniors in high school that
are interested in broadcasting, marketing, and/or engineering, for 2013-2014, fund up to 10 presentations (Ken will work with the WBA’s Young Professionals and also with the WBA’s Diversity
Module committee) – total estimated costs being $2,950.
SLN Distance Learning Initiative: Ken reported on this project, which the WBA and WBA
Foundation have shared since the fall of 2013. Decision was made to table this initiative for now, as
there is a chance of incorporating distance learning with the High School Proposal mentioned above.
All motions passed unanimously.
Debates: David Sanks outlined ongoing discussions about the future of WBA Foundation
sponsored debates. More information to come.
R. Perry Kidder Broadcast News Resource Center: Perry Kidder recapped a recent meeting
T
See MINUTES on Page 12
Wisconsin Broadcaster
President’s Column
I
By Michelle Vetterkind, CAE
f you were one of the nearly 400 broadcasters,
exhibitors, associate members and guests who
joined us for the WBA’s Summer Conference, held
during the week of June 17 at the beautiful Osthoff
Resort in Elkhart Lake, I think you’ll agree it was
a most memorable event! We’re still receiving
excellent feedback.
For some of us, our “Conference Week” started
on Monday morning, with the WBA’s second annual
Media Technology Institute (MTI), underwritten by
the WBA and Duke Wright of Midwest Communications. The MTI focus is on practical, instructional courses for prospective,
beginning, and current broadcast/media engineers. MTI consists of 3 days of
instructional content and 1 day of technical seminars/equipment exhibition
as part of the WBA Summer Engineering Conference. Chief Instructor
Terry Baun was joined by Jim Klas, WI ECB; Bill Hubbard, UW-Green
Bay; and Richard Wood, Resonant Results. I also snuck away for a bit on
Monday as I took the opportunity to visit stations in the Plymouth area. I
thoroughly enjoy making station visits, as it gives me the opportunity to
see first-hand how committed to your local communities you, as Wisconsin
broadcasters, are.
Tuesday focused on our Board(s) of Directors. We started out with
our WBA Executive Committee Meeting and then tried something out
for the first time. Instead of holding our traditional June back-to-back,
separate WBA and WBA Foundation Board Meetings, we held a Joint
Board Meeting. The Joint Board meeting was very well received and
it looks like we may consider holding this particular meeting as a Joint
Meeting each year. That evening, WBA and WBA Foundation Board
Members, along with your WBA staff, had our annual Joint Board Reception and Dinner at Lola’s at the Osthoff.
For once, the weather was “absolutely perfect” (I can’t tell you how
many times I heard that) for Wednesday’s Golf Outing at Quit Qu Oc.
As always, our golfers enjoyed themselves tremendously.
The day-long Engineering Workshop received top-notch reviews, as
a result of several most timely sessions planned by our fantastic Broadcasters Clinic/Summer Conference Engineering Committee. Wednesday
afternoon also offered a Job/Career Fair followed by Dick Zaragoza from
our DC Counsel from Pillsbury and his session on “Compliance with the
FCC’s EEO Nondiscrimination and Outreach Regulations” session – part
4 in our 2-year EEO Module.
Wednesday also featured a popular, day-long WBA Social Media
Seminar with Nick Ring of Engaging Social, “Getting the Most Out of
Social Media and Using it as a Money Maker!” The session also featured
one-on-one time with Nick.
Attendees met up that evening for the Exhibit Reception, where everyone
was vying for one of the many wonderful prizes that were being offered. I
would be remiss if I did not mention Brian Lammi, Lammi Sports Management, donating his winnings from the WBA Foundation’s 50/50 raffle back
to the Foundation. On behalf of the Foundation, thank you, Brian!
Then it time for our dinner, which took place outside (remember, it
was a beautiful night) at the resort. Attendees were able to enjoy excellent
food, refreshing drinks, along with great camaraderie amongst friends
– old and new. And….last, but certainly not least, the bonfire down by
Russ Prieve
Erection Manager/
Project Manager
Mobile: (608) 575-2888
PCS
Cellular
Erection
Two Way
Microwave
the lake which proved to be a very popular offering.
Thursday morning started bright and early with the Business Breakfast where reports were heard from various committee chairs, along with
updates from both the WBA and the WBA Foundation. Dick Zaragoza
even offered to speak from the podium, offering gracious remarks about
your WBA and the activities we provide. Another one of my favorite
moments was surprising our longtime WBA photographer, Rick Jowett,
with a plaque of appreciation for his many, many years of service to the
WBA. We’re not sure how many years Rick has been taking pictures at
the WBA Conventions, as he pre-dates me (and even John Laabs). Rick
goes back to the days of when Bob Bodden was Executive Director of the
WBA and they needed someone to snap a few shots at a meeting While
Rick does not remember the exact year he started, he’s been doing it ever
since (having missed only two WBA events since).
After their brief BMO Financial Group Economic Update proved to be
so popular, for the third year in a row we gave John Benjamin and Erica
Hill their own session, as they kicked off Thursday’s General Sessions.
Thursday’s General Sessions definitely contributed to the popularity
of the Conference; our morning session featuring Paul Weyland’s popular
“Think Like An Adman & Sell Like A Madman” and Meagan Johnson’s
timely afternoon session, “ZAP The Invisible Gap In A Multi-Generational
Workforce”.
And….what more can we say about the Keynote Luncheon Address and
book signing with NFL (and WBA) Hall of Famer Willie Davis? According
to your comments, this was definitely an all-time WBA highlight for many
of you. Willie was gracious and entertaining, and…as I said at the end of
the interview, “the really cool thing is when you realize that the Legend is
also a darned nice guy”, which couldn’t be more true in this case.
Our final session featured our Legislative Update with Rick Kaplan,
Executive VP of Strategic Planning, NAB; Dick Zaragoza, our DC Counsel
from Pillsbury; WBA State Legislative Chair Roger Utnehmer and myself
(and although she was not officially the panel, we were also fortunate to
have Sue Keenom, Senior Vice President, State Associations, NAB with
us for the conference). As usual, there is no shortage of Legislative and
Regulatory Issues which could have a significant affect on our industry.
This highly relevant session always helps our members stay informed.
Our Summer Conference culminated with what is always one of the
most poignant events – our Hall of Fame Reception and Dinner. It is a
true celebration shared by family, friends, and former colleagues. Special
congratulations to this year’s inductees: Dave Carlson, William T. Evjue,
Karl Schmidt, Scott M. Trentadue, and Bill Vancil. Please join me in extending a heart-felt thank you to your WBA staff (Linda, Mandy, and Liz).
I am proud and honored to be a part of this WBA Team. And of course – a
thank you to our Supporters, Committees, and our Sponsors (see listing on
page 13) – we would not provide such a top-notch event without you.
Make sure to put next year’s Winter Conference (and State Legislative
Day) and Summer Conference on your calendars. Winter/State Legislative Day
will be Wednesday, January 22 at the Concourse Hotel in Madison; Summer
will take place June 18 & 19 at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. You may
wonder – why are we only 20 miles up the road from this year’s Summer
Conference? They are giving us an $89 per night room rate, something the
Conference Committee and the WBA Board simply could not turn down.
In the meantime, stay cool – enjoy the rest of the summer (which always
seems to fly by), and…..thank you, as always, for your time & support!
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3
Conference
The WBA’s Summer Conference
Events were held June 17-20 at the
The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake.
• WBA Media Technology Institute (June
17-20)
• WBA & WBA Foundation Joint Board
Meeting/Reception (June 18)
• WBA Summer Conference and Hall of
Fame (June 19-20)
For a complete recap of the events,
see the President’s Column on page 3.
4
Wisconsin Broadcaster
Highlights
July 2013
5
More Conference
6
Wisconsin Broadcaster
Highlights
July 2013
7
More Highlights
8
Wisconsin Broadcaster
WBA Media Technology Insitute
WBA Job/Career Fair
July 2013
9
Hall of
William T. Evjue
Dave Carlson
Karl F. Schmidt
Scott M. Trentadue
10
Bill Vancil
Wisconsin Broadcaster
Fame
Dave & Susan Carlson
Dave Zweifel
on behalf of
William T. Evjue
Jim & Evey Fleming on behalf of Karl F. Schmidt
Scott & Margo Trentadue
July 2013
Bill Vancil & Andrea Byk
11
Foundation Report
2013 Wisconsin Broadcasters
Association Foundation
Officers & Board of Directors
Lammi Gives Back To WBA Foundation
Brian Lammi, Lammi Sports Man-
agement, graciously donated his win-
OFFICERS
Chair of the Board
David Sanks
WBUW-TV, Madison
nings from the WBA Foundation’s 50/50
Vice Chair
Laurin Jorstad
Retired Broadcaster, Wausau
Foundation, providing the Foundation
Secretary
Dick Record
Family Radio, La Crosse
you, Brian!
Raffle, which took place during the
WBA’s Exhibit Reception, back to the
Treasurer
TOM WALKER
Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Madison
President & CEO
MICHELLE VETTERKIND, CAE
Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation
44 E. Mifflin Street, Suite 900
Madison, WI 53703
Phone:
(608) 255-2600
Toll Free:
(800) 236-1922
FAX:
(608) 256-3986
Website:www.wbafoundation.org
Museum:www.wisconsinbroadcastingmuseumm.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scott CHORSKI
WKBT-TV, La Crosse
Bruce Grassman
Results Broadcasting
Shawano
Kelly Radandt
Woodward Communications
Appleton/Green Bay
Terry Shockley
Shockley Group Inc.
DeBary, FL
Bill Hurwitz
WZTI-AM/
WLDB-FM/WLUM-FM
Milwaukee
Jill Sommers
WISC-TV/TVW
Madison
R. Perry Kidder
Retired Broadcaster
Hilbert
Scott M. Trentadue
Retired Broadcaster
Lake Mills
Dean Maytag
WISN-TV
Milwaukee
Roger Utnehmer
DoorCountyDailyNews.com
Sturgeon Bay
Duke Wright
Midwest Communications
Green Bay
12
with a grand total of $1,920. Thank
Brian Lammi, Lammi Sports Management
& Michelle Vetterkind, WBA Foundation
President & CEO.
MINUTES from Page 3
he had with Michelle and David to discuss updating
the site. He talked about the need to update content
and keep it current going forward. Making the site
user friendly and developing a marketing plan are
keys. The resource center should fit into the overall
new site design. Also should look for partner organizations in the field of journalism. A committee
will be headed up by Carmelyn Daley, Asst. News
Director at WITI-TV, to move the project forward.
Hinshaw (Ed) & Kiel (Doug) Resignations:
Both individuals have resigned from the foundation
board due to difficulty in making the meetings.
Foundation Educational Offering Update:
Walker Broadcast Management Institute:
now have 97 graduates. This year’s institute was
another success. It was noted that a number of
out of state attendees with WI company ties are
involved in the program, which is a good for
attendance and participation.
Educational Support Grants (Recommendations): The committee (Laurin Jorstad/David
Sanks) moved to contribute $9,987 in 2013 for
WBA Foundation Educational Support Grants for
the following five schools: Cardinal Stritch, Milwaukee; UW-Green Bay; UW-Madison; UW-Platteville; Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee.
A total of $10,000 annually is made available for
this funding. Motion unanimously approved.
Engineering Support Grants: Baun report
that we have funded three interns this past year. We
also have a fellowship grant for working engineers,
which went to Woodward communications.
Scholarships: We have a number of scholarships that were granted this past year. Question
was raised as to how we might increase the number of applications, which have been dwindling.
Level of funding was discussed. Should amounts
be increased? This will be discussed before next
year’s offerings.
ASSOCIATION REPORT – Dean Maytag/
Michelle Vetterkind reported:
Legislative Reports:
State – Sales Tax Exemption Report: Brandon Scholz provided an update on the sales tax/
property tax legislation. He brought the board up
to date on what’s happened since the last board
meeting. Effort to get this into the budget failed
in the last days of the joint finance committee
meetings. Plan now is to let things settle down
and then bring the original property and sales tax
bill through the traditional process.
Federal – Legislative Briefing: Michelle
asked board members to be at the legislative
briefing on Thursday afternoon.
Board Resignations: Johnson (Kerry) &
Schweitzer (Jon): Nominating committee chair
Tom Koser recommended that Chris Bernier of
Armada Media fill Schweitzer’s At-Large seat (as
Bernier was given strong consideration and voted
“next in line” by the Nominating Committee). It
was also recommended not to fill the Southwest
Wisconsin Television board seat vacated by Johnson at this time (as this position also requires WBA
membership approval). Motion unanimously
approved.
Honor Flight Join Board Initiative: Chair
Maytag shared the discussion from the joint board
visioning meeting, where we discussed a “big”
statewide broadcast initiative, supporting Badger
Honor Flights. Idea is to generate as much broadcast publicity for this effort in advance of the 60th
anniversary of D Day next June. The power of
this particular program was discussed, and it was
agreed that the WBA should pursue this idea.
OTHER BUSINESS: None.
The meeting was held from 2:41 p.m. to 5:03
p.m. and was attended by 21 board members (along
with Michelle Vetterkind & Linda Baun from the
WBA) with 3 excused absences. A quorum was
present.
Respectfully submitted by
Tom Allen, Secretary, WBA
Wisconsin Broadcaster
Special Thanks To . . .
Conference Committee
Don Grassman, Results Broadcasting
Steve Lavin, WBAY-TV
Rick McCoy, Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Kelly Radandt,
WoodwardCommunications
Jill Sommers, WISC-TV
Jeff Tyler, Clear Channel Media +
Entertainment
Jan Wade, WISN-TV
Kelly Wilde, WKBH-FM
Michelle Vetterkind, WBA President & CEO
Linda Baun, WBA Vice President
Broadcasters Clinic Committee
Kent Aschenbrenner,
Journal Broadcast Group
Steve Brown,
Woodward Communications, Inc.
Mark Burg, GRANT Media LLC
Gordon Carter,
Professional Audio Services
Leonard Charles,
Television Wisconsin, Inc.
Greg Dahl,
Second Opinion Communications, Inc.
Clif Groth, New Radio Group
Bill Hubbard, UW-Green Bay
Keith Kintner, UW-Oshkosh
Gary Mach, GEMCOM
Jason Mielke, WCLO/WJVL
Kevin Ruppert, WISC-TV
Tom Smith
Matt Sperling, WKBT-TV
Linda Baun, WBA Vice President
Social Media Committee
Jake Anderson, WXOW/WQOW
Aaron Barrett, Woodward Radio Group
Kyle Geissler , WISC-TV
Neal Oberg, WKBT-TV
Thomas Swigert, WISN-TV
Michelle Vetterkind, WBA President & CEO
Linda Baun, WBA Vice President
Young Professionals
Committee
Alyssa Jensen, Milwaukee Radio Alliance
JT Koser, Koser Radio Group
Jeff Robbins, WISC-TV
Ty Shea, WISC-TV
Terry Stevenson, Seehafer Broadcasting
Jason Tokarczyk,
Woodward Communications
Kelly Radandt,
Woodward Communications
Michelle Vetterkind,
WBA President & CEO
Linda Baun, WBA Vice President
July 2013
Conference Moderators &
Speakers
Tom Allen, WKOW-TV
Aaron Barrett, Woodward Radio Group
Terry Baun, Wisconsin Educational
Communications Board
John Benjamin, BMO Private Bank
Ken Beno, WBA Education Chair
Lindsay Wood Davis,
Broadcast Management Strategies
John Bisset, Telos Alliance
Chris Crump, Comrex Corporation
Willie Davis
Mark Hile, CommConnect
Erica Hill, BMO Global Asset Management
Bill Hubbard, UW-Green Bay
Meagan Johnson C.S.P.
Rick Kaplan, NAB
David Kieper, UW-Green Bay
Jim Klas, Wisconsin Educational
Communications Board
Tom Koser, Koser Radio Group
Bridget Kurtenbach, WQOW TV
Dean Maytag, WBA Chair
Gail Mitchell, WISN TV
Tarik Moody, WYMS FM
Nick Ring, Engaging Social
Roger Utnehmer,
WBA State Legislative Chair
Jeff Tyler,
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Mike Schmidt, Heartland Video Systems
Chris Tarr, WYMS FM
Gary Timm, WI SECC Chair
Tony Warren, LaForce
Paul Weyland
Richard Wood, Resonant Results
Richard Zaragoza, Pillsbury Winthrop
Shaw Pittman LLP
Hall of Fame Committee
Bruce Grassman, Results Broadcasting
R. Perry Kidder, Kidder Communications
Tom Koser, Koser Radio Group
Al Lancaster, WSAW-TV
Dick Record, Family Radio
David Sanks, WBUW-TV
Michelle Vetterkind, WBA/WBAFoundation
President & CEO
Golf Tournament
Marlys Lindstrom, WISC-TV
The Quit Qui Oc Golf Course
Conference Sponsors
Arbitron
BMI
BMO
Broadcasters General Store
Cumulus Media Networks
Journal Broadcast Group & Newsradio
620 WTMJ
Madison Media Institute
Midwest Communications
Nautel
The Osthoff Resort
Regional Reps Corp.
SONY
Wisconsin Army National Guard
Exhibitors
AJA Video Systems
Broadcast Electronics/Commotion
Broadcasters General Store
Canare Corporation of America
Cobalt Digital
Comrex
Heartland Video Systems
Hitachi Kokusai Electric America
Nautel
RAM Systems
SONY
Streaming Broadcast Solutions
Wave Communications
Wisconsin Army National Guard
Miscellaneous
Leonard Charles, Television Wisconsin,
Inc.
Bill Hurwitz, Milwaukee Radio Alliance
Leader Printing
Lola’s on the Lake
Rick Jowett, WBA Photographer
The Osthoff Resort
Tom Walker, Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Wisconsin Expo
WBA Board of Directors
WBA Staff
Prize Donors
Heartland Video Systems
Hometown Broadcasting
Results Broadcasting
WAOW-TV
Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
WBUW-TV
WCLO/WJVL
WFRV-TV
Wisconsin Army National Guard
Wisconsin Public Radio
WKOW-TV
WORT-FM
WTMJ-AM
WTMJ-TV
13
WBA Young Professional’s Column
The Mentorship Disconnect – Part 2
By Jason Tokarczyk, Account Executive
WAPL & WZOR, Appleton/Green Bay
t has come to my attention the release of my article, “The Mentorship
Disconnect” in May of this year, has drawn about much debate from
fellow readers and fellow colleagues, young and old alike. As a sequel to
May’s article I’d like to attempt to answer all of the expressed concerns,
unanswered questions and uneasy… sometimes even awkward topics to
hopefully assist in better reframing the Mentorship Disconnect.
Before I jump into the nitty gritty I’d like to first explain the original
article was not written in relation to one specific moment or at any specific
mentor I have had. These are all thoughts, opinions and observations I
have gathered from a network of other young professionals, some from the
broadcast industry and some from many other walks of business. After witnessing many accounts
of what I have been calling, the mentorship disconnect, I thought what better way to bring attention to the very abstract relationship developed between mentors and mentees, specifically to the
relationships with the largest complexities; Millennials paired with Boomers and Traditionalists.
We are living in a workforce that is more intergenerational than ever. For people of any age,
crossing generational lines specific to mentorship requires self-awareness and an understanding
of others. This disconnect isn’t anyone’s fault, there’s a generational shift happening where there
is an aging workforce on one end of the spectrum and a growing level of youth on the other…so
what’s in the middle? In the middle there is a gap, and that gap is creating a whole lot of issues.
The way of the world used to run with the old-fashioned seniority system, the more experienced
individuals were in charge and the young, well they just weren’t. Traditionalists and Boomers were
rewarded due to long-term, vesting experience and age was what got you ahead in the game of
business. Millennials are obsessed with instant communication, instant messaging, texting, twitter,
news status updates, etc. making them crave brief advice and rewards for improvement on a real-time
basis. The generations desire to be evaluated completely opposite and a mentor will tend to lead
the way they would desire to be mentored. Traditionalists and Boomers need to supply immediate
feedback and collaboration in mentoring efforts, without it you have an equation equaling low
retention rates with young professionals.
So how do we remedy this? Mentors cannot be assigned a mentee simply because they have
long-time hierarchical relationships and experience, there needs to be a personality match. In my
experience, a personality disconnect is simply going to leave the junior staffer feeling less motivated
and more frustrated with their career path. Correctly matching personalities is one way mentors
can work to shrink the difference in communication desires. The mentor will be able to better
relate and the mentee will be open to sharing their preferred methods of communication. If there
is a personality disconnect, you’ll notice the mentee prospecting new mentors. If you notice this,
don’t try to push the mentee back towards the original mentor. The best thing you can do here is
to fix the disconnect and start over.
Two key notes to take here: One, instant communication and feedback can easily be confused
with micro-managing. There’s a defined line between the two and it’s important to stay on the
right side. Secondly, this is one of the more difficult tactics to deploy given most new employees
are assigned a mentor upon hire. Assigning mentors later in the game is something you may want
to consider due to the limited amount of time the employer has had with the employee to gather
personality traits.
Beyond the changing factors in the reward system, there is a cultural aspect to this generational
disconnect as well. Boomers and Traditionalists have the “head down, shut up” mentality at work.
Millennials believe that all working management styles are equally valid, that feelings are important too, and that people need an individual learning plan. Individual working plans customize
Millennials growth to the company they’re working for. Millennials don’t just want a mandatory
advancement guide provided to them, customized action plans centered around the skills they
have and around the skills they want to advance will not only keep them engaged but keep them
wanting more.
Hopefully this sequel has provided you with some answers to many of the questions that have
been posed around the mentorship disconnect. To recap, personality matches are a must and if
there is a disconnect… fix it. Keep all methods of communication open, you may have to learn
something new or try something in a different way but if you can do this, both individuals will have
an opportunity to benefit. Be aware of the cultural factors in play and leverage those differences
to create a balanced growth plan customized to the employee.
Lastly, there isn’t a diagram illustrating how Millennials want to be mentored, so please stop
looking. The best relationships I’ve seen evolve and successful mentorships others have shared
with me were the relationships that started with the coach (usually the manager), the mentor and
mentee sitting down to customize the mentee’s growth plan. From there the mentee and mentor
will be able to further detail the plan as their relationship progresses. On a closing note, when
working inter-generationally, remember to be patient with your counterpart, as the mentor and as
the mentee. I can assure you that they have as much to gain from you, as you from them.
I
14
Educator’s Column
Continuing
Value: Your WBA
Membership
By Randall Davidson
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
E
very fall, I join the
student manager of
our campus radio station
WRST-FM in going
before our Student Allocations Committee to
make the case for the
next academic year’s
budget. Part of our presentation is explaining
our various memberships, which is where we tell them about WBA.
The limited time allotted precludes going into
great detail, so I welcome this forum to outline
the value WBA provides to our student media
organization—many of which can apply to yours.
Here are some of the ways we benefit from being
a WBA member.
• Student Convention-For an educational
organization such as ours, the spring student
convention provides my students terrific opportunities: the chance to meet media students
from other colleges, to network with industry
professionals and to take part in the numerous
panels offered at the event. For many students,
it provides the “light-bulb moment,” when their
career possibilities become tangible.
• Awards competition-Begun in 2004, the WBA
student awards give college students the opportunity to gauge their work against the work of
others (and awards are a valuable item to add
to a resume).
• Scholarships- WBA and its members have been
generous in funding scholarships for media
students. This program has a long history; the
first record I’ve found of a WBA scholarship
going to an Oshkosh student was from 1967 (!)
• Internship database-As the instructor in charge
of media internships at UWO, WBA makes my
life a lot easier through their annual compiling
of members who host students as interns. It
gives students a starting point when searching
for a professional internship (if your station is
not on the list, you’re missing out on a great
opportunity).
• Engineering Internship-Recognizing the need
for a new generation of broadcast engineers,
WBA has championed this program, which is a
forward-thinking service to all its members. I’ve
already had one UWO student go through the
program, and he’s landed a full-time broadcast
engineering position (I hope more will follow).
• Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program-WRST has passed three WBA-sponsored
ABIP inspections (2004, 2007, 2010), with
another scheduled for this fall. The benefits of
taking part in this program are well-known, and
in our case, the event demonstrates to students
the importance of legal operation as they enter
See EDUCATOR’S on Back Page
Wisconsin Broadcaster
Awards Committee Column
The Secret to Winning
Station of the Year
Nancy Douglass, GM, WLKG-FM
P
sst! Hey there!
Yes, you! I’m
about to tell you a
HUGE secret about
the WBA Awards.
That’s right – I’m
about to tell you exactly how to win the
coveted Station of the
Year Award!
Now, you’d think
that this is something we’d keep to ourselves.
After all, WLKG has won Small Market Music
Station of the Year three years in a row, and in
case you haven’t noticed – we are very serious
about it. We will be going for four in a row. But,
in the meantime, we’ve decided to share the secret
to winning.
OK, I am about to tell you… Ready?? Here
goes.
Play the game.
That’s the big secret. Really, it’s easy. Participate. That’s it. Seriously. Submit everything
you do. It’s a points system people! You get a
point for submitting, and you get points for win,
place or show. If you want to compete for Station
of the Year, do the math - you have to earn the
points!
If you are producing quality, responsible,
original, funny, creative radio, you are doing
it all day long, right? You aren’t just fantastic
in the morning – you are fantastic all day long!
So why aren’t you submitting entries in every
category? You can’t win if you don’t play.
Now, don’t get me wrong – you can’t just
submit entries to get points and think you can
win. You still have to submit good entries, as you
need the additional points from a first, second
or third place to add to your total. But first, you
have to enter.
This program, if used properly, motivates.
It inspires. It makes us demand production
perfection as often as we can get it. It drives
us to branch out and cover things we might not
normally cover as a music station. It challenges
us to work together to be a better radio station.
It’s team building with a bonus Gala to celebrate!
And frankly, it’s a small investment to make for
a year-long staff incentive program. We spent a
little over $2000 for the 2012 program – including
paying for entries, bringing staff and spouses to
the Awards Gala, and hotel accommodations for
all to stay that night. We consider it a very wise
investment, and our staff agrees.
Our clients are appreciative of our efforts on
their behalf, and are proud when their commercials or events win awards. Our listeners remain
loyal, and are confident that we care about their
experience with us. Of course, we would do all
of these things anyway, but the added enthusiasm
the WBA awards program provides is priceless.
You don’t find Win-Win-Win situations very
often…
Embrace the WBA Awards program. Use it
to its motivational potential. Invest in it, win it,
and then brag about it. It’s ok, that’s what it’s
there for.
The WLKG team made a choice to commit
to the program, and we achieved Station of the
Year three years in a row – meaning our peers in
three different states ranked our work as best in
the state – and we are very proud. I encourage
you to make the same choice and really get into
the competition this year. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Wisconsin
Broadcasters
Association
What
happened in
2013 at your
station that
should be
held for the
WBA Awards
for Excellence
Entries?
July 2013
15
EDUCATORS from PAGE 14
the workforce in media careers (I include material about the ABIP inspections in my lectures and
as exam questions).
• Career Day- Another opportunity for students is the WBA Career Day. Recent graduates and
those about to graduate regularly attend these events.
• Candidate Forums-WBA has long sponsored statewide broadcasts of candidate debates. I used
to be on the originating end when I worked for Wisconsin Public Radio; they often provide the
signal for rebroadcast. Now, that I’m at the “other” end of the line, I’m able to see how WRST is
benefiting by being the local source for this essential public service programming. Interestingly,
my students are totally on board with carrying these specials, even though it pre-empts their
student programs. They’ve added “service to the public” to their decision-making process.
• Audio-In addition to the candidate debates, WBA provides a variety of other audio offerings. One
that we used most recently was the WisPolitics.com Report, a weekly roundup of state political
and election news. WRST gave it a regular timeslot as part of the Friday drivetime newsmagazine
program (note: it would be nice if this were available year-round).
• Reporters’ Conference-Although not specifically for students, I have accompanied some UWO
students to the WBA reporters’ conference. Students hoping for a career in broadcast journalism
are able to take part in the event alongside working professionals and learn techniques that will
serve them well in the future careers.
• Sports Workshop-Every summer, we’re able to send a few students to the sports workshop in
Milwaukee. Again, the students get the chance to learn from and network with professionals in
the field (and attending the associated Brewers game is a nice extra).
• Radio Marketing Professional Certification-Along with a colleague from UWO, I first learned
about the RMP program at the WBA student convention in 2009. We immediately saw the potential of hosting this seminar at our campus and held our first one that fall. We’ve made it an
annual event and to date, 105 students have been certified from the Oshkosh seminars. Numerous
students have said that this credential has made the difference in securing an internship or their
first career position. I tout this opportunity in classes, particularly to freshmen. I tell them that
it’s an early demonstration of their commitment to their career.
Of course, this just scratches the surface; there are many more benefits the WBA provides to
all its members from webinars to engineering clinics to sales training to the legal hotline and more.
There’s a WBA sticker on display at WRST that sums up our feeling about the organization: it says
“Proud Member.”
WBA Calendar
Of Events
August 7, 2013
WBA Doug Chickering
Sports Workshop
Kohl Center, UW-Madison
October 8-10, 2013
Broadcasters Clinic
Madison Marriott
NOVEMBER 12 , 2013
Jim Doyle’s National Satellite Conference
Driving New Automotive Revenue:
Cracking the Code of the Digital Dealer
WBA Sales Training At A Glance
2013 RAB Webinars – a FREE WBA Member Service!
10/10/2013
12/12/2013
10:00 AM
Central
10:00 AM
Central
Digital Idea Swap
Put on your brainstorming hat and join us as
we stimulate your thinking by giving examples
of successful digital revenue ideas. Listen and
get ready to adapt these ideas to sell your most
challenging advertisers and prospects.
Negotiate the Deal You Never again fall into the mindset of “something
Want And Makes Your beats nothing.” Join us to hear the negotiating
Sales Manager Happy
techniques that put you in the driver’s seat with
even your toughest clients.
JANUARY 22, 2014
WBA Winter Conference
& State Legislative Day
Concourse Hotel, Madison
FEBRUARY 25 & 26, 2014
WBA DC Trip
Embassy Row Courtyard
by Marriott
MARCH 1, 2014
WBA Student Seminar
Madison Marriott
Politics is a contact sport, and
broadcasters are in the game.
MAY 3, 2014
WBA Awards Gala
May 13-15, 2014
Learn more about NABPAC.
NABPAC.com
Walker Broadcast
Management Institute
UW-Madison
JUNE 18-19, 2014
WBA Summer Conference
Blue Harbor Resort, Sheboygan
Wisconsin Broadcaster
16
2013 NABPAC Business Card Ad.indd 2
6/12/2013 10:13:24 AM