His 35-plus year broadcast engineering career began in 1967 at Milwaukee’s classical music station, WFMR-FM. After 10 years, he began a series of moves into corporate engineering, while also forming his own consulting firm, Criterion Broadcast Services, in Milwaukee. Through the years he worked for Sudbrink Broadcasting, Multimedia Broadcasting and Cumulus Broadcasting. He was very active in the Society of Broadcast Engineers, first in the Milwaukee chapter and then nationally. He served on the National SBE Board of Directors from 1987-89, on its Executive Committee in the mid-1990’s and as the SBE National President from 1995-97. Baun was one of the original members of the WBA Summer Engineering Steering Committee and was one of the architects of WBA’s Alternative Broadcast Station Inspection Program, serving as WBA’s Chief Inspector for over 10 years beginning with the program’s inauguration in 1995.
Terry Baun passed away on Jan. 1, 2022.
Terry, with his signature pipe, hired me to work full time at WFMR after I’d been calling the station throughout my teenage years. I not only had a capable knowledge of classical music and performers, but also an articulate and notable speaking voice, which has kept me in good standing to this day. I would be eternally grateful to reconnect with him after ALL these years!
A beautiful “love story” of a special, decent man who freely shared his passion and knowledge with a younger generation, who will undoubtedly repay those gifts by mentoring and helping others! To quote Scripture: “Well done, good and faithful Servant! Enter into the Joy of your Heavenly Master!”
Little did I know that as a budding TV broadcast engineer attending Milwaukee Area Technical College, I was driving the same streets as this technical giant and listening to the excellent work that Terry Baun did every day. He was a gem of a man. A mentor to many. An example to all. It’s quite telling that his wish was for his memorial service to be a party. Party on, Terry! You made a wonderful impact during your stay!
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The Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame was created in 1989 to honor those broadcasters who have devoted their careers to broadcasting and its development in Wisconsin, to recognize their outstanding service to broadcasting, their communities, and their state, over at least a fifteen-year career in the industry, at least ten of which were served in Wisconsin.The first twelve members of the Hall of Fame were inducted during the 1989 WBA Summer Conference. Inductees are chosen each year from among nominations by WBA members. Broadcasters who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame include managers, personalities, engineers, reporters and those broadcasting pioneers who were at once all of the above.
In October, 1989, Alfred C. Sykes, then Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, came to Wisconsin to formally dedicate a Hall of Fame display, including plaques honoring the inductees, at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library in Madison. In 2010, due to remodeling of the SHSW facility, the display was removed. The Hall of Fame exhibit was relocated to the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in 2015 and enhanced with a touchscreen display featuring all inductee commemorative videos.
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