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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Carl V. Kolata
WTTN Radio
100 E Main
1955
09 30 A voice that became familiar to Watertown area radio listeners in the
early days of radio station WTTN has returned to the air-lanes. It is that of Willard James who has resumed
his duties at the station after a leave of absence which he spent in military
service. It should be pointed out that
hardly anyone here knows Willard James.
But mention the name Bill James and just about everyone here knows him
or of him. His voice is among the most
familiar in Watertown, due to his radio broadcasts. It is a pleasing and friendly voice. In returning to Watertown recently Bill
brought with him his wife and they have become two of the city’s newest
residents, living at 411 South Third Street.
WDT
1958
12 20 CARL KOLATA, CITY
COUNCILMAN, will not be a candidate for re-election
Carl V. Kolata, head of radio station WTTN who is serving his first term
as a city councilman and whose term expires on next April 21 announced late
Wednesday afternoon that he will not be a candidate for re-election. His intention to retire at the end of his
term had been rumored for several weeks.
Of the other two councilmen whose terms expire on April 21 - Fred W.
Kehl and Charles E. Kading - only Mr. Kehl has indicated to date that he will
seek a second term. WDT
In a statement which he gave to the Times this morning, Mr. Kolata said:
“Because of the unusual interest in local government, and because of the
numerous inquiries of me, I am making this statement for publication. After many weeks of deliberation and many
conferences with interested people, it is with deep regret that I make this
decision. I have decided not to run for
re-election to the office of Council for the city of Watertown.”
1960
10 16 A final decision approving WTTN's increase to 1,000 watts of AM power
has been announced by the Federal Communications Commission in Washington,
D.C. The increase will be part of an
expansion program now underway by Watertown Radio Inc., and will establish an
FM station at 104.7 megacycles. A target
date for starting both AM-FM operations at the station’s new transmitter site
west of the city of Oct. 15, was postponed because of delays in equipment
delivery. Current plans call for the
start of both services on or about Nov. 1.
The AM frequency will remain at 1580 Kc, and the FM frequency will be
104.7. WDT
AM broadcasting will be
conducted during daylight hours, as in the past, but FM broadcasting will be
simulcast during the day and then continue on FM only until late at night.
1961
08 27 FM BROADCASTING INITIATED
FM broadcasting on WTTN, Watertown, will be initiated at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 30. Carl V. Kolata, president and general manager of Watertown
Radio, Inc., announced today that special ceremonies lasting for approximately
15 minutes will mark the start of FM broadcasting on 104.7 megacycles. The
continuous programs will start immediately after WTTN-AM leaves the air at 6
p.m. and continue until 10:30 p.m. WDT
1964
07 14 KOLATA, REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS
Carl V. Kolata, of Watertown, today filed nomination papers with the
secretary of state, to qualify as a Republican candidate for Congress from the
second congressional district. Kolata
filed 2,000 signatures with the secretary of state’s office this morning. Kolata is a former chairman of the Republican
Party of Dodge County and received the endorsement of the 1964 second district
GOP caucus and has been actively campaigning, as the endorsed Republican
candidate, since April. Until his
nomination, Kolata was general manager of radio station WTTN in Watertown. He is secretary of the State Broadcaster’s
Association and has been active in numerous civic and fraternal organizations. He is currently serving as a member of the
Watertown Fire and Police Commission. WDT
1965
07
06 DOUBLE AREA SERVED
Watertown Radio, Inc.
has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission requesting
permission to double the effective radiated power of WTTN-FM. The application was filed June 29, according
to Carl V. Kolata, station president and manager. WTTN-FM currently broadcasts with 10,000
watts effective radiated power at 104.7 megacycles. The increase, if granted, would double the
output. The increase would carry
WTTN-FM’s signal well beyond Milwaukee to the east, Rockford to the south,
Oshkosh to the north and Spring Green to the west.
09 06 KOLATA
FOR STATE SENATE
Carl V. Kolata, owner and general manager of radio station WTTN
AM-FM, said today he was considering another try for the state Senate. Kolata, a Republican, was considering running
for the seat vacated by the death last week of state Sen. Frank Panzer,
R-Brownsville. Kolata lost to Panzer in
the primary two years ago. He also ran
for Congress in the 2nd District in the 1964 general election, but was beaten
by Democratic incumbent Robert Kastenmeier, 108,148 votes to 61,865.
1972
---- TOM MACK became the operation manager of WTTN in 1972.
Quote:
“Loved Tom's voice! Real radio
voice!!”
12 18 MERCHANTS NATIONAL BUILDING IS SOLD TO WATERTOWN RADIO, INC.
Watertown Radio Inc. has purchased Merchants National Bank building. The announcement was made by Carl V. Kolata, general manager of the station
WTTN will move its studios and offices to the new location immediately after Merchants Bank relocates in its new location at Fifth and Main Streets.
The purchase of the present Merchants Bank building is the latest in a series of changes the local radio station is making to meet the needs and desires the listening audience in the Watertown area. WTTN recently became an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Wisconsin Independent Network, bringing more in depth coverage of state, national and international news along with numerous feature programs. Watertown Radio Inc. also became a member of the Radio Advertising Bureau, providing assistance to clients in advertising and cooperative coverage.
Remodeling of the first floor of the Merchants building to meet the needs of a broadcasting facility will begin shortly after the bank vacates the building. The move of office, technical and transmitting equipment will be carried out over a period of days but daily programming of WTTN AM-FM will not be interrupted. The stations are not expected to be off the air during the move.
Kolata said the move will provide Watertown Radio Inc. with needed additional space for expanded programming and staff. He added the new location will give the station better visibility in the community and easier access to the public.
The marquis in front of the building will continue to be available for promotion of community events as well as local programs aired on WTTN.
Kolata also stated that in the near future, WTTN-FM, will go to stereo programming and offer separate programming from WTTN-AM.
The president and general manager of the station noted the operation has come a long way from the early 1950's when live bands performed regularly from WTTN's large studio on the third floor of Wisconsin National Bank and both an engineer and announcer handled the programming schedule. Today, the positions are combined with a separate engineering staff to handle major technical work.
Watertown Radio Inc. was formed in 1950 as an AM station. WTTN-FM went on the air in 1960. Studios and offices of WTTN have been located on the third floor of the Wisconsin National Building since it began operations.
Office space in the building will continue to be available in the building for small concerns and private individuals.
The Watertown Chamber of Commerce will move to the new Merchants Bank facility.
1982
07
16 Radio stations WTTN-AM and WTTN-FM have
been sold to Select Communications, Inc., of Sussex, according to Carl V.
Kolata, president of Watertown Radio, Inc.
The change, the first major one in the 32 year history of the business,
is expected to be finalized shortly.
Takeover by Select, Inc. is expected sometime in September, subject to
Federal Communications Commission approval.
John Timm, one of the principals representing Select Communications, is
expected to relocate in Watertown as general manager of the two stations. He is currently serving in a similar capacity
with radio station WEZW in Milwaukee. He
has a broad range of experience in radio as a broadcaster, salesman, sales
manager and general manager of radio stations in Texas, New Mexico and
Wisconsin.
WTTN-AM and WTTN-FM
moved its broadcasting studios and offices to 100 Main Street in 1979 after 29
years on the third floor of the former Wisconsin
National Bank building [Main, W, 102-106], now known as the Valley Bank
building [?], 104 West Main Street. WDT
11 05 Purchased from Carl and Marcella Kolata
c. 1982
MEMORIES
< scroll
forwared
September 10, 2024
John Timm
Mr. Ken Riedl, Watertown Historical Society
Dear Mr. Riedl.
Along with the WTTN microphone, I have included a few extra items I
encountered while going through my files. I've printed this page on special Christmas
stationery that the original owner, Carl Kolata, used for his annual holiday
message to advertisers and friends of the station. It speaks eloquently of other times.
One of our first projects upon acquiring the stations was to separate
the programming of WTTN from WTTN-FM. In
the fall of 1982, we gave the latter new call letters, WMLW, and a nickname,
"Mellow 94," to emphasize the soft hit music format.
To promote the station, we gave away imprinted merchandise at advertiser
locations and public events such as River Days. We handed out scarves and baseball caps and
thousands of bumper stickers, something one rarely sees anymore. We also purchased a number of billboards along
main highways around the area.
In 1985, we erected a 500' tower on the west side of town and increased
the FM power to 50,000 watts, the maximum allowed. At that time w also added a
low power transmitter for WTTN, allowing 24-hour sunset broadcasting on the AM
side for the first time.
Over the years, WTTN remained much the same as it had since its
inception in 1950. That included the
Saturday morning "Polka Party," begun by Mr. Kolata and led in our
era by Tom Klug and the late Norm Piotrowski. Weekdays, we aired farm news in the early
morning hours and long, local news blocks at 9 a.m. and noon, as well as
shorter newscasts in the afternoon hours. Local church services dominated Sunday
programming.
Having two separate stations allowed us to air simultaneous high school
sports events, including Goslings football and basketball, and regional games
for Lake Mills, Johnson Creek and Jefferson. Our Sports Director, Kim Jensen, announced
most of the Watertown games. During playoffs, he was assisted by Tom Klug and
State Assemblyman Randy Radtke, among others.
Unfortunately, I don't have many photos to share, although the Daily
Times did take a lot of photos to accompany their news stories featuring the
stations. The photo taken from First Street has some historical interest in
that it was when the building still had the metal grillwork that the bank had
installed at some point after WWII in an effort to "modernize" the
structure. On returning a few years ago, I was pleased to see that the new
owners had restored the facade to the original.
My office was located on the left towards the back of the building. I
well remember seeing Dick Peterson, owner of Krier's Store for Men around the
corner on E. Main, as he hustled past my window towards the fire station
whenever they paged the volunteers for extra manpower.
1990
05
20 Watertown’s “hometown
station,” WTTN AM 1580, is celebrating its 40th year of broadcasting this week
with on-air visits with former staff members, several of which have gone on to
prominent national careers. The celebration
got under way Tuesday, with original owner and former Watertown Mayor Carl
Kolata doing a morning radio show with current Mayor David Lenz. “Carl even got into a little of his ‘old
timer’ schtick,” said station manager Jim Zache of Kolata’s broadcast. “It was a very popular Saturday
morning show that Carl did in broken German.
It featured two hours of polka requests, birthday and anniversary
announcements. For many people it
was a high point of their week.” WDT
1991
08
16 Listeners of Watertown’s AM
radio station rose to the sounds of country music this morning, as WTTN-AM
changed its music format, effective 6 a.m.
In addition to the new genre of music, the station plans to commit
itself to local news and sports coverage, according to new general manager Don
Sabatke. Sabatke, who recently managed a
10,000-watt AM station in Cape Coral, Fla., for five years, took over operation
of the station on Aug. 1, manager of the station, but he was replaced as part
of recent staff changes. WDT
1992
03
10 Watertown radio station
WTTN-AM plans to broadcast from a studio in Oconomowoc for at least one hour a
day, starting on March 16. The radio station, located at 1580 on the AM dial,
plans to broadcast from the Olde Theatre Mall in downtown Oconomowoc from 1 to
2 p.m. Monday through Friday. The station will use a remote feed from
Oconomowoc to the Watertown transmitter for the daily hour, which will feature
news from Oconomowoc. Advertisers will be encouraged to read their commercials
live during this time. WDT
02
15 A rural Burlington dairy
farmer is seeking purchase of WTTN, 1580, in Watertown, and says he will
continue the station’s present format.
Charles P. Mills, a former advertising agent, said he is pursuing the
transfer of the station’s license from WTTN, Inc. to his Watertown Radio,
Inc. Mills applied for the transfer on
Jan. 31 and said he expects consent of the license transfer from the Federal
Communications Commission within 45 days.
Mills said this is his first bid to purchase a radio station. Mills worked for over 20 years in Chicago
with the Leo Burnett Company, one of the largest ad agencies in the world. WDT
1993
03 06 FORMER
MERCHANTS BANK RESTORATION
The owner of Watertown’s radio station says he hopes to
restore the former Merchants Bank to its
original appearance. Renovation has been
temporarily halted to the building at First and Main that currently houses WTTN-AM, but owner Chuck Mills says repairs will
begin again once warmer temperatures return to the area. Mills said he’d like to see the building
restored to its Victorian look prior to 1961, about the time Merchants Bank
changed the appearance of the building by adding yellow reflective panels and a
stone look over the bricks of the original building. Mills said the bricks in the building are in
poor disrepair, partially due to the renovation done by Merchants, and total
restoration could be difficult.
1999
07
18 WTTN AM 1580 BEING SOLD
WTTN AM 1580 radio station
is in the process of being sold to a broadcasting company that also owns
stations in Beaver Dam. Charles P. Mills
of Cleveland is selling the local station which he has owned for seven years. The buyer is Good Karma Broadcasting, LLC,
which owns WXRO and WBEV in Beaver Dam and WTLX in Columbus. The application to transfer the license is
pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission and is expected
within the next few months. The format
of the local station will not change as a result of the sale, said Craig
Karmazin of Good Karma Broadcasting.
Steve Gehrmann will remain as WTTN general manager and the staff and
format will remain. WDT
2001
06
27 MOVE TO 615 E. MAIN ST
WTTN is leaving its 100 E. Main
St. site, the station’s home of 18 years, and moving into an office building
down the street. Good Karma
Broadcasting, LLC, the company that owns WTTN AM 1580 radio station, will lease
space at the Watertown Professional Building, 615 E. Main St., said Rick Armon,
operations director at Good Karma in Beaver Dam. Construction of the studio and sales office
at the new site will begin in the next two weeks, Armon said. The station will move on Aug. 1. WDT
2005
11
06 SHIFT WATERTOWN LICENSE TO COLUMBUS
Craig Karmazin, of Good
Karma Broadcasting and owner of WTTN-AM (1580), applied with the Federal
Communications Commission to shift the Watertown license of WTTN to
Columbus. Karmazin’s company applied to
the FCC to change the city of license of WTLX-FM (100.5) to be licensed to
Madison. To be able to change the
Columbus station’s license to Madison, Karmazin said the company must have
another station licensed to Columbus. In
getting approval from the FCC to shift the Columbus station to Madison, the
Watertown station’s licensing would change to Columbus. WDT
2013
03 14 WTTN LEASED TO TALK RADIO
STATION
Watertown’s former radio station WTTN-AM, has been
leased to Resistance Radio Network, an independent news talk radio
station. WTTN 1580 AM is a 5,000-watt,
AM daytime licensed station. WTTN-AM
began broadcasting as a daytime-only station licensed to Watertown in
1950. Power was later increased to 1,000
watts, and a 4-watt nighttime service was added in the late 1980s.
With the city of license change and transmitter site
move, WTTN began broadcasting using a directional antenna system from Columbus
co-owned WTTN-FM which signed on in 1961, was originally located at 104.7 FM,
and moved to 94.1 in 1972. 94.1 is now
owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting, and uses the call sign WJJO, with
studios in Madison.
Cross References:
Kolata,
Carl, 1958,
"An Old-Fashioned American Christmas" movie
Kolata, Carl, Mrs, 1954, Watertown's Centennial Tea
Sept. 10, 1989: Radio station WTFX-FM, formerly WMLW, has returned to the airwaves with a new Madison studio location and a drastically different format. The 50,000-watt station, located at frequency 94.1 on the FM dial, began broadcasting Friday afternoon after spending several weeks off-the-air to make technical and programming changes. Joyner Communications Inc., based in Cary, N.C., moved the FM offices from downtown Watertown to a West Beltline location in Madison. A new transmitter and 525-foot tower have been erected in Deerfield, located roughly between Madison and Watertown. Mike Varney, general manager and vice president of WTFX-FM, said the new tower location will allow the station to reach a larger audience in southern Wisconsin while continuing to serve the Watertown area.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin