Civic Media Hires Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel Margaret Daun for New Role, Expands Show Time Slot Across Statewide Network

Milwaukee, Wis. – Civic Media is announcing today that longtime Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel Margaret C. Daun will be leaving the County to become General Counsel of Civic Media, Inc. and expand The Maggie Daun Show to air two hours every weekday from 2-4 p.m. The show is broadcast statewide across the growing media network.

“We are thrilled to add someone of Maggie’s caliber to the Civic Media team. She brings a wealth of experience to our organization, from Wall Street to local politics, both as an economist and a lawyer. Her audience knows her as a pragmatist and truth-teller from her early evening show, which is why we’re excited to expand her time slot to two full hours on weekday afternoons. Wisconsin will be sure to find that The Maggie Daun Show is a must-listen for everyone who cares about our state and local communities,” said Sage Weil, CEO of Civic Media.

Civic Media’s Program Director Kathryn Lake said, “The first time I heard Maggie on the radio, I sat in my car for 30 minutes in my driveway because I wanted to hear what she said next.  Her skill is totally unique among talk radio show hosts in my twenty-five years of experience.  She explains the most complex, wonky political, legal, and economic concepts so that we can all understand and engage.  But best of all, she respects her listeners and works together with them to ensure we all understand why the things we see in the headlines matter to each of us.”  

Maggie brings a unique insider view of government to Civic Media. Her storied career began on Capitol Hill as a staffer to then-Congressman Tom Barrett, followed by a prestigious federal appeals court clerkship at the Seventh Circuit. After spending significant time as a securities litigator at one of the world’s top Wall Street law firms—working on high profile cases such as the Enron fraud—she most recently served in the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, where she provided legal counsel and leadership for Milwaukee County, its elected officials and many of its departments for more than seven years.  

Maggie’s public service work over the past thirteen years has been heralded by insiders and top elected officials as the “gold standard” of public lawyering.  She counts more career  accomplishments and highlights than most, top among them: successfully suing opioid manufacturers and their distributors on behalf of Milwaukee County in 2018. This effort earned her wide acknowledgment and recognition as a thought leader in the trailblazing litigation. Her work led to a recovery of an initial $152 million by Milwaukee County, an amount that will continue to grow as more settlements tied to the litigation come through in the coming years. Of special note is that this is the largest litigation recovery by a local government in Wisconsin’s history. Her work has literally saved countless lives and will continue to do so for many years after her tenure ends this coming March 4, 2024.

Asked about her new career path, Attorney Daun said, “I am thrilled to join Civic Media during this period of rapid growth, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak directly to Wisconsin voters. Given the historic importance of the 2024 election, making the move to become the attorney at the network and expand my role as talk show host is about the only job that could have compelled me to leave the County. I hope to deliver value to my listeners based on my perspectives rooted in my background as an economist and an attorney in both the public and private sectors. In my expanded duties as show host, I will continue my vigilant demand that government at all levels be more efficient and effective, and push for more focus on serving the middle class, our neighbors, our family members, as well as our friends who continue to face great risks throughout our communities.

“At the same time, I am heartbroken to end my time as a public servant. Too often public servants are derided and turned into punchlines, but virtually every person I know in local Milwaukee government works hard every day to make life better for our community.  I am especially grateful to my incredible coworkers in the Corporation Counsel’s Office, County Executive David Crowley, and Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson, among so many other incredible leaders and elected officials I could take hours naming.”

The most senior County Board Supervisor, Willie Johnson, Jr. remarked, “Maggie has been a stalwart advocate for racial justice and underserved communities for her entire career and brought that energy and conviction to her role as Corp Counsel. She’s also a thoughtful and effective lawyer. I am happy to see her share her talents in a new way and to continue to fight for those whose voices are not acknowledged by the powerful. Maggie is a credit to public servants everywhere.”  Starting on February 26th the Maggie Daun Show can be heard statewide, Monday through Friday, from 2 to 4 p.m. on all Civic Media Network news/talk stations:

1. WMDX, Mad Radio, Madison, 92.7 FM / 1580 AM
2. WAUK, The ‘Sha, Waukesha, 101.1 FM / 540 AM
3. WRCE, News from the Center, Richland Center, 107.7 FM / 1450 AM
4. WLCX, The Eagle, La Crosse, 1490 AM
5. WFHR, Locally Grown Radio, Wisconsin Rapids, 97.5 FM / 1320 AM
6. WXCO, Bull Falls Radio, Wausau, 98.9 FM / 1230 AM
7. WISS, Air Support, Oshkosh, 98.3 FM / 1100 AM
8. WGBW , Green Bay, 97.9 FM / 1580 AM
9. W228EP, The Tap, Eau Claire, 93.5 FM
10. WLAK, Lake Air, Amery, 107.5 FM / 1260 AM
11. WBZH, Buzz of the North, Hayward, 910 AM

If you are outside the broadcast area, you can tune in via the Civic Media App, or hear the show any time as a podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

CIVIC MEDIA is a network of 20 radio stations across Wisconsin in 12 distinct news/talk media markets, including Waukesha.  

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Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality broadcast and digital hometown radio focusing on local, regional, and state issues, covering the stories that are most relevant to the markets we serve. We believe radio plays a crucial role in the practice of democracy in our local communities, so we aim to provide programming that advances the understanding and engagement of its principles within our audience.

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