On June 21, 2021, Terry Henne got a big surprise at his desk.
“My folks at work honored me for being at WSGW Radio for 50 years,” Henne said.
Henne started his half century of service to the station the day after his college graduation, June 21, 1971.
“When you have fun at work, the years fly by,” Henne exclaimed. “My years in radio now number 56!”
Upon graduating from Michigan State University with degrees in broadcasting, marketing, business administration, and agri-engineering, Henne figured he had all the bases covered. The family’s farm corporation was appealing, but he wanted to establish a career in broadcasting first. Broadcasting won.
Henne started working in radio at the age of 15 along with going to high school, working on the farm milking cows, and doing his daily farm chores. Upon college graduation, WSGW Radio in Saginaw had a job waiting for him. He is celebrating 50 continuous years of work at the Saginaw radio station doing what he loves best — writing commercials for his clients, organizing events for the five radio stations he represents, producing programs for the Michigan Ag Today Network, and doing his four daily on-air and digital farm programs.
WSGW’s Farm Service Radio was developed by Henne in 1973 and is Michigan’s longest continuous-running farm program. He has been its farm director since it first hit the air.
He attended his first NAFB annual meeting in 1975 and became a voting member in 1977. Other than last November, Henne has never missed an NAFB meeting in Kansas City since 1975.
His loyal farm audience is happy to know that retirement is not in his short- or long-term plan. Alpha Media Saginaw General Manager Mark Thomas is happy, as well.
Henne has served on and chaired many boards over the years, including nonprofit and fraternal organizations. He has devoted much time and effort to his church, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Richville, Michigan. And, he has been honored by many agricultural-based organizations for his efforts in promoting agriculture around the state.
He and his wife, Sharon, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past December. They have three children: Stacy, who runs a daycare in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Scott, a financial advisor in Mobile, Alabama; and Steve, national account executive for Comcast Inc., in Grand Blanc, Michigan. They also are blessed with seven grandchildren and another on the way this September.
