MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
St. Bernadette’s Catholic School
PROGRAM SUMMARY “The History of WHBY Radio”
CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 71
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Tom Sutter, Gwen Sargeant, James Richter, Laura Leimer, Mark Moderson, Brian Schneider, John Marx, Linda Muldoon, Christine Williams, and Diana Sandberg.
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
♦ September 14 Rio Theater and Worlitzer organ – Tom McNeely
♦ October 12 The Appleton Picture Show. Bring your own photos for show and tell!
♦ November 9 Haunted Appleton – Chad Lewis
Upcoming Special Events
♦ August 21 2pm - Riverside Cemetery Walk, “Pioneer Appleton Residents”
♦ December 3 9-12:30 History Fair at the Indoor Farmer’s Market, City Center Plaza
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
AHS Officers:
A. President - Thomas Sutter
B. Vice President - Gwen Sargeant
C. Secretary – James Richter
D. Treasurer – Laura Leimer
AHS Board of Directors:
A. Terms through November 2017:
♦ Mark Moderson
♦ John Marx
♦ Laura Leimer
♦ DianaSandberg
B. Terms through November 2016:
♦ Linda Muldoon
♦ Jim Krueger
♦ Gwen Sargeant
♦ Brian Schneider
C. Terms through November 2018:
♦ Tom Sutter
♦ Christine Williams
♦ James Richter
Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:
♦ Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers
♦ Brian Schneider, Technical Resources
♦ David Buss and Diana Sandberg, Research Specialists
♦ Gwen Sargeant, Public Relations and Web Page
♦ Christine Williams, Monthly Programs
♦ Gwen Sargeant, Publications
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
♦ Introduced Officers and Board Members.
♦ Thanks to the Post Crescent for its announcement of tonight’s meeting and all of its support.
♦ We express our deepest appreciation to St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church for the use of their School Building located on Lourdes Drive on Appleton’s south side.
♦ Thanks to Alex Schulz for last month’s program on Appleton’s War Memorials.
♦ Gave a report of our purchase of the Gill Law Office Building at 128 N. Durkee Street. Final closing is this week, ADA building compliance will be started promptly, and fund raising is in full swing. We have $7,500.00 raised to date.
♦ Gave a report on next year’s monthly programs and special events, including our Cemetery Walk on August 21st at Riverside Cemetery.
♦ Please try to attend the last Concert of the year for the Appleton City Band.
♦ The door prize was won by Todd Williams.
♦ Sales of our book Images of America-Appleton continue to go well. Books are available at the registration table for $22.00 a copy.
♦ We also still have available Vulcan Electric Site Souvenir Booklets for $10.00.
♦ You are all invited to attend the Wisconsin Historical Society’s “2016 Local History and Historic Preservation Conference”, October 21st and 22nd at the Glacier Canyon Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells.
PROGRAM: “The History of WHBY Radio”
Presenter: Greg Bell
Speaker’s Background:
Greg Bell is the retired Vice President of Broadcast for Woodward Communications and was General Manager of their 6 radio stations in the Appleton/Oshkosh and Green Bay Wisconsin Markets. Greg retired in June 2015. He was born and raised in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, entered the radio industry in 1972 after two years as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and four years of service in the U.S. Air Force. His radio career began in Austin, Minnesota, as a night time announcer and copywriter after graduation from Brown Institute in Minneapolis. After that Bell worked in news, sales, sales management and station management in Austin, Minnesota; Sturgeon Bay and La Crosse, Wisconsin; Burlington, Iowa; and Appleton since 1983.
Bell is past Chair of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, past President of the Fox Cities Kiwanis, a past campaign co-chair for the Fox Cities United Way, and served on their Advisory Board. He served on the Board of Directors for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce for several years. Greg Bell is also a Hall of Fame Broadcaster with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
Greg and his wife, Sandi, have two sons, three daughters and six grandchildren, and love to travel.
The Program:
EARLY HISTORY:
♦ WHBY’s call sign means “Where Happy Boys Yodel”!
♦ It was a St. Norbert College project.
♦ It was the most ideal 100 Watt station in the country, costing only $600.00.
♦ The station was held on the St. Norbert’s campus (1925-1930).
♦ Adkins Cleaners of DePere was their first advertiser, paying a rate of just $1.00 for each minute.
♦ This was a time of growth in radio. Over 200 new stations went on the air in 1926.
♦ In 1927 a new Congressional Law went into effect on radio and ruled that the “Air Waves Belong to the People”.
♦ In its fifth year WHBY was known as the “Voice of the Land of Lakes.”
♦ In 1930 a new transmitter building was built.
♦ In 1931 new studios were installed in the Zuelke Building.
♦ In 1939 the company built its own studio at 600 S. Lawe Street. In 1952 the WAPL-AM station was started.
♦ In 1963 the WAPL-FM station was started.
THEN BIG CHANGES TOOK PLACE:
♦ In 1975 Woodward Communications purchased WHBY.
♦ In 1978 Woodward Communications bought WAPL AM and FM.
♦ In 1991 changed the frequency of WHBY radio from 1230 to 1150, which was a better
signal. 1230 was retired.
♦ Then came the large facility at 2800 E. College Avenue. It quickly was recognized as the
finest radio facility in the country. This one replaced the Lawe Street facility that with a
new road going through it the ground system was adversely affected.
♦ In March of 1998 the company built a large double tower in the Town of Glenmore. This
upgraded their signal to 20,000 Watts.
♦ Soon after new towers were built in the Town of Vinland.
♦ In 1995 95.9 Kiss FM was added by Woodward using the Glenmore Tower.
♦ Since then the company has added three new stations in the area, and two more outside
the area. They no longer have to be wired from the station to the tower to communicate, now they use microwave and other wireless connections.
ALL-STAR BROADCASTERS THEIR STATIONS HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS:
♦ Orion Samuelson.
♦ Bob Lloyd.
♦ Tom Hamilton.
♦ Ellen Kort.
♦ Ray Waiter.
♦ Steve True.
♦ Kathy Kuene.
♦ Bob Salm.
♦ Jim Fischer.
♦ Bill Day.
♦ Jim Choudoir.
♦ Ray Brock.
DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMS THEY HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS:
♦ “Our War Brides Speak”
♦ “Bob Lloyd Sports”
♦ “Watch for the Weatherline”, sponsored by Home Savings and Loan.
♦ Jeanie Anthony’s series “Historic Homes of Appleton, Neenah and Menasha”. (tapes of these are still available at the Appleton Public Library).
♦ Bob Bandy was their top Rock Announcer. Often remembered for his 24- hour broadcasts from the roof of the AAL Building.
♦ Eileen Eisenberg was known as their “Queen of the Weather”.
A FEW OTHER TIDBITS ABOUT RADIO AND THE WOODWARD GROUP:
♦ An analog radio transmission is superior to digital radio.
♦ Currently WAPL has only 6 live air people. They only do “Live Air” about 12 hours a
day.
ALL-STAR ANNOUNCER BOB SALM ADDED:
♦ He retired last year after 30 years of service.
♦ One of the highlights of his career was to be able to spin 45 rpm records on the air.
♦ He thoroughly enjoyed doing “The Good Neighbor Program” for so many years.
♦ Geographically construction around their East College Avenue site has been phenomenal in the last few years.
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 8/28/16 Back