Paul LeSage
In a span of 50 years, he built a diverse career in engineering, sales, sales management, general management and sports marketing. He began as a part-time broadcast engineer in Ishpeming, Michigan, and then joined the Charles E. Brennan & Associates engineering firm in Wisconsin in 1960. In 1968, he became the Chief Engineer at WZUU/WLZZ in Milwaukee but switched career paths in 1972 to broadcast sales and then later management, finally serving as those stations’ Vice President and General Manager until his departure in 1983. He moved to WTMJ radio in 1983 first as General Sales Manager, and then as Vice-President & General Manager. In 1991, he started up WTMJ Sports Marketing, managing affiliate, sponsor and team relationships with the radio networks for the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers and Milwaukee Brewers. The successful and dynamic sports marketing selling systems he created for the WTMJ Sports networks have been a major contribution to sports broadcasting in Wisconsin and remain the standard today.
Mr LeSage—…
Thank you so much.
Tom
Thank you, Tom and how many times have I told you… drop the Mister.
Just discovered this well-deserved tribute. I loved working alongside Paul back in the ZUU days.
We had a great team and you were a big part.
One of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet…a true gentleman. He was friendly, helpful to all, and was very conscientious about his work, no matter what it took to get the job done. I worked with Paul at WMIL and WZUU for many years, and am happy to say he was a very good friend of mine. I might add that he also had a devilish sense of humor that kept us entertained. I am so happy to see his profile on the Wisconsin Broadcasting Museum site…well-deserved. Paul, I wish you the very best of what life has to offer.
Thank you Drema. You were one who contributed to keeping the place a great one to work and play at. We had a lot fo fun and we got the job done.
Thank You Drema, Tom and Dick. You are all very strong in my memories of a fun journey through a lifetime of shared radio experiences. It is still hard to believe that we got paid for having such a memorable time together.
Your name popped into my head this morning and when I “googled” your name, lo and behold i find you are in the Wisconsin Broadcaster Hall of Fame! Thanks for all the faith you had in me 50 years ago when I started in Sales at WMIL/WMVM. You were on of the biggest influences in my early adult life and I just wanted to say THANK YOU!
Thank you Joe. Loved sharing a desk next to yours in those days even though I complained about the cigarette smoke curling behind our shared file cabinet. You were a joy to work with and went on to greater things and greater sales and management.
Paul, I don’t know if you remember me, but you were my first boss in the crazy radio business. I googled your name today, as your name came up in a conversation with my daughter about work bonuses. I recalled my first Christmas at WZUU working in sales as a single mom struggling to pay bills. One evening as you were leaving work you stopped by my desk and because it was late, joked that you hoped you weren’t paying me by the hour. I commented that I was just trying to work to get more business to pay the bills. The next evening you came in to see me and gave me an envelope with a $100 bill saying this is for Christmas. I was stunned. That money helped me pay some late bills, put food on my families plate and allowed me to buy my daughter a Christmas present. I have never forgotten that act of kindness from you and have always tried to pay it forward. God Bless. Cindy McDowell Hubler
Cindy, you were a great ambitious young lady who definitely went on to bigger and greater achievements in your life. You can be sure I was watching your progress from afar and remembered your ambition. I wonder where I got the $100.