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Wisconsin on the Air: 100 Years of Public Broadcasting in the State That Invented It
On a wintry evening in 1917, university professor Earle Terry listened with guests as the popular music of the day filtered from a physics laboratory in Science Hall into a receiving set in his living room. Little did they know that one hundred years of public service broadcasting had just begun. Terry’s radio experiment blossomed into a pioneering endeavor to carry out the "Wisconsin Idea," a promise to make the university’s knowledge accessible to all Wisconsinites, in their homes, statewide, a Progressive-era principle that still guides public broadcasting in Wisconsin and throughout the nation. In 1947, television was added to this public service model with Channel 21 in Madison, produced, like radio, from the University of Wisconsin campus. By 1967, when the Public Broadcasting Act created the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), the Wisconsin stations had been broadcasting for fifty years. A history one hundred years in the making, Wisconsin on the Air introduces readers to the personalities and philosophies, the funding challenges and legislation, the original Wisconsin programming and pioneering technology that gave us public radio and television. Author Jack Mitchell, who developed All Things Considered for NPR before becoming the head of Wisconsin Public Radio, deftly maps public broadcasting’s hundred-year journey by charting Wisconsin’s transition from the early days of radio and television to educational broadcasting to the news, information, and music of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
240 pages, Hardcover
Published August 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 9, 2020
Relatively short because the last 30% or so of book is footnotes and an index. Very detailed. Public radio and public television is in my memory as far back as it goes. Interesting to read of its origins, struggles and successes.
November 10, 2018
Wisconsin justly prides itself on being an incubator that has spawned several progressive institutions of the Twentieth Century. “Wisconsin on the Air” is the story of Wisconsin’s pioneering role in Public Broadcasting.
I will tell you first what I like best about this work. I have had the “Wisconsin Idea” explained to me in theory as that the limits of the University of Wisconsin reach to the boundaries of the state. Nowhere have I seen this illustrated in action as well as in this tome.
Public Broadcasting originated in the physics department of the University of Wisconsin in early 1917 with 9XM, later WHA, “the oldest station in the nation.” Over the decades programing has modified as service to the people of Wisconsin has required. At times that has meant transmission of UW classes over the radio waves and classes suited for grade and high schools that supplemented the local instruction. Trade classes, music, science, UW sports and entertainment have all had their turns on the dial. Like other public networks Wisconsin’s have wrestled with the conflicting missions of providing what people want to hear and what they should hear. Initiatives to add stations so as to extend coverage and struggles for with private stations for frequencies spurred and inhibited growth of Wisconsin Public Radio. Coverage of news events and public affairs sparked controversies with political figures. Many of its ideas would inspire other state networks and NPR, including long running “All Things Considered”. As technology advanced Wisconsin Public Radio was joined by Wisconsin Public Television. As funding evolved from the Ford Foundation to Corporation for Public Broadcasting interaction between Wisconsin Radio and NPR and national public television would guide the development of each.
Author Jack Mitchell has extensively researched the history of an organization he obviously loves. The narrative switches from third to first person in Chapter 8 when the author became manager of WHA. Mitchell does an excellent job of blending details into a flow that refreshes the interest of a wide scope of readers.
So what readers would enjoy “Wisconsin on the Air”? Certainly someone who grew up with Wisconsin Public Broadcasting will appreciate the backstage insights. Those of us who watched local public television outside of Wisconsin will recognize enough to tickle our memory cells. If you are a fan of NPR pick it up to learn where it all began. Then there are those history fans who want to delve behind the “newsmakers” to the people, the organizations and media that mold the culture. If you find yourself in any of those categories get comfortable and tune into “Wisconsin on the Air.”
I did receive a free copy of this book without an obligation to post a review.
March 28, 2019
This was well written and well researched. I enjoyed reading the history of Public Radio from this perspective. It gets a little dry at a few points, unless you know who the book is talking about (which I don't).
February 27, 2017
Very detailed, well written, and decently entertaining. Mitchell starts at the very beginning with 9XM and takes the reader through the years up to 2016 showing the struggle and importance of Wisconsin public radio and television. The original station started at UW Madison and took many years and legislation to become state wide. The creators and producers or the show never stopped wanting to provide more for the people of Wisconsin, whether it was through higher education lectures, farming or parenting advice, or even just as simple as how voting works. They tried a little of everything and are always looking to improve.
August 20, 2016
REVIEW: WISCONSIN ON THE AIR
100 Years of Public Broadcasting in the State That Invented It
By Jack Mitchell
The subtitle of this well-researched book truly says it all. Accomplished writer and broadcaster Jack Mitchell has written a sober and detailed history of Wisconsin Public Radio set against the backdrop of the social and political history of the state, from LaFollette’s Progressives through WWII, McCarthyism, the turbulence of the 1960’s, to today’s fast-paced world.
The Wisconsin Idea – the well-meaning, goodhearted movement to spread education and enlightenment to all, especially farmers, through the University of Wisconsin – was and is the driver of the whole public radio and television development, according to Mitchell. The professors at the university wanted to keep the “elites” from creating a society that they and they alone could benefit from. A slight touch of irony in this is that the earliest promulgator of this idea was Professor McCarthy, who graduated Brown University, thus an Ivy Leaguer himself, despite his Irish immigrant roots. That aside, the fascinating behind-the-scenes peek at the growth of what we all now take for granted will keep readers very interested who enjoy social and political history along with a dash of technological innovation.
The main conflict between “enlightenment” and “entertainment” in the history of public radio was clearly detailed, and it was enjoyable to read about the tug of war between those who wanted the early broadcasts to be mainly sports coverage from the university and those who wanted sober educational discussions and classical music. Educational broadcasting and public broadcasting were two different, competing models, and the intrigue and political give-and-take of the events shaping the growth of public radio and television all over the US, beginning with Wisconsin, is given full treatment.
Mitchell writes clearly and in a very organized, chronological fashion, which, given the depth of the research, was a challenge. One wishes that a bit more humor would have popped out every now and then, because there were many instances where one could see the potential, such as when the new broadcasters emerged sweatily from the makeshift broadcast tent in the early days, vowing they’d never do it again, but Mitchell’s calm, dispassionate style was well-suited to the subject of political conflict involving the growth of public broadcasting. The good people of Wisconsin and the university worked together to bring the Wisconsin Idea to life: “To interpret the true spirit, the life, and the workings of the university, as well as to instruct, stimulate, and enrich the lives of listeners.” We would all wish for this to be true of all our public broadcasting.
100 Years of Public Broadcasting in the State That Invented It
By Jack Mitchell
The subtitle of this well-researched book truly says it all. Accomplished writer and broadcaster Jack Mitchell has written a sober and detailed history of Wisconsin Public Radio set against the backdrop of the social and political history of the state, from LaFollette’s Progressives through WWII, McCarthyism, the turbulence of the 1960’s, to today’s fast-paced world.
The Wisconsin Idea – the well-meaning, goodhearted movement to spread education and enlightenment to all, especially farmers, through the University of Wisconsin – was and is the driver of the whole public radio and television development, according to Mitchell. The professors at the university wanted to keep the “elites” from creating a society that they and they alone could benefit from. A slight touch of irony in this is that the earliest promulgator of this idea was Professor McCarthy, who graduated Brown University, thus an Ivy Leaguer himself, despite his Irish immigrant roots. That aside, the fascinating behind-the-scenes peek at the growth of what we all now take for granted will keep readers very interested who enjoy social and political history along with a dash of technological innovation.
The main conflict between “enlightenment” and “entertainment” in the history of public radio was clearly detailed, and it was enjoyable to read about the tug of war between those who wanted the early broadcasts to be mainly sports coverage from the university and those who wanted sober educational discussions and classical music. Educational broadcasting and public broadcasting were two different, competing models, and the intrigue and political give-and-take of the events shaping the growth of public radio and television all over the US, beginning with Wisconsin, is given full treatment.
Mitchell writes clearly and in a very organized, chronological fashion, which, given the depth of the research, was a challenge. One wishes that a bit more humor would have popped out every now and then, because there were many instances where one could see the potential, such as when the new broadcasters emerged sweatily from the makeshift broadcast tent in the early days, vowing they’d never do it again, but Mitchell’s calm, dispassionate style was well-suited to the subject of political conflict involving the growth of public broadcasting. The good people of Wisconsin and the university worked together to bring the Wisconsin Idea to life: “To interpret the true spirit, the life, and the workings of the university, as well as to instruct, stimulate, and enrich the lives of listeners.” We would all wish for this to be true of all our public broadcasting.
September 1, 2016
**Full disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
100 Years of Public Broadcasting in the State That Invented It
I had no idea that public radio basically got it's start in Wisconsin and I had even less of an idea on how complicated and uncertain that start was.
Public radio and television are things that I have always had in my life and have pretty much taken for granted. While reading this book I was amazed at how controversial or challenging things were that in these days just makes sense, content for children, local and national news, documentaries, even the very concept of public radio as a worthwhile idea. Everything had to be dreamed up in the first place and fought for and often defended.
While this book is probably not going to be interesting to just anyone, I thoroughly enjoyed reading not just about the development of public broadcasting but the social and political history going on around it as well.
This book is well researched and clearly told with a love of the topic and a lot of history is packed into a fairly small book and for the most part the pacing is really fluid and keeps you interested. Where I struggled a bit with it was the section towards the end that focused more and more on the politics and restructuring and funding issues. As important as all of that is, I have to admit it slowed my reading down to a crawl at the end. That said, I found this book to be entertaining as well as educational and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, politics or of social changes.
100 Years of Public Broadcasting in the State That Invented It
I had no idea that public radio basically got it's start in Wisconsin and I had even less of an idea on how complicated and uncertain that start was.
Public radio and television are things that I have always had in my life and have pretty much taken for granted. While reading this book I was amazed at how controversial or challenging things were that in these days just makes sense, content for children, local and national news, documentaries, even the very concept of public radio as a worthwhile idea. Everything had to be dreamed up in the first place and fought for and often defended.
While this book is probably not going to be interesting to just anyone, I thoroughly enjoyed reading not just about the development of public broadcasting but the social and political history going on around it as well.
This book is well researched and clearly told with a love of the topic and a lot of history is packed into a fairly small book and for the most part the pacing is really fluid and keeps you interested. Where I struggled a bit with it was the section towards the end that focused more and more on the politics and restructuring and funding issues. As important as all of that is, I have to admit it slowed my reading down to a crawl at the end. That said, I found this book to be entertaining as well as educational and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, politics or of social changes.
September 4, 2016
I'm not always one for nonfiction, but I requested this book due to my love of Whad Ya Know out of Madison Wisconsin. It took to page 139 before seeing it mentioned. That was okay. The rest of the reading leading up to and following page 139 was interesting information if a bit dry. It settled down after the first few chapters or I just got used to the quotations used to tell the story.
Bureaucracy abounds everywhere and that is true in public broadcasting as much as anyplace else. It's a wonder we have the shows we get and the ability to keep them going.
I can recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of public broadcasting and you'd like to see how it got started. It began in Wisconsin. Points to Wisconsin for more than cheese and beer. It's a lovely state filled with history. Public broadcasting history included.
Bureaucracy abounds everywhere and that is true in public broadcasting as much as anyplace else. It's a wonder we have the shows we get and the ability to keep them going.
I can recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of public broadcasting and you'd like to see how it got started. It began in Wisconsin. Points to Wisconsin for more than cheese and beer. It's a lovely state filled with history. Public broadcasting history included.
September 5, 2016
Naturally, this is a book meant for those interested in the history of Wisconsin Public Radio. I'm one of them, so getting the history behind the network provided great insights. It's also a great look at what the Wisconsin Idea is all about.
October 24, 2016
As a new resident of Wisconsin I saw this book as a great chance to learn more about my new home. The book is a great comprehensive look at the social history of public radio and tv in Wisconsin. I found the history fascinating! The writing is engaging and accessible, too.
August 1, 2016
Wisconsin invented tax-supported radio in the public interest. This book explores the people and ideas. Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews