CONTACT:
Randall Davidson
520 Algoma Boulevard #107; Oshkosh, WI 54901
920-385-7623 (home)
920-424-7427 (office)
rdavidson2 at new.rr.com
Randall Davidson is willing to present this talk for free statewide. Contact him directly to make arrangements. REGION:
Winnebago County, Eastern WisconsinHUMANITIES EXPERTISE:
History of Radio
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RANDALL DAVIDSON
Randall Davidson spent 18 years at Wisconsin Public Radio, serving as the network's chief announcer, and was heard weekday afternoons as the network’s statewide newscaster. A native of Neenah, he began his radio career at WRST-FM at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he now serves as Director of Radio Services. He also worked as a disc jockey at commercial station WHBY-AM in Appleton. He attended the UW School of Business, and is the author of 9XM Talking: WHA Radio and the Wisconsin Idea (University of Wisconsin Press, 2006).
Public Presentations:
History of WHA Radio and Educational Broadcasting in Wisconsin
This presentation explores the history of the original network of FM repeaters that became the core of the Wisconsin Public Radio network of today, the pioneer educational broadcaster WHA in Madison, and its affiliated station WLBL in Auburndale. The story follows the early experiments with wireless telegraphy at the University of Wisconsin, early voice broadcasts, and the first innovative attempts to use the new medium to serve the public (farmers, homemakers, adult learners, etc.) In 1931, the stations began offering programs to be used in classrooms as part of elementary instruction under the title "The Wisconsin School of the Air," which continued until the early 1980s. Davidson's presentation also includes a discussion of the transition from the educational broadcasting of the past to the "public radio" operations of today.
Other Public Program Ideas: Randall Davidson is happy to be part of a panel on local history, educational history, or other related subjects. Contact him directly to discuss your program ideas.
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