November 6, 2025 • 37 mins
The sound of community is getting louder again. We sit down with WEEU owner John Treese to unpack how a 1931 AM station found fresh purpose with modern tech, live local programming, and an unapologetic focus on Berks County and the surrounding 16 counties their signal reaches. From the decisive frequency move to 830 AM and a 20,000-watt daytime boost to the nuts and bolts of licenses, towers, and engineering, John explains how coverage becomes connection only when you pair it with relevance.
We walk through the overhaul that made the station feel alive: renovated studios that inspire confidence on camera, expanded streaming, and a new video-forward approach to high school football and basketball. Sports serve as a bridge across neighborhoods and generations, supported by a lively scoreboard show featuring coaches, reporters, and standout athletes. The commitment to free, no-paywall content keeps access open for families, fans, and advertisers who want reach without friction. Along the way, we touch on the hardest challenge—bringing back local radio news in a world with fewer radio journalists—and the practical steps WEEU is taking through call-in forums and clear pointers to trustworthy sources.
John’s path from college radio to station ownership adds heart to the strategy. He argues that radio lost ground when it stopped talking to people like they mattered; WEEU’s answer is to open the doors wide. That means internships, school partnerships, student performances in-studio, and series like Outstanding Student that put young voices on air. It also means inviting new hosts to pitch ideas, test their talent, and help build a daily lineup that’s live and local from early mornings into drive time. If you care about local media, community sports, and hearing your neighbors on the mic, this conversation will remind you why radio still matters.
Follow WEEU at 830weeu.com and on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. If this story resonated, share it with a friend in Berks County, leave a review, and subscribe for more conversations that put local voices first.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:03):
From real estate.
The market as a whole sometimeswill affect the right in the
real life.
We all learn in the movies.
If you think about it, WayneDyer might not attract everyone.
And everyone in between.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
The Brad Wiseman show.
And now your host, Brad Wiseman.
SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
All right.
Here we go.
SPEAKER_05 (00:28):
Hello, baby.
SPEAKER_01 (00:29):
Another Thursday.
SPEAKER_05 (00:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (00:31):
It's unbelievable.
SPEAKER_05 (00:32):
Back like the Terminator.
SPEAKER_01 (00:34):
Yeah, yeah.
I'll be back.
Is that what that meant?
Black Like the Terminator.
Yeah, back like the.
That was good.
I got that right away.
Sometimes I don't get yourjokes.
And not that they're not good.
I just don't understand them.
SPEAKER_05 (00:45):
Mexican humor, baby.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
No, that's funny.
So you know what, you know, wedon't always do local, um, but
today we're gonna be with alocal guest here, and I'm really
excited about it because we'vebeen talking to him and his wife
uh for quite some time, andwe're finally gonna sit down.
Uh, you probably know this.
If you're local, you've heard ofthe station WEEU.
Uh, it's been around forever,and we'll find out how long it's
(01:08):
been around in a couple ofseconds here.
But uh, there's new ownershipthere, new management, new
ownership, and it's John Trieseand his wife Christine, and they
were crazy enough to buy a radiostation, but we're gonna find
out that it's gone pretty well,and I think it's gonna do very
well because we got some greatpeople that are running it now.
So without any more delay, John,how are you doing?
SPEAKER_03 (01:30):
I'm great.
And I appreciate you taking thetime to sit down and invite me
into the studio here.
This is pretty nice.
Thank you.
I'm almost I'm jealous,actually.
I'm gonna say almost.
This is really good.
SPEAKER_01 (01:42):
It's cozy.
But you guys, hey, I've seenyour new digs.
And I I've been following youguys on on Instagram and stuff
like that.
And I have to say, you guys dida nice job.
I appreciate it.
It really needed it.
SPEAKER_03 (01:53):
It was a lot of work.
SPEAKER_01 (01:54):
Yeah, a ton of work.
I'm sure it was.
And uh yeah, and let's just diginto that.
I mean, you know, WEEU has beenaround for how long?
SPEAKER_03 (02:02):
Since uh I believe 1931.
SPEAKER_01 (02:05):
1931.
SPEAKER_03 (02:06):
So it is it is one of the older radio stations in
Pennsylvania.
Um but not the oldest.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:11):
Uh also not the oldest in Reading, believe it or
not.
SPEAKER_01 (02:13):
Wow.
Yeah.
WREW maybe?
I was gonna say that's what Ithought.
Yeah, yeah, WREW up there in thehill.
Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:20):
But WEEU started from you know small power.
Yeah.
There's a whole story there.
But w the thing that attractedChristine and I and myself to it
is that this is a station thatis one of the more powerful
stations in the state ofPennsylvania.
It's it's got a massive station.
SPEAKER_01 (02:35):
Now, when you say that, like that why why is that?
Like, how does that work?
Do you have equipment that makesit powerful?
Is it because of the location?
Is it because of the hills?
SPEAKER_03 (02:44):
Well, uh just down the street from here, yeah,
there's broadcasting square.
Yes.
And that used to be thetransmitter cycle.
I remember that.
Yeah, for targetists and Iforget how many towers there
were that.
There was a bunch there.
There's a map in the basementthat we found of the old of the
old site that has the towers onit.
But it it it was there, and Ithink it was 5,000 watts during
the day.
It was either five or one, butanyway, it was a small power.
(03:05):
When they sold the property,they moved it out uh by
Interstate 78 in Charlesville.
Oh, yeah.
That's where our towers are now.
Didn't know that.
Yeah, so it's a heck of a drive.
I'll say that.
You have to go out there and dosomething.
But what it gave them theopportunity to do is uh take a
look at the the signal and howmuch more power they could
increase by manipulating wherethe signal went, what frequency
(03:26):
it was on.
If you remember, it was on 850for a while.
Yes.
And then it switched to 830.
The place 830 on the dial gavethem the space they needed to
increase power.
Now we're 20,000 watts day withwith a very unique night signal,
which is 6,000 watts at night.
And what that means is 20,000watts lets us touch about 16
counties in the state ofPennsylvania, Eastern PA during
(03:48):
the day.
And at night we are well intoPhiladelphia, uh, you know, uh
Schuylkill County, toward theLehigh Valley.
SPEAKER_01 (03:55):
What's the difference between day and
night?
SPEAKER_03 (03:57):
It's it's the way the AM frequency uh works in the
atmosphere.
So during the day, uh you're itthe the the signal doesn't
travel as far with the power.
Okay.
But at night, uh I think it'sthe called the ionosphere.
I'm sorry for and engineers outthere.
You can tell me it was becauseof so mad at me for more.
SPEAKER_01 (04:14):
You can tell me it's because of Mickey Mouse, I
wouldn't know the difference.
SPEAKER_03 (04:17):
But at night, the ionosphere will take the signal
and it just carries it forever.
So you have to you know you haveto limit it.
And then other stations are uhthey're they're given uh the
right to broadcast at certainpowers.
SPEAKER_01 (04:31):
So you So you can't just you can't just go out there
and say, okay, we're gonna sendit as far as we can.
No, no, you can't have certaingeographic area.
SPEAKER_03 (04:39):
It's it's engineered.
Engineers who are much brighterthan I am take a look at the
signal, and then they have toengineer how the towers will
reflect the power of the of thebroadcast and how it's going to
interfere with a station inCleveland versus a station in
you know Delaware versus astation in New England that has
the power.
So you can't step on somebodyelse's signal.
But that's where you know youget license for that, and
(05:00):
there's studies that are donebefore licensing is goes into
place.
But when they did the uh youknow the move, yeah, they got
this massive power increase andmade it a very wow, I I in my
opinion, a very viable radiostation.
SPEAKER_01 (05:13):
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_03 (05:14):
Even being on AM today in you know 2025.
SPEAKER_01 (05:17):
Yeah.
But you but you're obviouslyyou're throwing the net out
further.
You you absolutely so when itcomes to marketing and stuff
like that for you guys, you cansay, hey, by the way, we're not
just reading here.
We're we're we're out beyondreading.
We're Berks County, we'regetting a little bit into maybe
School County and Lancaster.
I mean, I don't know where itgoes, but that's incredible.
Never knew that.
SPEAKER_03 (05:34):
No, I mean I can s I can sit at the Philadelphia
International Airport and stillhere.
And and it's like a local signaldown there, which is pretty
amazing.
That is pretty amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (05:43):
That's awesome.
Very cool.
Very cool.
So, yes, so you obviously youknow about a little bit about
radio.
It used to be owned by was itRennie Eagle used to own it for.
For many decades.
Many decades they owned it.
And then it then it got boughtout.
I knew they weren't doing thatwell for a little bit.
SPEAKER_03 (05:56):
Well, the the the paper went under.
SPEAKER_01 (05:59):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_03 (05:59):
So during that bankruptcy, all the assets had
to be sold off.
SPEAKER_01 (06:02):
It's gone.
SPEAKER_03 (06:02):
And EEU was one of those.
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (06:04):
And it went to bankruptcy auction.
There was a a time where it was.
SPEAKER_01 (06:08):
And nobody wanted it, right?
SPEAKER_03 (06:10):
Well, people wanted it, but it's yeah, for the
price.
But yeah, and yeah, I mean, itit's weird because the radio
station is like multiple things.
So there's property, there's alicense, there's the physical
assets, there's all of thesethings that go with it.
So I think at the bankruptcyauction, the thing that was up
for auction was a license.
But if you buy the license, now,you know, I mean, if you don't
(06:30):
get the tower site, if you don'tget the studios, how are you
doing it?
Yeah, you're not doing anything.
And to rebuild that facilitythat's out in at in
Charlesville, it's nearlyimpossible.
The fiscally, nobody's gonna doit.
It doesn't make any sense today.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
That's that's amazing.
So so then it went to anothercompany um after that.
And then somehow, how did youguys find out about this?
Did you always want a radiostation?
So I I don't know if doesanybody grow up going, I want to
buy a radio station?
I mean, nobody ever says theywant to be a realtor either,
just so you know, and then allof a sudden it happens.
SPEAKER_03 (07:02):
I think I think people grow people used to grow
up saying, I want to be inradio.
Um I do.
I think people still do.
Yes, of course.
And I was one of them.
I grew up listening to radio.
I was a big music radio fan.
That's where I discovered I Iwas I was big into oldies, if
you really want to know.
So, like the um, you know, I Ithere were a lot of programs on
in the in the late 90s that dida lot of like uh like deep dive
(07:25):
kind of stuff.
And they would bring out the youknow, the the near misses, the
the bubbling under hits, and itwas a lot of great music that
you just didn't hear.
The B side.
Yeah, and it was it was goodstuff that you didn't hear on
the mainstream formats of theseoldie stations at the time.
And the guys who would presentthis, and there I have a couple
that were, you know, uh biginfluences in my life, but they
were uh very knowledgeable.
(07:47):
Yeah.
And they would tell greatstories about the music, great
stories about the song, andintroduce you to, you know, not
just throwing any record onthere.
It's it's there because it'sgood for a reason.
SPEAKER_01 (07:57):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_03 (07:57):
And you know, it's gives it a story as opposed to
and it introduced me to a lot ofthings that I never would have
been introduced to, but it radiobecame appointment listening
because of that.
Yeah, and there were a lot ofshows that every single week I
was tuning into, you know, weyou couldn't miss it.
I would drive around when I wasin high school, and I would even
bring my friends with me.
There was a station in like inBerwick, PA.
(08:18):
And it was one of these showswas on.
The uh the host is since passed.
Um, but it was every Sundaynight from five o'clock till
nine, I would get in the car andwe would drive around and listen
to this program.
Because it was stronger in anarea, so we'd head toward there.
You would drive up there.
Yeah.
It was like a road trip andwe're hanging out.
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
A lot of people did that years ago.
SPEAKER_03 (08:36):
But it's but it's the but it that's that's radio.
Yeah, and it was it was justsomething that was so powerful
and yeah, and then it gets inyour glove.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
And then you want to do it.
And then so, okay, so how didyou get from that to you and
your wife purchasing a radiostation?
SPEAKER_03 (08:50):
Well, I went into radio.
SPEAKER_01 (08:51):
You did, so you were in radio.
SPEAKER_03 (08:53):
So uh in college, uh I was all I always loved radio,
so I wanted to be involved.
So I got involved at the collegeradio station, Elizabeth Town
College's WWE C.
Right, right.
Um, but uh I ended up becomingthe station manager.
I was not a com major, I was apolitical science major.
Okay.
And but I loved radio, so I knewa lot.
I taught myself a lot, so therewas a lot that I could bring to
(09:14):
the table, so they made mestation manager, and I did that
for a while.
Um, and then one day I sawthere's like a job post, a
part-time job post on the wallfrom one of the real FM stations
in town.
SPEAKER_01 (09:26):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_03 (09:26):
And uh it was Warm 103 in York.
And you know, we're not that farfrom York at the time, but I
remember as a kid, that was oneof the stations that one of the
shows we listened to.
I would we would tune it in.
I'm driving around with my mom,and I would remember listening
to this show on Warm 103, and Ifigured, well, you know, I'm
gonna apply and see whathappens, not thinking anything
of it.
Yeah, sure enough, I get a callfrom the PD, I get to go down
(09:48):
and meet him, see this, see thisradio station, and I've driven
by it a million times, and itwas just this dream come true.
Oh, yeah.
But then they actually hired me.
And and and I didn't even knowwhat to I didn't know.
So now you're like, oh no.
Well, yeah, well, absolutely I'mowned now.
Yeah.
So and and I and this is back inthe day where and radios changed
(10:08):
a lot.
You know, back then the Then youhave the carts and stuff.
Did you have the I didn't havecarts, but we were we were
playing CDs.
There were still carts in thebuilding.
Yeah.
But uh, you know, we still hadwe had CDs, the music was on CD,
commercials were on thecomputer.
Um, but it's it, you know, it'sone of those things where um
yeah, what I was saying, uh thisis what I was saying.
The uh uh radios changed becauseit was at the time when
(10:30):
everything was staffed.
Yeah, so I got the overnightshift on the weekends.
Yeah, so I was 12 a.m.
to like 6 a.m.
Saturday and Saturday morningand Sunday morning.
All my friends are out partyingand stuff.
I'm playing the best variety ofsoft rock.
Uh cool.
Trying to stay awake.
SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
Yeah, that's tough.
SPEAKER_03 (10:45):
Um, but standing in front of that microphone for the
first time, realizing that thismassive signal, I'm in charge of
it.
And people are out therelistening, and it it's you know,
even though it is the overnight,people are consuming it.
Yeah, and the phones would ringand all this stuff.
But it was it was one of thosethings where you know, I would
uh stand outside of the radiostation after the shift was over
and say, like, I cannot believeI'm getting paid to do this.
SPEAKER_01 (11:05):
Oh, because it's so much fun.
SPEAKER_03 (11:06):
So because it's so much fun.
And you just I've never lostthat.
So you know, I worked there fora number of years and never got
out of radio.
Uh helped out with some localstations in Montgomery County
and just stayed involved.
I've done you know some internetstuff just uh, you know, on a
hobby side, but uh in I ended upgetting into software as a real
profession.
Oh wow.
(11:27):
Um and then working for somestartups, we've you know, went
through a couple of cycles ofthese startups.
Our last one was coming to anend, and it was time for us to
decide what our next step wasgoing to be.
And Christine and I both have anentrepreneurial sp spirit.
Yeah.
I've always been interested, andI'm always looking to see if
there's something available thatsomebody's going to sell.
(11:47):
And WBEU just happened to comeon the market.
Uh the the owner of TwilightBroadcasting at the time was uh
pretty much divesting of alltheir radio holdings.
And that was the last one.
Looked into it, it's it wasstill on the air, it still had a
loyal following, it still hadbase billing, and uh it still
owned its property.
So it was it was this it kind oflined up as a perfect storm, and
(12:09):
it was like, okay, well, ifwe're gonna give this a shot,
this is this is the time.
This this is the one that wouldgive us the best opportunity.
We're not building it from theground up.
We have to fix it, yeah, butwe're not building it from the
ground up, which is which was uhuh great.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
Yeah, that's awesome.
No, and like I said, uh it'sfrom the pictures and
everything, and what you guysare doing.
I can just tell by the outreach,can tell by there's new
material, there's new people,there's there's still some
people that were there beforetoo, which is cool.
Um, but it it's you know, it'skind of like you're you're
reinventing it.
You know, and I think you haveto.
I mean, like we were talkingabout a little bit before we
went on, is how podcasting,which we're doing right now, you
(12:45):
know, has become a different hasnot a not competition, if I want
to, it's not really that.
It's just it's another avenuefor something for somebody to
listen to to get theirinformation.
Um, but then you know, when youlook at the two things, they're
saying for the future, they'regonna kind of have to mat become
married in a way.
Because I know you guys aredoing a lot of streaming.
(13:06):
Yeah, you're doing streaming anda lot of the shows are now our
podcasts.
I you can't every show.
Every show is a podcast, right?
So I think that's something thatI think because you guys took
over, I don't think that wouldhave happened.
SPEAKER_03 (13:17):
They would do they were doing some of that.
Some of that, yeah.
But um, where we've changedthings, uh, I I think we've made
the biggest change is in howwe've incorporated video into
like our sports broadcasting.
That has been a big change.
Um really the the equipmentupdates at the station were the
biggest thing.
The technological upgrades, itwas it was very old and and it
(13:40):
it needed a lot of help.
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
I was in there uh on Mike Faust's show.
Okay, on feedback way back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
On feedback with Mike Faust.
And it was right before heretired, actually.
I was one of the last one of thelast times I was on there was
with him, and and it was amazinghow the I remember going in
there going, Whoa, this stuff'sfalling apart.
You know, it was it wasdefinitely like some old
equipment in there.
But it was still working, butyou know, it it's it looked it,
(14:03):
you know.
So when you're doing video andsomething looks like it's
ancient, it tends to not begood.
SPEAKER_03 (14:07):
Well, and also with you know, in any business, it's
you know, you're in you're inreal estate.
Yeah.
So if you are bringing a clientand you're and you're and you're
bringing a client in to dopaperwork or whatever, and they
you bring them into a place thatis not presentable, I don't know
that they get a lot ofconfidence in you when you do
it.
So true, yeah.
And that's the same thing here,too.
So we have everybody in andthat's the point of what we're
(14:28):
doing.
We it's local radio, and it'svery different from what you
have uh what the industry hasbecome.
It's become very nationalized,very homogenized.
Yeah.
You have a lot of up stuff a lotof radio stations, but not a lot
of local people anymore.
And uh things are operated fromstates far, far away and
programmed.
They don't know anything aboutthe market.
SPEAKER_01 (14:48):
They don't know anything about the market or the
people in the community.
SPEAKER_03 (14:50):
No, and they're not they're not doing anything to
provide an opportunity for thecommunity to have a voice.
And that's where our vision forWEU is, is we want those doors
open.
We want to provide a forum, wewant to provide a platform for
Reading, the Greater Berks area,and everybody under our coverage
map.
Like I'd you know, love to haveyou know Montgomery County and
(15:12):
uh Chester County and you knowSchuylkill and get all of these
areas involved.
And we've you know branched outto that, but you know, we
provide that voice.
And when you have senators andstate representatives and
business leaders and potentialclients, our clients, coming
through the door, you have tohave a presentable place that
not only they will look at withyou know a sense of confidence,
(15:33):
but you can also walk through itwith a level of pride.
And I think that we've and Iappreciate you saying nice
things about it, but we've youknow, I feel like we've after it
was a lot of blood, sweat, andtears, but we've gotten to a
point where WEEU is it it is ait's it's a gem in Reading now
again.
Good.
SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
That's good to hear.
That's really good to hearbecause I would when it was when
there was talks of it not beingaround anymore, it was kind of
sad.
You know, it was because it'slike a staple of of of Berks
County.
And and I remember my grandpa, Imean being in my grandfather's
car and drive it around and he'dhave that on.
Yeah.
I mean, it was on the radio allthe time.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (16:06):
It's it's whether it's local news, which is you
know one of the things that wewould love to get back to.
Yeah.
It's hard.
It's hard, yeah.
It's hard now.
It's you know what makes ithard?
They don't radio news peoplearen't being made anymore.
Everybody is a uh uh anInstagram or social media
journalist, or they're apodcaster, or something in the
(16:29):
in the or they want to be in TV.
Journalists say they the theaspiration is to be in
television.
Nobody wants to be a radio, uh,a radio journalist anymore.
So to find somebody who's goingto say, like, you know, I'm
really excited to get out tothat school board meeting, yeah,
and I want to go to the countycommissioner meeting and I want
to report on this thing thathappened downtown and do this,
you know, on the radio everysingle day.
(16:50):
They just don't make themanymore.
So it gets hard to find them.
And it yeah, that's that's oneof the biggest challenges.
SPEAKER_01 (16:57):
Yeah, it is a challenge.
It's and I think every and we'reso used to just getting it
online too the next day.
Because all the townships now,they publicize all everything
online.
Sure.
You know, which they have to,it's part of public public
knowledge and stuff.
But you're right, I neverthought about it that way.
It's interesting.
SPEAKER_03 (17:11):
But if you're and and the beautiful the the th the
thing about radio that I love,it's the the immediacy of it.
Yeah, and and you have theimmediacy in social media and
you get your feed, your feed isas quick as anything else can
be.
Your feed is also full of abunch of garbage.
And it's always full of a bunchof garbage.
With radio though, if you knowwe are presenting quality
programming that you're engagedwith anyway, and you you're
(17:33):
there for a reason.
Hopefully, you you you know,with that audience continues to
grow.
But if we're able to uh you knowfunnel that information into
bite-sized pieces, that you'reable to get enough information
so you know what's going on, andif you need more information on
it, point you to the sources toget it.
That's that to me is the successof doing local radio news.
(17:56):
And at some point we're gonnaget back to that.
That's you know, that's rightthere on our target list.
But um you've got to find theright people and the yeah make
it make it happen.
SPEAKER_01 (18:04):
That's interesting.
Yeah, and and and that's one ofthe things that's funny when I
was looking on your guys, youknow, because I'm in the podcast
world, I was kind of looking tosee what AI had to say about the
differences between podcasts andradio.
And it was saying, it was funnyas it talks about, you know, in
podcasting, we don't typicallywe're not live anymore.
We were.
I mean, when we first startedthe show, we were live.
That got to be real a big a bigpain in the butt because the
(18:27):
guests didn't show up on time,and then you tried to be live.
It was uh it was it was rough.
SPEAKER_03 (18:31):
Welcome to the heart world.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
So yeah, so no, it was live, it was live.
Um, and then we decidedobviously go to being recorded.
And and I think our audience haspicked up on that.
That's we try not to to do datesand stuff like that, but you
know, we we try to keep it thatway.
But right.
Yeah, so going live is onething.
Weather, things like that thatwe just don't have.
And and and current events,things are going up right now,
you know, that or today.
(18:54):
Uh also, you guys still do whatdo you still do the call, like
people can call in and talkwhile you're while you're on on
the show.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (19:01):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (19:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (19:02):
What one of the things in in my time growing up
that really got me hooked on theimportance of radio was you were
you remember the 1972 flood?
I mean, you're you're I was twoyears old.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
You were you were young.
I'm 55.
SPEAKER_03 (19:14):
I wasn't there.
SPEAKER_01 (19:14):
Yeah, I figured you weren't.
Thanks a lot for bringing thatup.
But I was the guest is trying tosay he's younger than me, which
is fine.
No, no, I was seven, I was 72.
I was two years old, but my my Iwas 72.
I look really good.
Um, but no, yeah, my my motherhad been through it, and her
parents lived on Minor Street inReading.
SPEAKER_03 (19:34):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (19:34):
And the water was up to the second second floor.
SPEAKER_03 (19:37):
It was it was something else.
And I grew up in Sealins Grove.
Oh, yeah.
Sunbury Sunbury, and inSusquehanna River, the two
branches connect there.
SPEAKER_01 (19:44):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (19:45):
And it was uh big like the flooding was just
ridiculous up there.
And uh one of the stations, andI used to work for them, WKOK in
Sunbury, they it to me, this waslike one of the most incredible
stories is that and to show theimportance of radio, especially
at the time, you have all thesepeople who are cut off from the
world.
You know, the floods happening,communications are down, there's
(20:06):
no cell phones or internet oranything like that.
But um, you have all thesepeople who have been displaced.
And the radio station was in theflood area, so they sprung into
action, they went into like anemergency emergency broadcast uh
uh formation, if you want tocall it that, but they went up
to the transmitter site, whichwas on a mountain or on a hill,
and sent a couple people upthere.
(20:26):
And what they did for hours,they had like one reel-to-reel
tape because one deck, just togive them a break, but they were
just taking calls, and peoplewould call.
I'm you know, I'm here.
Um, if my family's looking forme, I'm safe, I'm here, or this
person has an extra roomavailable if you need this.
This is over here, you know, andand it was the the power of that
(20:48):
lifeline that radio provided.
I there I have the audio tapesof it, and it's just it it gives
it gave me chills.
That's cool.
But it's but to me, that's theimportance of radio.
And that's the thing that Ithink really differentiates what
radio can be versus you know theyou know the podcasting
platforms and some of the otherstuff that you're doing.
Because, you know, with likefeedback, for example, when
(21:08):
something happens, now there's aforum for people to call in and
ask questions call in and talk.
And if they need to getsomething off their chest, you
know, within reason, they gettheir thing, get things off
their chest.
But it's a great way to get uhyou know, have a litmus test of
what's going on in the area andsee what people are actually
thinking.
SPEAKER_01 (21:24):
I agree.
It's cool.
No, it's it's uh I like that.
That's what I like about thetalk radio platform.
Um so what's your so what's yourvision?
I mean, you guys have been doingthis for how long?
SPEAKER_03 (21:33):
Uh since February of 2024.
So you're we're pushing twoyears.
SPEAKER_01 (21:38):
Yeah.
Wow, that's great.
So what what's what's yourvision?
Like what what do you what aresome of the things you're like,
man, we want to do this,implement different things.
I mean, I know you've beenimplementing a lot of things.
You said something about a a newafternoon show possibly coming
up, I think is what some you hadsomebody written on here.
SPEAKER_03 (21:53):
Yeah, we're in the process of the the what we're
really the the end game of whatwe're trying to do is provide
local content and as much of itas we can possibly do.
And right now we're we're livewith mornings with Mike from six
until ten, uh six until nine,and very popular.
He has a great following andhe's been doing it for a long
time.
He's a staple.
SPEAKER_02 (22:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (22:10):
We have feedback, which has been on since forever.
Jack Holcomb was a was thefeedback.
That's what my grandfather was.
And Mike Faust there.
Now Bill Saunders has been onfor over four years now, and um
in everyone, every one of thoseincarnations had its own
different flavor, but it'sfeedback is a very popular
program.
We had a great ratings book thislast uh this last uh uh it was
(22:30):
this spring book.
Um very popular.
But it's it's all about localcontent.
We uh tried something in theafternoon that didn't work, and
now we're in the process ofworkshopping a new program
because we need another bookendfor for our local programming.
So if we can get from 6A until6P and have the majority of that
be live local, produced righthere in Reading, then we're
(22:52):
we're in a great spot.
That's awesome.
We we've added a lot of otherprogramming too, including some
uh, you know, we talked aboutsports and um we all WEU's for
the longest time has had a veryrobust and very high quality
sports program, yeah, local highschool football and basketball.
And uh we've taken it to anotherlevel by adding video coverage
to all of the games that we do.
So not only do you get to hearBob McCool, uh, you know, sports
(23:15):
or Berks County Sports Hall ofFamer, Bob McCool do his call do
his calls, and uh he he does afan.
If you haven't heard him, youyou gotta uh tune it in.
He does a great job and reallyhonor to these kids.
SPEAKER_01 (23:27):
That's an art, man.
It's art.
When I listen to the sportscasters, I always think, how in
the world do they have all thatinformation in their heads and
and pull it out when they needit?
Like they I just don'tunderstand.
SPEAKER_03 (23:39):
It is a skill that I do not possess.
SPEAKER_01 (23:40):
Neither do I.
SPEAKER_03 (23:41):
And the amount of respect that I have for Bob for
being able to do well, and it'sone thing, because you have you
know to get off on the tent,right?
Meryl Reese, for example,follows the Eagles and he's got
a lot of stats on the Eagles,and he does his research on you
know the other team, and he'llknow what's going on there.
For Bob, it's a different pairevery single week.
We're not following one, it'sbecause we you know we have 16
(24:02):
counties to cover.
We're trying to cover Burks asbest we can.
So we do our game of the week,but he's covering different
teams every single week.
He must love it though.
SPEAKER_01 (24:10):
He has to have a passion.
He lives and breathes it.
Because you there's no way likeI can talk about real estate
pretty much all day.
Sure.
Because I've done it for 33years, but it's the same kind of
thing.
Like, you know, when you knowyour your topic, but I still
look at that with sports, and Ijust like it blows my mind.
SPEAKER_03 (24:24):
Yeah, I don't know how he does it.
Blows my mind.
It's incredible.
So being able to bring the videoto that and from a from a an
advertiser supportadvertiser-supported
perspective, it gives everybodyan opportunity to consume it.
There's no subscription, it'sall free, everything is
accessible.
And that's the other thing aboutradio is that it is free.
Any everybody can consume it.
Anyone, there's no restrictions.
(24:44):
And you know, with oureverything that we add beyond
this, the podcast, the videocontent, whatever, it's the
whole point is to make itavailable.
And there's never no paywalls,none of that kind of stuff, no,
you know, passwords to log into,any of that kind of stuff.
But that that was a big thing.
Um, we brought in a sportsdirector who used to work with
me in Lansdale at a radiostation, and he brought on uh an
(25:06):
extension of sports after ourgame.
We do a scoreboard show where hetalks to writers and reporters,
and he brings in coaches andathletic directors, and it's
it's a uh uh Friday night recapof everything that's happened,
not only just in Berks Countyand the Lancashire Lebanon
League, but he goes beyond that.
He goes, he's talking to peoplein York County, he's talking to
(25:26):
Harrisburg, he's Shimokin ishaving a fantastic.
Shimokin' season.
Haven't heard that word for awhile.
And he's talking about thatbecause it makes it makes a
difference in the in the worldof state sports, he's bringing
it all in.
And it's a very fun, laid-back,and very informative program
that's brand new to WEEU.
Um, you know, there's people wehave a show on dirt track racing
(25:46):
that's different.
It's the only one.
And uh again, it's you know,covering some of the local
tracks here locally, and as thatis growing, it continues to
expand too.
So it's about finding these, youknow, the the content that's not
available and giving it aplatform and expanding on it as
much as we possibly can.
SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
So what about a real estate show?
I mean, come on, you've got toget a real estate show going.
SPEAKER_03 (26:09):
Uh you have my phone number, right?
SPEAKER_04 (26:12):
I can get you a phone.
SPEAKER_01 (26:13):
So we've talked about that might happen at some
point.
SPEAKER_05 (26:17):
I have a question.
If there's someone out therelistening or watching to uh to
this and they think they got thetalent, they feel passionate
about talking, and they want totest their hands or get your
feedback on uh how they do onradio, being a radio host.
Like you say that they don'tmake them anymore, you're not
they're not popping up.
(26:37):
How can they do that?
Like an audition.
You mean like an audition?
SPEAKER_03 (26:45):
To be uh you can always reach out.
I mean, our door is always open.
It's a matter, you know, we'rewe're we're curious.
And we and that's a that's anice thing too, is uh as I say
that they don't make themanymore.
They they make people who reallywant to be in radio.
We have we have we have there'sa there's at least two Gen Zers
on our on our staff right now,and they're fantastic people.
(27:06):
And they all came in with thispassion and love for what they
do, and it's in radio.
And you if you told me thatthere was gonna be somebody who
was born after the year 2000 and2000 that would want to be in
radio, I would have told youyou're out of out of this world,
but but they're they're here.
And the flow of people fromAlvernia that have come through,
the the the tours that we do,everybody looks at this and
(27:26):
they're like they've never seenit.
They have in many in many cases,the younger people don't even
know it exists, so that whenthey find out that it's there,
they're like, wow, wait, wait,how do I how can I be involved?
Like, can I, you know, what canI do?
And you know, we've have greatinternship programs for that.
Um, you know, we've hired peopleout of our internship programs,
and you know, it's you knowplease come and see us because
(27:49):
we'd love to talk to you.
SPEAKER_01 (27:50):
Our kids probably kids probably have no idea.
Like, I gotta tell you thatCatherine Carson, do you have
any clue what a radio stationis?
I'm serious because everything'son sat, everything's satellite,
everything's XM Series XM.
So you you start to think like Idon't think they even know.
I think they actually learnedwhen I I bought an I got an old
radio from a house that I was umgonna sell and I had it
(28:12):
refurbished.
And the only station it gets isWEU and Wild or Two.
Okay, that's it.
Two big powerful stations.
Right, and that's all it gets.
But when I'm sitting theretuning it in and it's going all
that stuff, they're looking atme like, why don't you just push
the button and get it to go onthere?
Because that's not how it works.
That's not how it works.
But it's pretty neat, but it'sit's yeah, those signals are
(28:32):
strong.
I can listen to both of those onthis old oh, it's like 1940s.
SPEAKER_03 (28:36):
It's amazing.
Yeah, it is pretty cool.
But it's cool.
But that's cool to you.
SPEAKER_01 (28:40):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (28:40):
But you but here's the thing though, and and this
is this is my belief why theyounger generations have gotten
away from radio is it reallyisn't relevant.
Yeah, it has stopped beingrelevant.
And I mean, I can speak frompersonal experience is that once
music radio stopped talking tome, I mean I well, I don't have
any use for it.
SPEAKER_02 (28:58):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_03 (28:58):
So if you're you know playing me the same 15
songs over and over and overagain, I'm in I'm living in a
world where I can get whatever Iwant whenever I want it.
Why do I need your sillyplaylist?
Well, you know, why you speelrequests.
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
Remember, you spell request songs.
Right.
And that went away.
That went away.
SPEAKER_03 (29:13):
So so because it's not relevant, there's no
personality there anymore.
You you've you've had a wholegeneration that has moved away
from it and have have acceptedother things to find that
content.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
Which is podcasting.
Podcasting.
Podcasting, uh, social media,all these things.
But the pendulum swings.
SPEAKER_03 (29:30):
It does swing.
SPEAKER_01 (29:31):
It swings.
SPEAKER_03 (29:32):
And that's the thing that we are trying to bring
back.
Yeah.
And that's what we're trying totrying to capitalize on.
But you need to let people knowand you need to let them know
it's there, but you have to givethem a r uh a reason why it's
relevant to them.
And that's the the one of thereasons people ask why we would
spend so much time in sports.
Sports connects everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (29:50):
Sports typically isn't divisive.
Sports is, you know, it tellsUnless it's Eagles in Dallas.
Well, there you go.
In our world here, in our world,we all agree.
For the most part, pretty muchthroughout the year.
Is that Maggie?
One of our Gen Zeers, MaggieMay, is a big Dallas fan.
SPEAKER_01 (30:06):
Oh, okay.
Cool figure.
So she gets a lot of things.
Wait, Maggie May?
Maggie May.
Maggie May.
Okay.
I'm just thinking of Maggie.
Just like the Rod Stewart's.
Well, it's funny.
Yeah, it's a great song.
I'm just thinking of Maggie Ma.
We had her in here.
She played acoustic guitar andwe're singing.
So she's really cool.
Different person.
Yeah, different person.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (30:20):
But but with sports is when we are at these games
and we're doing the interviews,we're we're we're a legitimate
part of the media.
And when somebody comes up toyou with a WEU mic flag and a
WEU shirt on, they've beencalling your game.
It's been, you know, we we wereat your practice, we were, you
know, sharing content with youon social media, and there you
are, your you know, quarterbackor whoever, your player of the
(30:42):
game, or your coach is beinginterviewed, or we're bringing
you into the studio for theslice of sports program as part
of your team to talk about beingan athlete and stuff.
Now it's relevant.
Now it's something that is is isimportant to you, is important
to your friends, is important toyour family, and it's only
available there.
SPEAKER_02 (31:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (31:01):
And that's what makes it special, and that's
what makes it click.
The more of that we do, the moreyounger people are gonna realize
hey, there is something here andgive us a tr give us a shot.
And I I mean, you're you listento talk radio.
Yeah, I inch I got myselfintroduced to talk radio and
fell in love with it.
Yeah, and I didn't didn't listento talk radio before.
Um, but once I once I discoveredit and I found the things I
(31:23):
liked, I was hooked.
SPEAKER_01 (31:24):
Yeah, it's it's that's all you need, though.
Yeah, I absolutely, especiallyfor local content.
You're always thinking ofsomething you could do too for
the schools.
I don't know why I'm always I'malways thinking like outside the
box with different things, butyou talk about sports.
What about going into theschools when they have their
shows, like their musicals, andafterwards actually interviewing
them?
SPEAKER_03 (31:38):
Oh, we've been talking about the show.
SPEAKER_01 (31:39):
The stars of the stars of the shows.
No, we've we've been we've beentalking about doing uh to bring
in another element of schoolbecause sports is great, but
there's a lot of kids that don'tdo sports.
And when we first took a lot I'mthinking about myself, I was the
drama, I'm more music drama,whatever that's like our
building is full of them.
SPEAKER_03 (31:57):
Mike Keller was a drama kid, my wife was a drama
kid.
So and Jeff Nolan, our sportsdirector of all things, was a
drama kid.
That's cool.
But um, one of the things we didis uh one of the early things we
did when we took over was we puttogether the WEU Outstanding
Student Campaign.
SPEAKER_02 (32:10):
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_03 (32:11):
And what we reached out to as many school districts
as would listen to us and uh hadthem nominate somebody to be an
outstanding student.
We had, I think, two studentsfrom a variety of school
districts of people whoresponded and did vignettes on
them.
And there were there wereprofiles.
We interviewed them, had theirpictures, it was it was a social
(32:32):
media, it was a radio, it was awebsite campaign.
Cool.
And the next year around, peoplewere the school districts were
asking us and wanting to beinvolved in it again.
SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
So we're absolutely that's good with the schools,
that's good, great stuff, yeah.
Because that's what's gonnabring the younger people in.
Yeah, yeah, it's gonna bringthem in.
That's awesome.
Really?
SPEAKER_03 (32:47):
Well, it has to and you know, and I g you talk about
being the I talk about being theloc local forum.
You know, Mike uh on the morningshow has had multiple music,
musical uh troops, I want tocall it.
I don't know.
What I don't know, like I don'tknow.
The school districts have put onthese musicals.
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Musicians.
SPEAKER_03 (33:07):
Uh but no, he they've had you know people put
on musicals.
He has the the the the schoolmusical group come in and they
will talk about, you know, thedirector will talk and then
they'll talk about their show.
That's great.
And then they'll even performone of the whatever number they
want to perform from the showlive on the radio.
And but again, you're bringingyou know 15 something.
(33:28):
I've seen that studio packedwith like 20 kids all singing
around the microphones.
And they all they all love it.
SPEAKER_01 (33:35):
Yeah, all love it.
That's good.
I love bringing the young peoplein.
That's great.
If before we wrap this up, tellme what do you want people to
know about WEEU and what youguys are doing?
And and you know, maybe just totell the audience, you know,
what you're doing, uh, how youcan get involved with WU, how we
listen, uh, how we get in touchwith you guys in case somebody
has an idea or is in wants toget involved with the station in
(33:56):
some way.
How do we do all that?
SPEAKER_03 (33:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, check out our website,830we.com.
Where follow us on all of oursocial media.
It's Facebook, Instagram, we'reon Xbox.
We're on TikTok.
SPEAKER_01 (34:08):
Would you believe that?
I just got back on TikTok.
I just got back on it because Iheard we're gonna be buying it.
So you're gonna be allowed to doit again.
So I just I got out of itbecause once they said that it
wasn't gonna be around, I'mlike, why am I putting all this
time into this?
So this morning I started myTikTok again for the Brad
Wiseman show.
We're back on.
SPEAKER_03 (34:24):
Well, and you can follow WEU.
Yeah, absolutely.
I will.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
I think I already did, actually.
SPEAKER_03 (34:28):
I know you did.
Yeah, I thought I'd appreciatethat.
Thank you.
Thank you, Brad.
SPEAKER_01 (34:31):
And your Instagram page is awesome too.
You guys you guys are doing agreat job with content on there.
SPEAKER_03 (34:35):
We've uh just completely reinvented that.
So uh, but check it out if youhaven't seen it.
Please do.
We'd we'd appreciate that.
Um, but uh it find outeverything that we're doing.
It's not there's always amisconception of what AM radio
is.
Yeah.
The thing I could say is give usa shot, give us a listen, and I
guarantee you you're gonna findsomething that's unique, that's
(34:56):
different, and it's somethingthat um will likely get you
hooked.
SPEAKER_01 (35:00):
Yeah.
So that's what I'm hoping.
Yeah, that's what I'm hoping.
And you know what?
I can tell you have a lot ofpassion for what you're doing.
You really do.
You're excited about what you'redoing, you have a lot of passion
for it, and I think that'swhat's gonna take the station to
the next step.
I think that's what's gonnareinvent it because you you you
have that energy to want to dothat, and I think it's really
cool.
So I'm I'm excited about seeingwhere you guys go.
SPEAKER_03 (35:20):
Well, we can't do it without community support.
So again, a great audience herein Reading.
Yep, great community.
Burks County, what a greatplace.
SPEAKER_01 (35:28):
Check out their marketing, get on their station,
do some marketing through therebecause I know people are
listening to it.
So it's a good thing.
It's awesome.
All right, there you go.
John Trees, um, WEU, the voiceof Burks and Beyond, I guess is
what it says on the website.
That's right.
Um, no, but that's just goodstuff.
So please support the station.
They are doing all kinds of goodstuff.
They're they're making it happenagain here in Reading, which
(35:49):
we're really excited about.
So that's about it.
Thanks for joining us everyThursday at 7 p.m.
All right, see you later.
From real estate.
The market as a whole sometimeswill affect the right in the
real life.
We all learn in the movies.
If you think about it, WayneDyer might not attract everyone.
And everyone in between.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
The Brad Wiseman show.
And now your host, Brad Wiseman.
SPEAKER_01 (00:26):
All right.
Here we go.
SPEAKER_05 (00:28):
Hello, baby.
SPEAKER_01 (00:29):
Another Thursday.
SPEAKER_05 (00:30):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (00:31):
It's unbelievable.
SPEAKER_05 (00:32):
Back like the Terminator.
SPEAKER_01 (00:34):
Yeah, yeah.
I'll be back.
Is that what that meant?
Black Like the Terminator.
Yeah, back like the.
That was good.
I got that right away.
Sometimes I don't get yourjokes.
And not that they're not good.
I just don't understand them.
SPEAKER_05 (00:45):
Mexican humor, baby.
SPEAKER_01 (00:47):
No, that's funny.
So you know what, you know, wedon't always do local, um, but
today we're gonna be with alocal guest here, and I'm really
excited about it because we'vebeen talking to him and his wife
uh for quite some time, andwe're finally gonna sit down.
Uh, you probably know this.
If you're local, you've heard ofthe station WEEU.
Uh, it's been around forever,and we'll find out how long it's
(01:08):
been around in a couple ofseconds here.
But uh, there's new ownershipthere, new management, new
ownership, and it's John Trieseand his wife Christine, and they
were crazy enough to buy a radiostation, but we're gonna find
out that it's gone pretty well,and I think it's gonna do very
well because we got some greatpeople that are running it now.
So without any more delay, John,how are you doing?
SPEAKER_03 (01:30):
I'm great.
And I appreciate you taking thetime to sit down and invite me
into the studio here.
This is pretty nice.
Thank you.
I'm almost I'm jealous,actually.
I'm gonna say almost.
This is really good.
SPEAKER_01 (01:42):
It's cozy.
But you guys, hey, I've seenyour new digs.
And I I've been following youguys on on Instagram and stuff
like that.
And I have to say, you guys dida nice job.
I appreciate it.
It really needed it.
SPEAKER_03 (01:53):
It was a lot of work.
SPEAKER_01 (01:54):
Yeah, a ton of work.
I'm sure it was.
And uh yeah, and let's just diginto that.
I mean, you know, WEEU has beenaround for how long?
SPEAKER_03 (02:02):
Since uh I believe 1931.
SPEAKER_01 (02:05):
1931.
SPEAKER_03 (02:06):
So it is it is one of the older radio stations in
Pennsylvania.
Um but not the oldest.
SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (02:11):
Uh also not the oldest in Reading, believe it or
not.
SPEAKER_01 (02:13):
Wow.
Yeah.
WREW maybe?
I was gonna say that's what Ithought.
Yeah, yeah, WREW up there in thehill.
Uh yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (02:20):
But WEEU started from you know small power.
Yeah.
There's a whole story there.
But w the thing that attractedChristine and I and myself to it
is that this is a station thatis one of the more powerful
stations in the state ofPennsylvania.
It's it's got a massive station.
SPEAKER_01 (02:35):
Now, when you say that, like that why why is that?
Like, how does that work?
Do you have equipment that makesit powerful?
Is it because of the location?
Is it because of the hills?
SPEAKER_03 (02:44):
Well, uh just down the street from here, yeah,
there's broadcasting square.
Yes.
And that used to be thetransmitter cycle.
I remember that.
Yeah, for targetists and Iforget how many towers there
were that.
There was a bunch there.
There's a map in the basementthat we found of the old of the
old site that has the towers onit.
But it it it was there, and Ithink it was 5,000 watts during
the day.
It was either five or one, butanyway, it was a small power.
(03:05):
When they sold the property,they moved it out uh by
Interstate 78 in Charlesville.
Oh, yeah.
That's where our towers are now.
Didn't know that.
Yeah, so it's a heck of a drive.
I'll say that.
You have to go out there and dosomething.
But what it gave them theopportunity to do is uh take a
look at the the signal and howmuch more power they could
increase by manipulating wherethe signal went, what frequency
(03:26):
it was on.
If you remember, it was on 850for a while.
Yes.
And then it switched to 830.
The place 830 on the dial gavethem the space they needed to
increase power.
Now we're 20,000 watts day withwith a very unique night signal,
which is 6,000 watts at night.
And what that means is 20,000watts lets us touch about 16
counties in the state ofPennsylvania, Eastern PA during
(03:48):
the day.
And at night we are well intoPhiladelphia, uh, you know, uh
Schuylkill County, toward theLehigh Valley.
SPEAKER_01 (03:55):
What's the difference between day and
night?
SPEAKER_03 (03:57):
It's it's the way the AM frequency uh works in the
atmosphere.
So during the day, uh you're itthe the the signal doesn't
travel as far with the power.
Okay.
But at night, uh I think it'sthe called the ionosphere.
I'm sorry for and engineers outthere.
You can tell me it was becauseof so mad at me for more.
SPEAKER_01 (04:14):
You can tell me it's because of Mickey Mouse, I
wouldn't know the difference.
SPEAKER_03 (04:17):
But at night, the ionosphere will take the signal
and it just carries it forever.
So you have to you know you haveto limit it.
And then other stations are uhthey're they're given uh the
right to broadcast at certainpowers.
SPEAKER_01 (04:31):
So you So you can't just you can't just go out there
and say, okay, we're gonna sendit as far as we can.
No, no, you can't have certaingeographic area.
SPEAKER_03 (04:39):
It's it's engineered.
Engineers who are much brighterthan I am take a look at the
signal, and then they have toengineer how the towers will
reflect the power of the of thebroadcast and how it's going to
interfere with a station inCleveland versus a station in
you know Delaware versus astation in New England that has
the power.
So you can't step on somebodyelse's signal.
But that's where you know youget license for that, and
(05:00):
there's studies that are donebefore licensing is goes into
place.
But when they did the uh youknow the move, yeah, they got
this massive power increase andmade it a very wow, I I in my
opinion, a very viable radiostation.
SPEAKER_01 (05:13):
Gotcha.
SPEAKER_03 (05:14):
Even being on AM today in you know 2025.
SPEAKER_01 (05:17):
Yeah.
But you but you're obviouslyyou're throwing the net out
further.
You you absolutely so when itcomes to marketing and stuff
like that for you guys, you cansay, hey, by the way, we're not
just reading here.
We're we're we're out beyondreading.
We're Berks County, we'regetting a little bit into maybe
School County and Lancaster.
I mean, I don't know where itgoes, but that's incredible.
Never knew that.
SPEAKER_03 (05:34):
No, I mean I can s I can sit at the Philadelphia
International Airport and stillhere.
And and it's like a local signaldown there, which is pretty
amazing.
That is pretty amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (05:43):
That's awesome.
Very cool.
Very cool.
So, yes, so you obviously youknow about a little bit about
radio.
It used to be owned by was itRennie Eagle used to own it for.
For many decades.
Many decades they owned it.
And then it then it got boughtout.
I knew they weren't doing thatwell for a little bit.
SPEAKER_03 (05:56):
Well, the the the paper went under.
SPEAKER_01 (05:59):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_03 (05:59):
So during that bankruptcy, all the assets had
to be sold off.
SPEAKER_01 (06:02):
It's gone.
SPEAKER_03 (06:02):
And EEU was one of those.
SPEAKER_01 (06:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (06:04):
And it went to bankruptcy auction.
There was a a time where it was.
SPEAKER_01 (06:08):
And nobody wanted it, right?
SPEAKER_03 (06:10):
Well, people wanted it, but it's yeah, for the
price.
But yeah, and yeah, I mean, itit's weird because the radio
station is like multiple things.
So there's property, there's alicense, there's the physical
assets, there's all of thesethings that go with it.
So I think at the bankruptcyauction, the thing that was up
for auction was a license.
But if you buy the license, now,you know, I mean, if you don't
(06:30):
get the tower site, if you don'tget the studios, how are you
doing it?
Yeah, you're not doing anything.
And to rebuild that facilitythat's out in at in
Charlesville, it's nearlyimpossible.
The fiscally, nobody's gonna doit.
It doesn't make any sense today.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
That's that's amazing.
So so then it went to anothercompany um after that.
And then somehow, how did youguys find out about this?
Did you always want a radiostation?
So I I don't know if doesanybody grow up going, I want to
buy a radio station?
I mean, nobody ever says theywant to be a realtor either,
just so you know, and then allof a sudden it happens.
SPEAKER_03 (07:02):
I think I think people grow people used to grow
up saying, I want to be inradio.
Um I do.
I think people still do.
Yes, of course.
And I was one of them.
I grew up listening to radio.
I was a big music radio fan.
That's where I discovered I Iwas I was big into oldies, if
you really want to know.
So, like the um, you know, I Ithere were a lot of programs on
in the in the late 90s that dida lot of like uh like deep dive
(07:25):
kind of stuff.
And they would bring out the youknow, the the near misses, the
the bubbling under hits, and itwas a lot of great music that
you just didn't hear.
The B side.
Yeah, and it was it was goodstuff that you didn't hear on
the mainstream formats of theseoldie stations at the time.
And the guys who would presentthis, and there I have a couple
that were, you know, uh biginfluences in my life, but they
were uh very knowledgeable.
(07:47):
Yeah.
And they would tell greatstories about the music, great
stories about the song, andintroduce you to, you know, not
just throwing any record onthere.
It's it's there because it'sgood for a reason.
SPEAKER_01 (07:57):
Right, right.
SPEAKER_03 (07:57):
And you know, it's gives it a story as opposed to
and it introduced me to a lot ofthings that I never would have
been introduced to, but it radiobecame appointment listening
because of that.
Yeah, and there were a lot ofshows that every single week I
was tuning into, you know, weyou couldn't miss it.
I would drive around when I wasin high school, and I would even
bring my friends with me.
There was a station in like inBerwick, PA.
(08:18):
And it was one of these showswas on.
The uh the host is since passed.
Um, but it was every Sundaynight from five o'clock till
nine, I would get in the car andwe would drive around and listen
to this program.
Because it was stronger in anarea, so we'd head toward there.
You would drive up there.
Yeah.
It was like a road trip andwe're hanging out.
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
A lot of people did that years ago.
SPEAKER_03 (08:36):
But it's but it's the but it that's that's radio.
Yeah, and it was it was justsomething that was so powerful
and yeah, and then it gets inyour glove.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
And then you want to do it.
And then so, okay, so how didyou get from that to you and
your wife purchasing a radiostation?
SPEAKER_03 (08:50):
Well, I went into radio.
SPEAKER_01 (08:51):
You did, so you were in radio.
SPEAKER_03 (08:53):
So uh in college, uh I was all I always loved radio,
so I wanted to be involved.
So I got involved at the collegeradio station, Elizabeth Town
College's WWE C.
Right, right.
Um, but uh I ended up becomingthe station manager.
I was not a com major, I was apolitical science major.
Okay.
And but I loved radio, so I knewa lot.
I taught myself a lot, so therewas a lot that I could bring to
(09:14):
the table, so they made mestation manager, and I did that
for a while.
Um, and then one day I sawthere's like a job post, a
part-time job post on the wallfrom one of the real FM stations
in town.
SPEAKER_01 (09:26):
Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_03 (09:26):
And uh it was Warm 103 in York.
And you know, we're not that farfrom York at the time, but I
remember as a kid, that was oneof the stations that one of the
shows we listened to.
I would we would tune it in.
I'm driving around with my mom,and I would remember listening
to this show on Warm 103, and Ifigured, well, you know, I'm
gonna apply and see whathappens, not thinking anything
of it.
Yeah, sure enough, I get a callfrom the PD, I get to go down
(09:48):
and meet him, see this, see thisradio station, and I've driven
by it a million times, and itwas just this dream come true.
Oh, yeah.
But then they actually hired me.
And and and I didn't even knowwhat to I didn't know.
So now you're like, oh no.
Well, yeah, well, absolutely I'mowned now.
Yeah.
So and and I and this is back inthe day where and radios changed
(10:08):
a lot.
You know, back then the Then youhave the carts and stuff.
Did you have the I didn't havecarts, but we were we were
playing CDs.
There were still carts in thebuilding.
Yeah.
But uh, you know, we still hadwe had CDs, the music was on CD,
commercials were on thecomputer.
Um, but it's it, you know, it'sone of those things where um
yeah, what I was saying, uh thisis what I was saying.
The uh uh radios changed becauseit was at the time when
(10:30):
everything was staffed.
Yeah, so I got the overnightshift on the weekends.
Yeah, so I was 12 a.m.
to like 6 a.m.
Saturday and Saturday morningand Sunday morning.
All my friends are out partyingand stuff.
I'm playing the best variety ofsoft rock.
Uh cool.
Trying to stay awake.
SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
Yeah, that's tough.
SPEAKER_03 (10:45):
Um, but standing in front of that microphone for the
first time, realizing that thismassive signal, I'm in charge of
it.
And people are out therelistening, and it it's you know,
even though it is the overnight,people are consuming it.
Yeah, and the phones would ringand all this stuff.
But it was it was one of thosethings where you know, I would
uh stand outside of the radiostation after the shift was over
and say, like, I cannot believeI'm getting paid to do this.
SPEAKER_01 (11:05):
Oh, because it's so much fun.
SPEAKER_03 (11:06):
So because it's so much fun.
And you just I've never lostthat.
So you know, I worked there fora number of years and never got
out of radio.
Uh helped out with some localstations in Montgomery County
and just stayed involved.
I've done you know some internetstuff just uh, you know, on a
hobby side, but uh in I ended upgetting into software as a real
profession.
Oh wow.
(11:27):
Um and then working for somestartups, we've you know, went
through a couple of cycles ofthese startups.
Our last one was coming to anend, and it was time for us to
decide what our next step wasgoing to be.
And Christine and I both have anentrepreneurial sp spirit.
Yeah.
I've always been interested, andI'm always looking to see if
there's something available thatsomebody's going to sell.
(11:47):
And WBEU just happened to comeon the market.
Uh the the owner of TwilightBroadcasting at the time was uh
pretty much divesting of alltheir radio holdings.
And that was the last one.
Looked into it, it's it wasstill on the air, it still had a
loyal following, it still hadbase billing, and uh it still
owned its property.
So it was it was this it kind oflined up as a perfect storm, and
(12:09):
it was like, okay, well, ifwe're gonna give this a shot,
this is this is the time.
This this is the one that wouldgive us the best opportunity.
We're not building it from theground up.
We have to fix it, yeah, butwe're not building it from the
ground up, which is which was uhuh great.
SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
Yeah, that's awesome.
No, and like I said, uh it'sfrom the pictures and
everything, and what you guysare doing.
I can just tell by the outreach,can tell by there's new
material, there's new people,there's there's still some
people that were there beforetoo, which is cool.
Um, but it it's you know, it'skind of like you're you're
reinventing it.
You know, and I think you haveto.
I mean, like we were talkingabout a little bit before we
went on, is how podcasting,which we're doing right now, you
(12:45):
know, has become a different hasnot a not competition, if I want
to, it's not really that.
It's just it's another avenuefor something for somebody to
listen to to get theirinformation.
Um, but then you know, when youlook at the two things, they're
saying for the future, they'regonna kind of have to mat become
married in a way.
Because I know you guys aredoing a lot of streaming.
(13:06):
Yeah, you're doing streaming anda lot of the shows are now our
podcasts.
I you can't every show.
Every show is a podcast, right?
So I think that's something thatI think because you guys took
over, I don't think that wouldhave happened.
SPEAKER_03 (13:17):
They would do they were doing some of that.
Some of that, yeah.
But um, where we've changedthings, uh, I I think we've made
the biggest change is in howwe've incorporated video into
like our sports broadcasting.
That has been a big change.
Um really the the equipmentupdates at the station were the
biggest thing.
The technological upgrades, itwas it was very old and and it
(13:40):
it needed a lot of help.
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
I was in there uh on Mike Faust's show.
Okay, on feedback way back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
On feedback with Mike Faust.
And it was right before heretired, actually.
I was one of the last one of thelast times I was on there was
with him, and and it was amazinghow the I remember going in
there going, Whoa, this stuff'sfalling apart.
You know, it was it wasdefinitely like some old
equipment in there.
But it was still working, butyou know, it it's it looked it,
(14:03):
you know.
So when you're doing video andsomething looks like it's
ancient, it tends to not begood.
SPEAKER_03 (14:07):
Well, and also with you know, in any business, it's
you know, you're in you're inreal estate.
Yeah.
So if you are bringing a clientand you're and you're and you're
bringing a client in to dopaperwork or whatever, and they
you bring them into a place thatis not presentable, I don't know
that they get a lot ofconfidence in you when you do
it.
So true, yeah.
And that's the same thing here,too.
So we have everybody in andthat's the point of what we're
(14:28):
doing.
We it's local radio, and it'svery different from what you
have uh what the industry hasbecome.
It's become very nationalized,very homogenized.
Yeah.
You have a lot of up stuff a lotof radio stations, but not a lot
of local people anymore.
And uh things are operated fromstates far, far away and
programmed.
They don't know anything aboutthe market.
SPEAKER_01 (14:48):
They don't know anything about the market or the
people in the community.
SPEAKER_03 (14:50):
No, and they're not they're not doing anything to
provide an opportunity for thecommunity to have a voice.
And that's where our vision forWEU is, is we want those doors
open.
We want to provide a forum, wewant to provide a platform for
Reading, the Greater Berks area,and everybody under our coverage
map.
Like I'd you know, love to haveyou know Montgomery County and
(15:12):
uh Chester County and you knowSchuylkill and get all of these
areas involved.
And we've you know branched outto that, but you know, we
provide that voice.
And when you have senators andstate representatives and
business leaders and potentialclients, our clients, coming
through the door, you have tohave a presentable place that
not only they will look at withyou know a sense of confidence,
(15:33):
but you can also walk through itwith a level of pride.
And I think that we've and Iappreciate you saying nice
things about it, but we've youknow, I feel like we've after it
was a lot of blood, sweat, andtears, but we've gotten to a
point where WEEU is it it is ait's it's a gem in Reading now
again.
Good.
SPEAKER_01 (15:49):
That's good to hear.
That's really good to hearbecause I would when it was when
there was talks of it not beingaround anymore, it was kind of
sad.
You know, it was because it'slike a staple of of of Berks
County.
And and I remember my grandpa, Imean being in my grandfather's
car and drive it around and he'dhave that on.
Yeah.
I mean, it was on the radio allthe time.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (16:06):
It's it's whether it's local news, which is you
know one of the things that wewould love to get back to.
Yeah.
It's hard.
It's hard, yeah.
It's hard now.
It's you know what makes ithard?
They don't radio news peoplearen't being made anymore.
Everybody is a uh uh anInstagram or social media
journalist, or they're apodcaster, or something in the
(16:29):
in the or they want to be in TV.
Journalists say they the theaspiration is to be in
television.
Nobody wants to be a radio, uh,a radio journalist anymore.
So to find somebody who's goingto say, like, you know, I'm
really excited to get out tothat school board meeting, yeah,
and I want to go to the countycommissioner meeting and I want
to report on this thing thathappened downtown and do this,
you know, on the radio everysingle day.
(16:50):
They just don't make themanymore.
So it gets hard to find them.
And it yeah, that's that's oneof the biggest challenges.
SPEAKER_01 (16:57):
Yeah, it is a challenge.
It's and I think every and we'reso used to just getting it
online too the next day.
Because all the townships now,they publicize all everything
online.
Sure.
You know, which they have to,it's part of public public
knowledge and stuff.
But you're right, I neverthought about it that way.
It's interesting.
SPEAKER_03 (17:11):
But if you're and and the beautiful the the th the
thing about radio that I love,it's the the immediacy of it.
Yeah, and and you have theimmediacy in social media and
you get your feed, your feed isas quick as anything else can
be.
Your feed is also full of abunch of garbage.
And it's always full of a bunchof garbage.
With radio though, if you knowwe are presenting quality
programming that you're engagedwith anyway, and you you're
(17:33):
there for a reason.
Hopefully, you you you know,with that audience continues to
grow.
But if we're able to uh you knowfunnel that information into
bite-sized pieces, that you'reable to get enough information
so you know what's going on, andif you need more information on
it, point you to the sources toget it.
That's that to me is the successof doing local radio news.
(17:56):
And at some point we're gonnaget back to that.
That's you know, that's rightthere on our target list.
But um you've got to find theright people and the yeah make
it make it happen.
SPEAKER_01 (18:04):
That's interesting.
Yeah, and and and that's one ofthe things that's funny when I
was looking on your guys, youknow, because I'm in the podcast
world, I was kind of looking tosee what AI had to say about the
differences between podcasts andradio.
And it was saying, it was funnyas it talks about, you know, in
podcasting, we don't typicallywe're not live anymore.
We were.
I mean, when we first startedthe show, we were live.
That got to be real a big a bigpain in the butt because the
(18:27):
guests didn't show up on time,and then you tried to be live.
It was uh it was it was rough.
SPEAKER_03 (18:31):
Welcome to the heart world.
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (18:33):
So yeah, so no, it was live, it was live.
Um, and then we decidedobviously go to being recorded.
And and I think our audience haspicked up on that.
That's we try not to to do datesand stuff like that, but you
know, we we try to keep it thatway.
But right.
Yeah, so going live is onething.
Weather, things like that thatwe just don't have.
And and and current events,things are going up right now,
you know, that or today.
(18:54):
Uh also, you guys still do whatdo you still do the call, like
people can call in and talkwhile you're while you're on on
the show.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (19:01):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (19:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (19:02):
What one of the things in in my time growing up
that really got me hooked on theimportance of radio was you were
you remember the 1972 flood?
I mean, you're you're I was twoyears old.
SPEAKER_01 (19:12):
You were you were young.
I'm 55.
SPEAKER_03 (19:14):
I wasn't there.
SPEAKER_01 (19:14):
Yeah, I figured you weren't.
Thanks a lot for bringing thatup.
But I was the guest is trying tosay he's younger than me, which
is fine.
No, no, I was seven, I was 72.
I was two years old, but my my Iwas 72.
I look really good.
Um, but no, yeah, my my motherhad been through it, and her
parents lived on Minor Street inReading.
SPEAKER_03 (19:34):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (19:34):
And the water was up to the second second floor.
SPEAKER_03 (19:37):
It was it was something else.
And I grew up in Sealins Grove.
Oh, yeah.
Sunbury Sunbury, and inSusquehanna River, the two
branches connect there.
SPEAKER_01 (19:44):
Yes.
SPEAKER_03 (19:45):
And it was uh big like the flooding was just
ridiculous up there.
And uh one of the stations, andI used to work for them, WKOK in
Sunbury, they it to me, this waslike one of the most incredible
stories is that and to show theimportance of radio, especially
at the time, you have all thesepeople who are cut off from the
world.
You know, the floods happening,communications are down, there's
(20:06):
no cell phones or internet oranything like that.
But um, you have all thesepeople who have been displaced.
And the radio station was in theflood area, so they sprung into
action, they went into like anemergency emergency broadcast uh
uh formation, if you want tocall it that, but they went up
to the transmitter site, whichwas on a mountain or on a hill,
and sent a couple people upthere.
(20:26):
And what they did for hours,they had like one reel-to-reel
tape because one deck, just togive them a break, but they were
just taking calls, and peoplewould call.
I'm you know, I'm here.
Um, if my family's looking forme, I'm safe, I'm here, or this
person has an extra roomavailable if you need this.
This is over here, you know, andand it was the the power of that
(20:48):
lifeline that radio provided.
I there I have the audio tapesof it, and it's just it it gives
it gave me chills.
That's cool.
But it's but to me, that's theimportance of radio.
And that's the thing that Ithink really differentiates what
radio can be versus you know theyou know the podcasting
platforms and some of the otherstuff that you're doing.
Because, you know, with likefeedback, for example, when
(21:08):
something happens, now there's aforum for people to call in and
ask questions call in and talk.
And if they need to getsomething off their chest, you
know, within reason, they gettheir thing, get things off
their chest.
But it's a great way to get uhyou know, have a litmus test of
what's going on in the area andsee what people are actually
thinking.
SPEAKER_01 (21:24):
I agree.
It's cool.
No, it's it's uh I like that.
That's what I like about thetalk radio platform.
Um so what's your so what's yourvision?
I mean, you guys have been doingthis for how long?
SPEAKER_03 (21:33):
Uh since February of 2024.
So you're we're pushing twoyears.
SPEAKER_01 (21:38):
Yeah.
Wow, that's great.
So what what's what's yourvision?
Like what what do you what aresome of the things you're like,
man, we want to do this,implement different things.
I mean, I know you've beenimplementing a lot of things.
You said something about a a newafternoon show possibly coming
up, I think is what some you hadsomebody written on here.
SPEAKER_03 (21:53):
Yeah, we're in the process of the the what we're
really the the end game of whatwe're trying to do is provide
local content and as much of itas we can possibly do.
And right now we're we're livewith mornings with Mike from six
until ten, uh six until nine,and very popular.
He has a great following andhe's been doing it for a long
time.
He's a staple.
SPEAKER_02 (22:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (22:10):
We have feedback, which has been on since forever.
Jack Holcomb was a was thefeedback.
That's what my grandfather was.
And Mike Faust there.
Now Bill Saunders has been onfor over four years now, and um
in everyone, every one of thoseincarnations had its own
different flavor, but it'sfeedback is a very popular
program.
We had a great ratings book thislast uh this last uh uh it was
(22:30):
this spring book.
Um very popular.
But it's it's all about localcontent.
We uh tried something in theafternoon that didn't work, and
now we're in the process ofworkshopping a new program
because we need another bookendfor for our local programming.
So if we can get from 6A until6P and have the majority of that
be live local, produced righthere in Reading, then we're
(22:52):
we're in a great spot.
That's awesome.
We we've added a lot of otherprogramming too, including some
uh, you know, we talked aboutsports and um we all WEU's for
the longest time has had a veryrobust and very high quality
sports program, yeah, local highschool football and basketball.
And uh we've taken it to anotherlevel by adding video coverage
to all of the games that we do.
So not only do you get to hearBob McCool, uh, you know, sports
(23:15):
or Berks County Sports Hall ofFamer, Bob McCool do his call do
his calls, and uh he he does afan.
If you haven't heard him, youyou gotta uh tune it in.
He does a great job and reallyhonor to these kids.
SPEAKER_01 (23:27):
That's an art, man.
It's art.
When I listen to the sportscasters, I always think, how in
the world do they have all thatinformation in their heads and
and pull it out when they needit?
Like they I just don'tunderstand.
SPEAKER_03 (23:39):
It is a skill that I do not possess.
SPEAKER_01 (23:40):
Neither do I.
SPEAKER_03 (23:41):
And the amount of respect that I have for Bob for
being able to do well, and it'sone thing, because you have you
know to get off on the tent,right?
Meryl Reese, for example,follows the Eagles and he's got
a lot of stats on the Eagles,and he does his research on you
know the other team, and he'llknow what's going on there.
For Bob, it's a different pairevery single week.
We're not following one, it'sbecause we you know we have 16
(24:02):
counties to cover.
We're trying to cover Burks asbest we can.
So we do our game of the week,but he's covering different
teams every single week.
He must love it though.
SPEAKER_01 (24:10):
He has to have a passion.
He lives and breathes it.
Because you there's no way likeI can talk about real estate
pretty much all day.
Sure.
Because I've done it for 33years, but it's the same kind of
thing.
Like, you know, when you knowyour your topic, but I still
look at that with sports, and Ijust like it blows my mind.
SPEAKER_03 (24:24):
Yeah, I don't know how he does it.
Blows my mind.
It's incredible.
So being able to bring the videoto that and from a from a an
advertiser supportadvertiser-supported
perspective, it gives everybodyan opportunity to consume it.
There's no subscription, it'sall free, everything is
accessible.
And that's the other thing aboutradio is that it is free.
Any everybody can consume it.
Anyone, there's no restrictions.
(24:44):
And you know, with oureverything that we add beyond
this, the podcast, the videocontent, whatever, it's the
whole point is to make itavailable.
And there's never no paywalls,none of that kind of stuff, no,
you know, passwords to log into,any of that kind of stuff.
But that that was a big thing.
Um, we brought in a sportsdirector who used to work with
me in Lansdale at a radiostation, and he brought on uh an
(25:06):
extension of sports after ourgame.
We do a scoreboard show where hetalks to writers and reporters,
and he brings in coaches andathletic directors, and it's
it's a uh uh Friday night recapof everything that's happened,
not only just in Berks Countyand the Lancashire Lebanon
League, but he goes beyond that.
He goes, he's talking to peoplein York County, he's talking to
(25:26):
Harrisburg, he's Shimokin ishaving a fantastic.
Shimokin' season.
Haven't heard that word for awhile.
And he's talking about thatbecause it makes it makes a
difference in the in the worldof state sports, he's bringing
it all in.
And it's a very fun, laid-back,and very informative program
that's brand new to WEEU.
Um, you know, there's people wehave a show on dirt track racing
(25:46):
that's different.
It's the only one.
And uh again, it's you know,covering some of the local
tracks here locally, and as thatis growing, it continues to
expand too.
So it's about finding these, youknow, the the content that's not
available and giving it aplatform and expanding on it as
much as we possibly can.
SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
So what about a real estate show?
I mean, come on, you've got toget a real estate show going.
SPEAKER_03 (26:09):
Uh you have my phone number, right?
SPEAKER_04 (26:12):
I can get you a phone.
SPEAKER_01 (26:13):
So we've talked about that might happen at some
point.
SPEAKER_05 (26:17):
I have a question.
If there's someone out therelistening or watching to uh to
this and they think they got thetalent, they feel passionate
about talking, and they want totest their hands or get your
feedback on uh how they do onradio, being a radio host.
Like you say that they don'tmake them anymore, you're not
they're not popping up.
(26:37):
How can they do that?
Like an audition.
You mean like an audition?
SPEAKER_03 (26:45):
To be uh you can always reach out.
I mean, our door is always open.
It's a matter, you know, we'rewe're we're curious.
And we and that's a that's anice thing too, is uh as I say
that they don't make themanymore.
They they make people who reallywant to be in radio.
We have we have we have there'sa there's at least two Gen Zers
on our on our staff right now,and they're fantastic people.
(27:06):
And they all came in with thispassion and love for what they
do, and it's in radio.
And you if you told me thatthere was gonna be somebody who
was born after the year 2000 and2000 that would want to be in
radio, I would have told youyou're out of out of this world,
but but they're they're here.
And the flow of people fromAlvernia that have come through,
the the the tours that we do,everybody looks at this and
(27:26):
they're like they've never seenit.
They have in many in many cases,the younger people don't even
know it exists, so that whenthey find out that it's there,
they're like, wow, wait, wait,how do I how can I be involved?
Like, can I, you know, what canI do?
And you know, we've have greatinternship programs for that.
Um, you know, we've hired peopleout of our internship programs,
and you know, it's you knowplease come and see us because
(27:49):
we'd love to talk to you.
SPEAKER_01 (27:50):
Our kids probably kids probably have no idea.
Like, I gotta tell you thatCatherine Carson, do you have
any clue what a radio stationis?
I'm serious because everything'son sat, everything's satellite,
everything's XM Series XM.
So you you start to think like Idon't think they even know.
I think they actually learnedwhen I I bought an I got an old
radio from a house that I was umgonna sell and I had it
(28:12):
refurbished.
And the only station it gets isWEU and Wild or Two.
Okay, that's it.
Two big powerful stations.
Right, and that's all it gets.
But when I'm sitting theretuning it in and it's going all
that stuff, they're looking atme like, why don't you just push
the button and get it to go onthere?
Because that's not how it works.
That's not how it works.
But it's pretty neat, but it'sit's yeah, those signals are
(28:32):
strong.
I can listen to both of those onthis old oh, it's like 1940s.
SPEAKER_03 (28:36):
It's amazing.
Yeah, it is pretty cool.
But it's cool.
But that's cool to you.
SPEAKER_01 (28:40):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (28:40):
But you but here's the thing though, and and this
is this is my belief why theyounger generations have gotten
away from radio is it reallyisn't relevant.
Yeah, it has stopped beingrelevant.
And I mean, I can speak frompersonal experience is that once
music radio stopped talking tome, I mean I well, I don't have
any use for it.
SPEAKER_02 (28:58):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_03 (28:58):
So if you're you know playing me the same 15
songs over and over and overagain, I'm in I'm living in a
world where I can get whatever Iwant whenever I want it.
Why do I need your sillyplaylist?
Well, you know, why you speelrequests.
SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
Remember, you spell request songs.
Right.
And that went away.
That went away.
SPEAKER_03 (29:13):
So so because it's not relevant, there's no
personality there anymore.
You you've you've had a wholegeneration that has moved away
from it and have have acceptedother things to find that
content.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
Which is podcasting.
Podcasting.
Podcasting, uh, social media,all these things.
But the pendulum swings.
SPEAKER_03 (29:30):
It does swing.
SPEAKER_01 (29:31):
It swings.
SPEAKER_03 (29:32):
And that's the thing that we are trying to bring
back.
Yeah.
And that's what we're trying totrying to capitalize on.
But you need to let people knowand you need to let them know
it's there, but you have to givethem a r uh a reason why it's
relevant to them.
And that's the the one of thereasons people ask why we would
spend so much time in sports.
Sports connects everybody.
SPEAKER_01 (29:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (29:50):
Sports typically isn't divisive.
Sports is, you know, it tellsUnless it's Eagles in Dallas.
Well, there you go.
In our world here, in our world,we all agree.
For the most part, pretty muchthroughout the year.
Is that Maggie?
One of our Gen Zeers, MaggieMay, is a big Dallas fan.
SPEAKER_01 (30:06):
Oh, okay.
Cool figure.
So she gets a lot of things.
Wait, Maggie May?
Maggie May.
Maggie May.
Okay.
I'm just thinking of Maggie.
Just like the Rod Stewart's.
Well, it's funny.
Yeah, it's a great song.
I'm just thinking of Maggie Ma.
We had her in here.
She played acoustic guitar andwe're singing.
So she's really cool.
Different person.
Yeah, different person.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (30:20):
But but with sports is when we are at these games
and we're doing the interviews,we're we're we're a legitimate
part of the media.
And when somebody comes up toyou with a WEU mic flag and a
WEU shirt on, they've beencalling your game.
It's been, you know, we we wereat your practice, we were, you
know, sharing content with youon social media, and there you
are, your you know, quarterbackor whoever, your player of the
(30:42):
game, or your coach is beinginterviewed, or we're bringing
you into the studio for theslice of sports program as part
of your team to talk about beingan athlete and stuff.
Now it's relevant.
Now it's something that is is isimportant to you, is important
to your friends, is important toyour family, and it's only
available there.
SPEAKER_02 (31:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (31:01):
And that's what makes it special, and that's
what makes it click.
The more of that we do, the moreyounger people are gonna realize
hey, there is something here andgive us a tr give us a shot.
And I I mean, you're you listento talk radio.
Yeah, I inch I got myselfintroduced to talk radio and
fell in love with it.
Yeah, and I didn't didn't listento talk radio before.
Um, but once I once I discoveredit and I found the things I
(31:23):
liked, I was hooked.
SPEAKER_01 (31:24):
Yeah, it's it's that's all you need, though.
Yeah, I absolutely, especiallyfor local content.
You're always thinking ofsomething you could do too for
the schools.
I don't know why I'm always I'malways thinking like outside the
box with different things, butyou talk about sports.
What about going into theschools when they have their
shows, like their musicals, andafterwards actually interviewing
them?
SPEAKER_03 (31:38):
Oh, we've been talking about the show.
SPEAKER_01 (31:39):
The stars of the stars of the shows.
No, we've we've been we've beentalking about doing uh to bring
in another element of schoolbecause sports is great, but
there's a lot of kids that don'tdo sports.
And when we first took a lot I'mthinking about myself, I was the
drama, I'm more music drama,whatever that's like our
building is full of them.
SPEAKER_03 (31:57):
Mike Keller was a drama kid, my wife was a drama
kid.
So and Jeff Nolan, our sportsdirector of all things, was a
drama kid.
That's cool.
But um, one of the things we didis uh one of the early things we
did when we took over was we puttogether the WEU Outstanding
Student Campaign.
SPEAKER_02 (32:10):
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_03 (32:11):
And what we reached out to as many school districts
as would listen to us and uh hadthem nominate somebody to be an
outstanding student.
We had, I think, two studentsfrom a variety of school
districts of people whoresponded and did vignettes on
them.
And there were there wereprofiles.
We interviewed them, had theirpictures, it was it was a social
(32:32):
media, it was a radio, it was awebsite campaign.
Cool.
And the next year around, peoplewere the school districts were
asking us and wanting to beinvolved in it again.
SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
So we're absolutely that's good with the schools,
that's good, great stuff, yeah.
Because that's what's gonnabring the younger people in.
Yeah, yeah, it's gonna bringthem in.
That's awesome.
Really?
SPEAKER_03 (32:47):
Well, it has to and you know, and I g you talk about
being the I talk about being theloc local forum.
You know, Mike uh on the morningshow has had multiple music,
musical uh troops, I want tocall it.
I don't know.
What I don't know, like I don'tknow.
The school districts have put onthese musicals.
SPEAKER_01 (33:07):
Musicians.
SPEAKER_03 (33:07):
Uh but no, he they've had you know people put
on musicals.
He has the the the the schoolmusical group come in and they
will talk about, you know, thedirector will talk and then
they'll talk about their show.
That's great.
And then they'll even performone of the whatever number they
want to perform from the showlive on the radio.
And but again, you're bringingyou know 15 something.
(33:28):
I've seen that studio packedwith like 20 kids all singing
around the microphones.
And they all they all love it.
SPEAKER_01 (33:35):
Yeah, all love it.
That's good.
I love bringing the young peoplein.
That's great.
If before we wrap this up, tellme what do you want people to
know about WEEU and what youguys are doing?
And and you know, maybe just totell the audience, you know,
what you're doing, uh, how youcan get involved with WU, how we
listen, uh, how we get in touchwith you guys in case somebody
has an idea or is in wants toget involved with the station in
(33:56):
some way.
How do we do all that?
SPEAKER_03 (33:58):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, check out our website,830we.com.
Where follow us on all of oursocial media.
It's Facebook, Instagram, we'reon Xbox.
We're on TikTok.
SPEAKER_01 (34:08):
Would you believe that?
I just got back on TikTok.
I just got back on it because Iheard we're gonna be buying it.
So you're gonna be allowed to doit again.
So I just I got out of itbecause once they said that it
wasn't gonna be around, I'mlike, why am I putting all this
time into this?
So this morning I started myTikTok again for the Brad
Wiseman show.
We're back on.
SPEAKER_03 (34:24):
Well, and you can follow WEU.
Yeah, absolutely.
I will.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
I think I already did, actually.
SPEAKER_03 (34:28):
I know you did.
Yeah, I thought I'd appreciatethat.
Thank you.
Thank you, Brad.
SPEAKER_01 (34:31):
And your Instagram page is awesome too.
You guys you guys are doing agreat job with content on there.
SPEAKER_03 (34:35):
We've uh just completely reinvented that.
So uh, but check it out if youhaven't seen it.
Please do.
We'd we'd appreciate that.
Um, but uh it find outeverything that we're doing.
It's not there's always amisconception of what AM radio
is.
Yeah.
The thing I could say is give usa shot, give us a listen, and I
guarantee you you're gonna findsomething that's unique, that's
(34:56):
different, and it's somethingthat um will likely get you
hooked.
SPEAKER_01 (35:00):
Yeah.
So that's what I'm hoping.
Yeah, that's what I'm hoping.
And you know what?
I can tell you have a lot ofpassion for what you're doing.
You really do.
You're excited about what you'redoing, you have a lot of passion
for it, and I think that'swhat's gonna take the station to
the next step.
I think that's what's gonnareinvent it because you you you
have that energy to want to dothat, and I think it's really
cool.
So I'm I'm excited about seeingwhere you guys go.
SPEAKER_03 (35:20):
Well, we can't do it without community support.
So again, a great audience herein Reading.
Yep, great community.
Burks County, what a greatplace.
SPEAKER_01 (35:28):
Check out their marketing, get on their station,
do some marketing through therebecause I know people are
listening to it.
So it's a good thing.
It's awesome.
All right, there you go.
John Trees, um, WEU, the voiceof Burks and Beyond, I guess is
what it says on the website.
That's right.
Um, no, but that's just goodstuff.
So please support the station.
They are doing all kinds of goodstuff.
They're they're making it happenagain here in Reading, which
(35:49):
we're really excited about.
So that's about it.
Thanks for joining us everyThursday at 7 p.m.
All right, see you later.
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