In late February, Bob Bosold marked his 43rd anniversary on the air at WAXX (Eau Clare, Wisconsin), doing radio and TV broadcasts.
“It’s been a great run, and I have more people to thank for my career than I could ever begin to thank here,” Bosold said. “As I tell people, it’s different every day. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to everyone from U.S. presidents to first-year 4-H members as well as see special places all over the world. Thanks to everyone who has helped me make it for 43 years. And, no, I’m not done yet.”
As a kid right out of college, getting that first on-air job was exciting and a little nerve wracking for Bosold.
“But when I graduated, I didn’t know if I wanted to focus on radio or television,” Bosold said. “To my good fortune, WEAU-TV and WAXX and WAYY radio were seeking a second person to help Jerry Urdahl with the farm chores in Eau Claire. To make a long story short, when my great new bosses to be — Larry Busse, Bob Holtan, and Marty Green — offered me the opportunity to do both radio and television, I jumped at the chance.
“My first day on the air was Valentine’s Day 1977, and I’ve never regretted the decision my late wife, Dawn, and I made to come to Eau Claire and make a life for ourselves. Being on WAXX, which has one of the biggest broadcast signals in the state, also meant a lot of farmers, agribusiness people, and just plain folks have been part of my radio family for the past 43 years.
“Working with Urdahl and his predecessor, Pat Keliher, was like being in a broadcast learning lab every day. Those two guys not only taught me broadcasting on an everyday basis, but also how to interact with farmers, educators, and the general public in telling the story of feeding the world on a one-on-one basis.”
Farm broadcasting also introduced Bosold to a bigger world of farm communications when he attended his first NAFB meeting in the summer of 1977.
“I found out early in my career I could learn a lot by just listening and observing some of the great voices and personalities in this industry,” Bosold said. “Back then the leaders of NAFB were Marvin Vines and Rich Hull. I still remember the summer nights on my uncle’s Iowa farm when I was in bed with my transistor radio picking up stations in Little Rock, Denver, and other distant cities and hearing the voices that intrigued me so much. Never did I think I would rub shoulders with such gentlemen as Keith Kirkpatrick, Orion Samuelson, and others too numerous to mention here.”
The past 43 years also allowed Bosold to travel to many parts of the world looking at farms and talking to local farmers.
“It has meant my education has never stopped when it comes to agriculture. Talking to everyone from U.S. presidents to first-year 4-H members has been a learning and growing experience. I’ll end with a big thank you to everyone whose path I’ve crossed on my journey,” Bosold said. “I hope everyone has enjoyed their careers as much as I have enjoyed mine. I look forward to meeting new people and continuing to share the story of the greatest industry in the world and the people who make it so.”
Bottom photo: Bob Bosold is pictured with Farm Broadcaster Pam Jahnke (Wisconsin Farm Report Radio Network, Madison, Wisconsin).
