12/1/11 – There was a huge turnout from the community as WBEV celebrated its 60th anniversary yesterday. Station owners past and present joined us during our 14 hour and 30 minute Anniversary celebration yesterday. Former managing owner John Klinger was among a group of investors who purchased WBEV in 1973 and he stayed at the helm for nearly 25 years before selling to Craig Karmazin. Klinger says selling WBEV was one of the hardest things he’s ever done but says the sale went smoothly and he remains friends with the current owner. Craig Karmazin hails from the east coast and says he planned on buying his first radio station in Madison, which he considered a small city. When the opportunity to purchase WBEV came along, Karmazin told John Moser and Bill McCollum yesterday that he quickly realized it was the perfect first radio station for his newly-formed Good Karma Broadcasting. Karmazin says if you want to do your homework on a community in some places you go to their library, check their newspaper or ask a local historian. When he realized that all he had to do here was listen to WBEV, he knew he didn’t have to change a thing. Karmazin’s relationship with the WBEV community continues to grow as Beaver Dam remains his corporate office for Good Karma Broadcasting and its eleven radio stations in three states.
WBEV was presented with a proclamation yesterday from the leader of the Wisconsin Senate, Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. The proclamation noted the radio stations 60-year commitment to the community, and specifically mentioned the million dollars raised to date through the Annual Children’s Radiothon.
