CONTACT: John Laabs, President & CEO, Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation
Office: (608) 255-2600
Cell: (608) 575-7678
Web-Site Museum Contains Treasure Trove of Wisconsin Broadcasting History
MADISON – The online Wisconsin Museum of Broadcasting premiered on the World Wide Web today at http://www.WisconsinBroadcastingMuseum.org. Created and maintained by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation, the new museum is an open-to-the-public Web site that features a variety of multimedia content. Visitors will find a treasure trove of video and other historical content on display, all presented with an emphasis on the history of radio and television broadcasting in Wisconsin.
“The Wisconsin Museum of Broadcasting is an important resource for the public and a great way to preserve the history of an industry and medium that has shaped the cultural history of Wisconsin,” said John Laabs, president and CEO of the WBA Foundation. “Veteran broadcasters and stations throughout the state contributed memoirs, special programming and more to the museum. We are all very pleased to share this remarkable museum with the public.”
Five exhibits are on display in the museum, with more exhibits slated to open in 2010. Among the museum’s current offerings are:
Wisconsin Political Debates – In the 1990s, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association created an informal statewide network of radio and television stations to broadcast the gubernatorial election debate between Tommy Thompson and Tom Loftus in 1990. Since then, the Foundation has produced a statewide broadcast debate in nearly every election for Governor and U.S. Senator. The videos in this exhibit are presented as they aired, unedited, and with historical context provided.
50 Years on the Air – A collection of videos produced by Wisconsin television stations showcasing their five decades on the air.
Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame – Multimedia presentations on the men and women who put stations on the air, reported breaking news stories, and brought music and sports into homes throughout Wisconsin.
In addition, five multimedia timelines of the state’s broadcast history are presented: one each for major events in the histories of radio, television, Wisconsin broadcasting, and government regulation. A fifth timeline presents all four stories in one timeline, to tell the history of Wisconsin broadcasting in the context of industry and historical developments in broadcasting history.
The museum also features a Broadcasters Attic dedicated to collecting, organizing and displaying special programming and providing multimedia showcases of broadcasting through the years. A special display in the Attic contains videos from the I Remember Milwaukee television series that feature Milwaukee radio and television broadcasters.
For more information on the museum, visit http://www.WisconsinBroadcastingMuseum.org or call John Laabs at (608) 255-2600.
