Hello world, welcome to WFHR's director's playhouse for this February 6, 2025,
session 58, your host, program director here, James J. Melloff. I'm here with my partner in art,
our head of production, Seth Abhagger. You got the name right? I was hoping. Yeah, that's a
guitar on myself, director's playhouse, director's playhouse. We'll make sure we get it for this one.
Only our second show with this new name, the new branding, and great to have you back, brother,
great to have you out there listening and promoting this show. Thank you so much to everybody out there.
With this show, we continue the Civic series and idea of ours that we had where we give a chance
to get to know our civic media family a little bit better. And today, we're going to center in and
focus on WFHR here. And our listeners, we ask the best listeners in radio to come. Welcome to the WFHR
stage. We have our head scheduler, the head of the office, the decorator, the world's best card
giver, the heart of WFHR Pam Hilke with us today. Pam, good to have you with us. Thank you. Thank you
very much for inviting me. Appreciate you being here. Nobody that in the last, I would say,
40, 50 years, let alone, longer than that, can talk about WFHR and not mention Pam Hilke.
Your impact on this station, this community is felt and reverberated all over the place in so
many different ways. And in the job that you're in, you've had a chance to meet just about every
local person we've had in this area, a little on local leaders and some of that. So I can't think
you enough for the time to just be able to hang out, talk with you a little bit, and for our
audience to get to know you, like Seth and I and so many of us have gotten to know you over the years.
If you don't mind, I always like to start with people's origin stories. Where are you from, Pam?
I am from Wisconsin Rapids. I'm here all my life. Growing up, did you have a you, your family,
did you guys have a love for radio? Well, WFHR was often on the radio at home at my parents' home.
We grew up on the west side and I just remembered WFHR being on the radio. I remember listening
to the polka show when I was a youngster. My mom would have the polka show on like
11 o'clock on weekday mornings and hearing the polka show. I remember in the mornings,
getting ready for school, WFHR would be on. Of course, back then, that was the total information
that we had to listen to to find out on a Blizzard day is school canceled. You know, is this a
no school day or not? That was where we got the information. There was of course no internet,
no computers, nothing, no texting that came around of course. But no, my parents had WFHRR.
And I remember hearing a lot of the songs growing up in the 60s, some of those classic songs
that you would hear on radio stations. And every once in a while, I'll hear it now and I'll say,
I remember that when I was a kid. We're just talking about that. It's interesting how I think
radio still has just as many responsibilities. They're just different now. But to think of
their responsibilities on radio back in the day, and important to vital it was. Boy, even when
we were kids, James, it was the same thing. It was either TV or radio. We always did radio
because we didn't turn the TV on the morning. We always had the radio on, yeah. My mom and dad,
when it came to school closings or anything, WFHR, as soon as we moved here, because they felt like
the radio stations got the information sooner than, you know, TV stations and they just trusted
that more. Which was great because we got an impact, like you and your family,
impact of WFHR right away. It also was tough because they knew. And we're always hopeful.
So if WFHRR said that Lincoln was open or Washington was open or something,
we knew we were going to school that day.
The school, right. There was a time when the local teachers' union for the
public school was on strike. And the strike started like January 1st after their contract had
ended. And every day we'd have to listen to find out if there's good a day. No
school today. It's another day off. Yeah, there you go. And sports, listening to sports.
I remember listening to Lincoln High School. I graduated from LHS. And following those
teams on air, the basketball or maybe football. And I do remember listening to wrestling during
high school because that was the years when our teams were so good in that sport.
And listening to Terry Stake. And I remember him saying, you know, he'd be out at 10th,
30 in the morning. Well, I'll be back at 11th, 30. And you know, you make sure you tune into
here. Okay. How did our people do, you know, at the tournament? And it was it was that outlet there
that, you know, that for so much information.
I have a question. I want to ask what I want to set it up first, Pam. For those that don't
know out there, how long have you been in radio? Well, I started here in June, 1977.
Okay. Yeah. So that's a lot of years. Yeah. I never had any idea that I would be still working
at my job here. Well, that's what that's where I wanted to go with it was you started in this,
this has been your career pretty much your whole life turned out to be. Yeah. So when you when
you first got, when you first went to school, what were you going to school for? Was it for radio?
Was it for something? No, no, I went to mid-state and I had a two-year degree in accounting.
And about a month after I graduated, it was June of 1977. I'm well, this is it. I graduated.
I got to find a job, you know, go forward with life. And there was a little ad in the local daily
Tribune newspaper for immediate opening for a traffic coordinator at the local radio stations,
WFHR and WWRW. And it's a detail, you know, no need attention to detail and accuracy and
a little bit of data processing. And well, I didn't know anything about a job in a radio station.
I didn't know anything about a traffic coordinator, but I, you know,
called, got a time to come in for an interview. And I remember I had an interview with
Jack Janero, the general manager at the time. And it was a Friday afternoon. And I remember I
talked with the program directors at the time. And it was Arnie Stropen, Scott Chapin. He was
the program director for our FM station. And they offered me the job. And I started right up
the next Monday, right away. Wow. Did you, when you were applying for the job, did you think you
had a good shot at it? Not well, you know, after a couple hours of an interview and they offered
me the job right away, I thought, well, that sounds like I better take this job. You better go
for it now. Exactly. And little did I know. Little did you know. I'm curious because I forget this
as long as we've known each other that you and I both pretty much started a radio the same way.
My mother found an article in the Daily Tribute and told me about it. And when I applied for the job,
I just thought it'd be cool to apply for the job. I didn't think I'd ever get hired. I didn't
think I had a resume built for it or anything like that. And, you know, here we are. I find it
interesting that you went to school for one thing and found a way to adapt to radio with that
career, with that education. It speaks to a lot of us here. There's very few people in the building
and really even the last 10, 20 years who have gotten into radio and found a career and a passion
for it. Right. But didn't necessarily go to school for right away. It speaks to, I think, to
also one of my favorite things about radio and how so many different walks of life can come
into this and find a career and a real future to them. And so many people looking for careers
instead of jobs, you find that radio oftentimes. When you first started here, I imagine you don't,
you're not thinking, well, here I am the next 40 years. Right. No, no. So those early days,
did you enjoy kind of being behind the scenes? You mentioned you listened to WFHR from a young age.
I did. Right. Right. Because then I got a chance to see a little bit of what was happening.
And you know, meet some of the people that I'd heard on air. And I remember one of the,
I didn't know that sometimes people wouldn't use their real names on air. And you know,
I remember growing up in here in Arnie Stroke. Well, that was his real name. And then there was
another person. His name was Jack Edwards. And then I heard him called by another name. And
it's like, wasn't this the same person? Okay. Well, okay. Then that's it. Sometimes people don't
use their real names on air. Right. So maybe that was more common back then. I don't know.
Oh, yeah. No, there was that. That's one of those big shifts that I think happened to radio.
I don't know if there's necessarily like pinpoint, you could say, this is when it happened. No.
But I would say a lot of the rise of the shock shock and some of that stuff where a lot of those
guys were using their real given names. And you just saw it kind of go from there almost. And
we're audiences wanted things to go. Right. Of course, some of us probably should be using
different names instead of our hard to pronounce names. But no, that's how we go. Pam will remember
at a long time listeners of the aerial remember, but we for a long time on WGLX had a great
personality in ACE and ACE is right. ACE is real name is Paul. But forever, I would,
I would call him like Jean or or something like that. Or so one of the other names in the
band of kids or something like that. Perfect. It took forever for me to just call him Paul.
Like it was, it was the greatest thing in it. I would know it when I was saying it. He,
he, Paul was just great about it. Everything never gets hard time. But it was something that
would come up from time to time. Pam, we share a lot of what we do behind the scenes with the
audience. We let them know a lot of how the sausages made. I don't think we get a chance to really
do this with you and your job. If you don't mind, could you take us through kind of a day in the
life of the work that you do? Sure, sure. Well, one of my main jobs is to make sure that
the commercials that are ordered and scheduled for tomorrow get scheduled on the proper
logs. Now, the log is, every radio station has a log of some kind. Here, we've got a WFA term,
we've got a WIRI log. And it's just a basic, for me, what I'm working in my software system
and my computer is making sure that the commercials get placed into the areas in the log where we are
allowed to run commercial advertising. And I work on traffic systems that are built up to accommodate
the commercial breaks that fall into all the programming that's already set up. And that's part of
another, you know, computer system. So we're talking about a lot of computer systems merging
together and working rights and all that. But predominantly, I make sure the logs get
properly worked up. All the commercials are inserted where they need to be. And, you know,
the computers do a lot of the work. But, you know, there's other things that, you know, you have to
tackle if there's, say, a game tomorrow night. I have to make sure I insert a little game
log. It's a separate little log that goes inside the big log. So it's kind of blocks out all the
regular commercials, but it puts in the game and it sets it up so that it's got the format that works
with the Learfield where we might get to say the men's hockey game. And all the sponsors and
commercials go right in. And I, I, I number all of our audio commercials, a lot of our PSAs,
promo announcements. They're all, they all have a personal identification. That's called a copy
number. And I, I number those every piece of audio that's coming on new gets copy number and
make sure that there's, I had an identifier with her. I, that I need to put that into the computer
system so that when it goes on the log, it's got its little ID number. And, and then whoever is
in going to be recording that piece of audio, they use that number and attach the audio to that
in the system that holds all the audio so that when it's called for on the log, it plays a right
commercial. So that's just logs. Real quick, I want to say how important that is because of
course, commercials are the lifeblood of radio. That's how we get a revenue, right? That's how we
get. So because we have a contract with whoever we're doing that commercial for, we have to make
very, we have to be very careful that we play the right number of ads at the right time. That sort
of thing. That's why the logs and what Pam does is so important is because that's, you know,
that's the stuff. That's what we need. And radio can be difficult. It is a, it is literally putting
the boat together on the water while you're while you're while you're while you're paddling.
Live radio is just that way and we kind of understand and work around that and we shared a lot
of that with the audience. There is that and then you're trying to do that in the future. You're
trying to do that for tomorrow and next week and everything in an industry that again is on the
water and constantly changing. Right. Just the adapting in the, in the shifting, you have to do
on an hourly, let alone daily basis. I want the audience to understand a little bit more.
And honestly, it's part of the interview here is for people to understand so much of the work
that goes on behind the scenes to make these things happen. We're not here without our advertisers.
We're just not, there's nobody doing this job and people who get in the radio for money anyway,
let alone if we're not getting paid. Right. And how much it means to them then not only have
these things played but played when, hey, our sales team tells them it's going to play at this
time and it does because of the work Pam does. Right. It's so vital to this. And again, we are
merely touching on what if her main jobs, not even 100% of the amount of things that she does
are right. Right. Right. Because you're also the main scheduler for our main magazine.
Help schedule the gas for magazine. You're, you're our go-to when it comes to literally anything
going on and you're such the bellweather of this station and such of the, and something else
that I don't think it's talked about nearly enough and I touched on this early in the day when I
started doing midday magazine but this amazing connection that you and Carl had and ability that
you guys had when you were doing midday and it's something you did with all, you do with all of our
guests. People come in here and they have their lives going on and craziness and whatever might be
happening. They come in and they settle down and you have a calm and a presence to you that sets
the tone. So when they join us on the airwaves on the morning show with Seth or I or on midday
magazine or any of our shows, by the time they get in the studio, they are calm and collected
and that is better for our audience. That is what works here. This is a system that I happen,
I don't think you could put it right down. Hey, we're going to do this, this, and this.
It's just something that you guys created organically and it's not only we appreciate and our guests
appreciate but I know our listeners do whether they realize it or not because you'd have very
different guests coming in and it would be interesting. Yeah, it would be different with that.
Yes, yes, it's so nice to meet all these different people that are coming into our studio and
I we have a number of people that come quite frequently and then some people that are maybe once
or twice a year or are we find out that there's an event going on or a benefit or whatever. We
somehow get contacted or you know we find out about it and we reach out and say hey would you
be interested in coming on air for a short while and be part of our midday magazine and
get things lined up and they're here. And many ways Pam is the face of the stations because
they're the first, she's the first person to people see when they come in the door and she
greets them and you know finds out what they need along with the guests of course any guests that we
have that are going to be on whatever show we're doing right. So that's part of it too is that
and I don't know if you signed up for that. It's kind of evolved right. It evolved into that
throughout the many years you've been here. When it comes to programming I can't imagine how long
the interview would be if we asked you about all the different changes from when you first started
to now. It would be a book. Yeah, it's right in that book. Honestly, I personally would love to do
that but before time-sensitiveness and how we know we all got to get back to things, I'm curious
of how what are the biggest changes to you that are from when you started to now in as far as
the programming goes and the scheduling. I think as far as the programming it's just been just the way
our stations have evolved over the years. Everything isn't always the same. WFHR has certainly changed.
It's back when I first started there was a whole lot of well nearly every hour that we were on
air. There was a show host announcer and I do believe when I first started that we like went
off air at 2 a.m. and came back on air at 5 a.m. So, you know, there was a time when we weren't on air
but every hour was hosted by a show and you had to have somebody in here running the board. There
was, you know, totally automated part of that. The FM side that we had was WWRW and it was called
W103. It was a little bit easier to pronounce. Yeah, that's not easy to do, right? That was just
music. I forget which exact format it was, adult contemporary, I believe. At that time, the music
was on reels. There was at least like four reels of different songs and everything on there and
the announcers had to make sure that they kept changing those reels. They'd run out after a while,
these reels would run out and they'd race back to the system that was playing that, the music loaded
up. And we had different systems that would play the commercials. It was somewhat automated but
there was different systems that you had to load all the commercials and these carts and
they got played and in that WFHR side, they had the carts in the studio and you just had a whole
stack of carts and as you went down the paper log, you had to pull all your carts out by number
and get them all ready and when you're running in the board and on air then take a break and you'd
be pulling all these carts and putting them into the cart machine and playing. That's a whole
lot different than it is now. We still call them cart numbers actually. Right, right. Right,
and they were actually cartridges. Right, yeah. So I have to ask a couple of tough questions here
and there. I can ask you to get them over with here. Yeah, just pull it up. Do you have some
favorite moments? Do you have some moments that really stand out to you and your time here at WFHR?
Oh my gosh. I don't know if I would say moments but I think it's just thinking of all the people
that I've met, all the people that I've worked with and all the people that have come through as
guests have been on the station as our on-air guest or they were a guest of somebody else that was
working here, getting a tour of the plays or meeting or but I think just all the wonderful people
that I said that I've met along the way and got a chance to know or just famous people,
maybe that you know somebody maybe I believe Mr. Cole was here one time for Cole. Let's see.
I mean you've told me about like baseball players when the other brewer's players that you met
over the years. Yes, the brewer's they used to be on their winter tour and they stop into the
it was pretty arranged they'd be into the office here. We've got a photo with Carl and I and Jim
Gantner. Yeah. It's so many moments over the years I can only imagine and like any of us
didn't answer this question it always comes down to the people. It's always a bit. It really does yeah.
Pam just a couple of more quick questions we'll let you get going. It's outside of radio do you have
other hobbies, other things that you like to do? You know what I sometimes I think that my life
is so busy I don't have a whole lot of time for different hobbies but I'd like to follow
the Wisconsin teams in the sports. I was forever having the brewers on radio all the time listening to
that. I like to listen to the Packers, the Badgers games. I'll have the games on in the evenings and
listening to the games around the weekend. I like to I guess fiber arts. I enjoy sewing or
crocheting, knitting those kind of little arts and crafts. I've involved with some organizations
in my local church at St. Luke's Lutheran and Wisconsin Rapids. I like to like to get out and
enjoy the countryside on Sundays go for a ride out in the country. Yeah. Drive in the country
in Sundays. That's a better than that. Especially the summer time. Yeah. Two things better than
cruising on the sun. Yeah. That's right. Pam, you made it to the last question. Here it is but
it is probably the toughest one usually is. If you could have coffee with any historical figure,
who and why? You know, I've heard you ask that. They're people so I thought, oh, I better think
about this. You should have thought about it. You know what I think? I'm Princess Diana. Oh,
no, I remember, you know, I remember her when she was getting married and she was so young and
marrying into that, you know, the craziness. The crazyness. Yeah. The real family. And you know,
she was just somebody that, am I age, that, you know, we were looking up to her, you know,
she was going to be the queen. Or so we thought. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I think just, she was
just such a neat. There was something she was in. Yeah. There was something about her that was
electric, even if you never met her. There was something about her that pulled you in. And I
think something comforting about her in many ways. I've gone back and watched some interviews and
some things with her pieces on her and everything. I tried to think of what it is. Is it, you know,
her dying young and some of these things. No, it's that that kind of adds to the or is a part of her,
you know, story, the mystique and yeah, right. But like so many people we lose at a young age,
I think that that wouldn't have mattered. Her legacy would still be just be stronger if anything
she had been around it. The kind of impact she had at the time that she did too was so key to
so many. And it just seemed like an amazing person. I remember seeing her early on in her career.
And she's, you know, in being introduced to some formal meeting or something like that. And all
these heads, these big names in England are there. And she sees Rowan Akkins, Mr. Beam.
Yeah, the actor, right. And at the time, he was more famous for Black Adder. Right. And she's
seen she's doing her job. She's being very professional all this. She sees him and becomes a fan.
And Celine just breaks down like, oh my god, it's Roman. And she was so excited to meet him and
everything. And I think that story speaks so much to what we liked about her. Her humanity.
Yeah. It was really, it really came through. Yep. And it's a similar thing with you, Pam.
I call you the heart of WFHR because you are the heart of this station. So many of the things
we've talked about and we didn't even have a chance to really scratch the surface. The
things you do around here, but the impact you've had not just on our station, on our community,
but on myself and so many of us around here. I am honored and privileged to call you a friend
as long with a coworker and family really that you are to me and family. So I appreciate the
time, Pam. Well, thank you. Thank you. I just truly love working with everyone. James and south
and Laura and Melissa and Beth and Ashley and talk. And we got a good team. That's right. Yeah.
Yeah. We're really spoiled around. That's why we got to get more money. You have to hear more
the team around here. And as good as she is, she just teed us up from that side. That's great.
Yeah, because we will be having more guests joining us throughout the Civic series. Thank you so
much, Pam, for the time. Appreciate you. You're welcome. And there's Tim and Mike.
I think I got everybody. I've got a little list. I hope I didn't forget anyone.
There we go. That's great list. Thank you. I'd like to thank you. You're welcome.
We will take a quick time out and we'll come back. We've got a special piece for you coming up to
wrap up a director's playhouse. There we go. That was all there. WFHR.
