ABOUT
In 2005, Jason Habeck founded the station as a talk radio station. He
became the first Station Manager of the eventual WGBX. After starting
as a freshman at the University, Habeck began the process of creating
the station, after only one semester the University agreed that it was
time to get a student radio station on campus. In 2006 Andrew Pekarek came on board and was a vital part
to starting the station. Both Pekarek and Habeck were passionate about
the station and put in numerous hours configuring the new station Under
Habeck’s direction, he developed a strategy, with the Chancellor and Dean,
to create a web streaming station for the college campus. After a year
of meetings and station set-up, the station streamed live worldwide on
October 7, 2005 with Andrew Pekarek, Jason Habeck, and then-chancellor
Bruce Shepard, hosting the first show. In his three years of managing
the station, Habeck laid the groundwork for the plans of a new radio
booth in the Union renovation in 2007, started talks with the athletic
department to broadcast Phoenix Athletics, developed the first staff for
the station, and
the first station imagery.
In 2007 Ben Kvalo joined Habeck as joint Managers. Kvalo became
the Station Manager at the end of 2007 and has overseen a vast change in
the station since taking over, including the selection
of WGBX as the call letters. During his time the station moved from
what was a broom closet into a new radio booth in the basement of the
University Union. Next up was new equipment, including a new mixing
board, new microphones, a laptop and portable equipment for on-location
events. In the fall of 2008 a new web design was made for WGBX to show
the incredible change. During Kvalo's reign as Station Manager both the
amount of DJs and the listenership has doubled four times over. Also,
the station started broadcasting Volleyball, Softball, and Soccer. During 2009, the WBA presented WGBX with three Student Awards for
Excellence, including:
1st place- Best Website
1st place- Sports Radio Show- The Double Team with
Scott Kirst and Ryan Fantozzi
2nd place- Sports Radio Show- BC Sports Connection
with Ben Kvalo and Chris Hady
Much of the credit has to go to the amazingly talented team Ben Kvalo
pulled together for the fall of 2008 made of students who held the same
passion for WGBX. Alex Ostrander, Chris Hady, Katelyn Broda, Adam
Biemeret, Tim Maylander and Kvalo have led WGBX to become one of the
major student organizations on campus and the University's only live
media outlet. The growth continues and all the credit goes to the very
dedicated DJs and Directors. All these people's hard work has enable the
station to run concerts, help with charity events, and get involved with
other organizations on campus to make a better environment for all
students.
In the Fall of 2009, WGBX began another transitional phase that
continues to take place
until the Fall of 2010. First off, the station began having
live-streaming music in the Rock/Alternative genres. Through countless
hours of hard work by Ben Kvalo and Alex Ostrander WGBX,
first time ever, played music on-air and had music shows. Along with this, Steve Paulus a DJ with the station is set
to become the next General Manager. He began by taking over the position
of Station Manager to learn the ins and
outs of campus radio and will become the second-ever General Manager as Kvalo
begins to take a step back to get ready for graduation. This slow but steady
succession ensures the continuance of quality that WGBX guarantees. Paulus will lead, with the next generation of directors, WGBX to the
next level in the years to come. Joining the staff as newcomers for the
fall of 2009 is Public Relations Director Abby English,
Entertainment Director Dan Schill, Sales
Director Sanjay Murthy, Human Resources Director Jessie Moe, and Website
Director Ryan Fantozzi along with holdovers Sports Director Chris Hady and
Music Director Alex Ostrander. For the Spring of 2010 WGBX added
Emily Makowski as a Promotions Director. It was an exciting
beginning to the year with WGBX. The station helped to run a band series called
the "Deep Fried Series" with the Union and other clubs that brings even more concerts to campus separate from the many that
WGBX currently runs. The future continues to be bright for WGBX "A
New Era in Radio".
Under new General Manager Steve Paulus, literally a new era in WGBX
Radio began as he took over for Ben Kvalo who led WGBX from a closet in
the Instructional Services building to become an award-winning station
in the basement of the University Union that is now one of the largest
student organizations on the campus of UW-Green Bay. A new staff of directors fills in for a number of
long time holdovers. Aaron Clements took over as Sports Director
for Chris Hady, Chad Kreinus became the second Music Director in station
history as he took over for Alex Ostrander who graduated and moved on to
the professional sound industry, Entertainment
Director Dan Schill moved over to Website Director as Wes White took
over Dan Schill's former position and Ryan Fantozzi moved on to
Professional Radio as he graduated. These former directors have surely been missed
but they were replaced by a number of extremely talented and ambitious
young directors ready to take the station to the next level.
HISTORY OF STATION MANAGMENT
Jason Habeck's Accomplishments as Station Manager:
• Founded Station in the
Spring 2005
• Hosted first ever show
• Created first station
imagery
• Began talks with
Athletic Department
• Got the first
advertising deal for the station
• Put together the first
ever staff
Ben Kvalo's Accomplishments as Station and General Manager:
• Took over station in the Spring of 2007
• Moved the station to new booth in 2008
• Got new equipment for the new booth
• Helped to make the station award-winning
• Received Music Licensing and CDs so that music could be played on-air
for the first time in the stations history
• Received portable equipment to broadcast on-location
• Came up with WGBX as the name of the station
• Received permission to increase the staff from 4 to 10 people
• Station became fasting growing student organization on campus during
the 2008-2009 year
• Took the station from 5 DJs to over 50 in a one year period
• Created the current format with 4 radio shows a day with music playing
in-between
• Negotiated a number of big advertising deals for the station
• Received help to create a brand-new website that became award-winning
in 2009
• Broadcast the first sporting event for WGBX
• Negotiated deals to do Softball, Volleyball, and Soccer for UWGB
• Helped to create a number of concerts and a concert series that was
co-ran with other student organizations and the Union
• Ran the first charity drive for WGBX
• Increased the budget for the station
• Created a business plan for WGBX
• Joined the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association
• Created annual awards banquet for all DJs and Directors
• Helped to create annual March Metal Mayhem
• Helped to get nominated for Organization of the Year, Best New
Organization on Campus, and Most
• Improved Organization during his time at the station and individually
got nominated for a University Leadership Award 4 times
• Received WGBX's "Community Service" award for the 2007-2008 year and
"Director of the Year" award for the 2008-2009 year
Steve Paulus's Accomplishments as Station and General Manager:
• Took over as Station Manager in the Fall of 2009 and General Manager
in the Fall of 2010
• Began pre and post game broadcasts for UWGB Basketball games
• Got nominated for a University Leadership Award
• Received WGBX's "Rookie of the Year" award for the 2008-2009 year
• Received WGBX's "Director of the Year" award for the 2009-2010 year
• Began getting all media outlets at UWGB to work together
• Began the process of having WGBX work with the Communications
Department
