In the News
Converge Radio moves to 101.9 FM
EAU CLAIRE — A radio station that broadcasts independent music from national and local musical acts, as well as programs made by UW-Eau Claire volunteers and community members, has found a new home on a different frequency. (Read More)
Converge Radio Returns: Cross-Community Support Brings Station Back to the Air
Eric Christenson – December 21, 2020
After two weeks in the dark, Converge Radio is back on local airwaves – this time on 101.9 (Read More)
Converge Radio Goes Dark: A Local Radio Station’s Legacy and Future
Eric Christenson – December 6, 2020
On Tuesday Dec. 8, Converge Radio will go dark. The local independent station – which, for the last four and a half years, has made a home for local artists, radio shows, podcasts, and personalities on 99.9 WDRK-FM – is leaving the local airwaves. (Read More)
‘Conversations in Color’: New Livestream Event Continues Race Discussion
Rebecca Mennecke – July 24, 2020
Just about two months after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, two local activists knew they had to do something to keep the conversations about race and social injustice going in the Chippewa Valley. (Read More)
A Passion For Great Music: Converge Radio Welcomes New Station Manager
Rebecca Mennecke – July 21, 2020
When Ashley Wiswell began working at Converge Radio in December 2018, she had no idea that she would find her passion. An organizational communication and German student at UW-Eau Claire, Wiswell had always loved music, but she had no idea she would pursue it as a full-time gig. (Read More)
Barstow Street Speakers Blasting Local Tunes
Rebecca Mennecke – June 23, 2020
Have you heard the news? Thanks to the South Barstow Business Improvement District’s new partnership with Converge Radio, you’ll be hearing some sweet tunes downtown nearly all the time. (Read More)
Jam Out with Converge Radio’s ‘At Home Concert Series’
Rebecca Mennecke – June 12, 2020
Tune in to Converge Radio 99.9’s “At Home Concert Series,” broadcast at 7pm every Thursday night through the end of August, for some dance-worthy songs from a variety of local and regional artists in multiple genres. Hosted by Converge Radio’s program director Ashley Wiswell, the series explores each musician’s tunes and include commentary from band members. (Read More)
Spectrum West, January 17, 2019
Al Ross- Jan 17, 2019
Randy Bachman, Canadian musician and songwriter of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, joined host Al Ross to discuss his career and current album “By George By Randy,” a new arrangement of George Harrison songs. Bachman will be in Eau Claire for a performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire. (Read More)
Oddly Enough: Writers Guild, Converge Radio present new radio drama series
Lauren Fisher – Jan 9, 2019
The Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and Converge Radio are ready to invite listeners to crowd around their laptops and radios, clinging to every word of a locally written, acted, produced, and broadcast radio drama series: Oddly Enough. This sequel to last year’s Bend in the River promises five unique, stand-alone stories each with its own spooky, celestial, or sci-fi twist. (Read More)
Local radio station won’t play Christmas song
Shannon Satterlee- Dec 8, 2018
This holiday season, there’s controversy over Christmas music. One local radio station is joining the national trend, not playing “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Converge Radio Station Manager Scott Morfitt said when the song came out in the 40’s it was empowering for women, because she was making her own decisions. Now with the “Me too” movement, to some, the lyrics sound different like the man in the duet isn’t hearing her say no. Morfitt said last year they played a local version of the song once, but this year you won’t hear it on his station. “We work really hard not to play anything that sounds even vaguely homophobic, sexist, misogynist, etc, because people do take it in that context. we are on the side of really not playing it,” Morfitt said. (Read More)
Prex Claires & Oxbeaux kick off Eaux Claires Festival
Sarah Winkelmann- Jul 5, 2018
The 2018 Eaux Claires festival is set to take place Friday and Saturday, but for Thursday the pre-party is taking over downtown Eau Claire. “It’s a dream come true, it’s heaven around here,” said Scott Morfitt the Converge station manager. Music lovers are starting their celebrations a little early with the second annual Prex Claires and Oxbeaux events. (Read More)
UPDATED: Eaux/Prex Claires – Here’s Everything We Know
Eric Christenson- Jul 3, 2018
Alright gang, the next few days in Eau Claire are throwing an absolute crapload of music and art stuff out there to go out and do. With Eaux Claires looming over the weekend in its shroud of riddles, a whole freakin’ day (and a half) of Prex Claires events emanating from pretty much every downtown venue, and oh, I guess we gotta throw a major national holiday in there somewhere too – there’s definitely no shortage of musicky, artsy rigmarole for you to take in. (Read More)
Justin Vernon, Aaron Dessner to live-score July 4 fireworks
Leader-Telegram Staff- Jul 3, 2018
If you’re looking to get into the spirit of Eaux Claires a day early, tune into Converge Radio 99.9 FM (formerly Blugold Radio) at 10 p.m. Wednesday during the fireworks show. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Aaron Dessner (The National), founders of the Eaux Claires festival, will be live-scoring the Eau Claire Fourth of July fireworks show, Converge Radio 99.9 FM manager Scott Morfitt said. Morfitt said the duo, who worked with the city to learn the fireworks program length and have an idea of what’s going to happen, will use their own music to score the fireworks, similar to scoring a film. (Read More)
Blugold Radio changes brand to Converge Radio
Eau Claire (WQOW)- Jul 2, 2019
A local radio station is undergoing a complete re-brand, of its re-branding. Indie rock station Blugold Radio 99.9 FM officially changed its name to Converge Radio Sunday hoping to better reflect a connection with local communities. The station recently announced the name would be changing to Verge Radio, but after listening to public feedback and criticism, staff members felt that wasn’t the right fit. The name “Converge” was chosen after conducting student and employee surveys, and the new logo was chosen from more than 20 design options. The station is best known for its connection to art and culture in the Chippewa Valley. (Read More)
Blugold Radio’s new name gets a makeover
Leader – Telegram Staff- Jun 28, 2018
A noncommercial radio station operated by UW-Eau Claire students is changing its name Sunday, but it made a late switch on which moniker it would use. Indie rock station Blugold Radio 99.9 FM (WDRK) held surveys and talks on campus earlier this year about the re-branding effort and announced June 1 that the station would be renamed Verge Radio. (Read More)
Click Through the Past: Digitization Project Preserves Region’s Musical History
Diana Peterson- Jun 27, 2018
Pick up any event guide or local calendar and it’s easy to see that music is an integral part of the Chippewa Valley. No matter what your personal preference – gospel, classic rock, folk, symphony, indie, country, blues – you’ll find performances you won’t want to miss. But what is the history of Eau Claire’s music scene? What influence did our cultural heritage have on our contemporary image? Dr. Daniel Ott and his UW-Eau Claire public history majors asked that same question. Their probing and research turned into a capstone project that resulted in The Sounds of Eau Claire – an oral history collection, digital archives, a website, and podcasts designed to provide an answer. (Read More)
For the PEOPLE: Vernon, Dessner’s new audio platform launches with tons of unheard songs
Eric Christenson- Jun 6, 2018
Today, the minds behind the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival – Justin Vernon and brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner – launched a sleek new open-access audio platform called PEOPLE. The website brings together tons of familiar collaborators for a massive flux of new music, and there’s the second installment of a related festival component in Germany this August with over 150 acts performing with one another. (Read More)
Worth the Wait: Gilbertson’s debut album arrives after long, art-infused delay
Emilee Wentland- Apr 18, 2018
Being late isn’t ideal, but sometimes it takes longer than expected to reach the desired outcome. That’s what happened for Chippewa Valley musician Greg Gilbertson and his album’s cover artist, Milwaukee-based Matthew Bailey, with their artistic collaboration on Gilbertson’s debut album “Surviving the Echoes.” Gilbertson’s album has been in the works since June 2016, and he said they postponed last summer’s original release by 10 months for Bailey to create the artwork on the cover. (Read More)
Prex Claires 2018 Lineup Unleashed
V1 Staff- Apr 4, 2018
Today (April 4) Blugold Radio released plans for 2018’s ‘Prex Claires’ festivities, set for Thursday, July 5, revving things up for the Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival on July 6-7. Last year saw the first installment of Prex Claires, inviting music lovers – both local and from out-of-town – into downtown Eau Claire. (Read More)
Radio Drama Revival: Locals create eight-part radio series Bend In The River
Lauren Fisher – Mar 21, 2018
Ken Szymanski, Jim Rybicki, and B.J. Hollars hauled a lectern out of the Volume One Gallery following a live performance of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds three days before Halloween in 2016. The turnout had been great; people filled the room and stood just outside the gallery door to listen to the actors, who wore authentic 1930s garb, bring the radio drama to life. Now the trio wondered: Could they write and produce a radio drama like this? (Read More)
Local groups help build Chippewa Valley music archive
Shannon Hoyt – Mar 3, 2018
A professor at UW-Eau Claire said the Chippewa Valley is going through a musical moment. Now he and his students are determined to find out exactly why by building an archive of local music history. The resources they are collecting give some insight into the growth of the valley’s music scene, but not enough to fill in the gaps of the 20th and early 21st century. To fix that, local groups like BluGold Radio, Community Collaborators and the Chippewa Valley Museum have requested residents bring in their own pieces of musical history to be digitized and preserved. (Read More)
UW-Eau Claire professor, students call on public to collect musical history
Katy Macek – Feb 25, 2018
Minneapolis resident and UW-Eau Claire history professor Daniel Ott didn’t know the flood gates he was about to open when he went to university archivist Greg Kocken in the fall of 2016 with an idea for an oral history project for his students. Kocken suggested Ott look into something about music in the area. It immediately snowballed, with students collecting oral histories from musicians, and Ott partnered with Blugold Radio to turn those into the Sounds of Eau Claire podcast. (Read More)
UW-Eau Claire to host variety of Black History Month events
Feb 14, 2018
UW-Eau Claire’s celebration of Black History Month ramps up during the final weeks of February with events that reflect the richness of black culture and history, and recognize the many accomplishments and contributions of African Americans. (Read More)
Blugold Radio Presents: Har-di-Har & Orchid Eaton
Luong Huynh – Jan 11, 2018
Minneapolis-based Har-di-Har writes and performs orchestral art pop. Riding the wave of avant-garde music and performative art genres, their live performance “invites the audience in as a familial witness to the vivid, awkward, and the vulnerable.” They were joined by local newcomers Orchid Eaton on Saturday, January 13 at Haas Fine Arts Center. (View Photos)
Orchid Eaton to open for first concert at Riverside Theater
Katy Macek – Jan 3, 2018
As a student at UW-Eau Claire around 10 years ago, Scott Morfitt remembers sitting through an Intro to Theater class in Haas Fine Arts Center’s Riverside Theater. He confessed there were points he wasn’t thinking about the class much at all, but more about its location. He found himself thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool to hold a concert here?” (Read More)
History harvest aims to digitize stories, artifacts relating to Eau Claire’s music history
Judy Berthiaume – Dec 18, 2017
Ask about Eau Claire’s music scene and you will hear about indie rock stars, country music festivals and UW-Eau Claire’s nationally acclaimed jazz program. Polka music, cover bands, Ojibwe and Hmong music, hip-hop, house shows or church music? Not so much. That may soon change thanks to a group of UW-Eau Claire public history students and faculty who are trying to pull the many overlooked yet important pieces of Eau Claire’s musical history into the conversation. (Read More)
Music rocks River Prairie Event Center
WEAU – Nov 3, 2017
Music flowed from the River Prairie Center as it hosted its first concert in the building. The inaugural River Prairie Revelry concert took place Friday night in Altoona. Local musicians took center stage including The Eggplant Heroes and The Rattlenecks. Around 150 people were expected at Friday’s concert which supported UW-Eau Claire’s Blugold Radio. Organizers say they hope to bring more concerts to the venue. (Watch)
River Prairie Event Center Hosts First Ever Concert
Emily Kinzel – Nov 1, 2017
The Chippewa Valley is proud of our local music talents, and Altoona City Administrator Mike Golat couldn’t agree more. “Part of the greater Prairie vision, music has always been an integral part,” he said. The River Prairie Center is hosting its very own and very first concert, River Prairie Revelry, on Friday, Nov. 3. Marrying their sponsor Northwestern Bank with the musical know-how of Blugold Radio, The River Prairie Revelry invites all who enjoy live performances, a refreshing beer, and mobile sustenance from local food trucks for a concert by Caitlin McGarvey, Eggplant Heroes, Nici Peper, and The Rattlenecks. (Read More)
Hearing Our Heritage
Marie Anthony – Sept 20, 2017
My coffee hadn’t yet hit my bloodstream. I wasn’t fully prepared for such a fountain of energy at 8 on a Monday morning, but Dr. Daniel Ott’s enthusiasm was more of a boost than even Starbucks provides. Ott clearly has a passion for what he does. In his second year as visiting assistant professor of history at UW-Eau Claire he knew he wanted to get his students involved in oral history. Oral history is of utmost importance to the preservation of the memories and people who are and were a part of our community. However, exploring Eau Claire’s music history wasn’t Ott’s initial plan. The idea to focus a project on Eau Claire’s music scene actually came from UW-Eau Claire’s archivist, Greg Kocken.
(Read More)
Haymarket Landing Patio Concert
Micah Davis – Sept 16, 2017
Tickets sold out in just 20 minutes for the Haymarket Landing Patio Concert. “Hey Eau Claire, thanks for coming out! This is the first Confluence Arts Center event,” said Kevin Miller, Director for the Confluence Arts Center as he welcomed the crowd. “Focusing on local music and showcasing how that will have a real home in the CAC,” adds Scott Morfitt, Station Manager for BluGold Radio. (Read More)
UW-Eau Claire hosts Prince tribute concert
Amanda Tyler – Sept 15, 2017
Popular songs like Purple Rain and Little Corvette filled Schofield Hall’s auditorium on UW-Eau Claire’s campus Friday night. The tribute concert is part of a two-day event hosted by Blugold radio. (Watch Video)
Two of Prince’s guitars now on display at UW-Eau Claire
Stephanie Olson – Sept 14, 2017
Two guitars from Prince’s personal collection are currently at Blugold Radio on the UWEC campus. It’s all because of the Prince tribute concert happening Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Schofield auditorium. (Watch Video)
Prince’s guitars featured at UW-Eau Claire
Camille Walter – Sept 14, 2017
Attention all Prince fans, the legend’s most prized possessions are “raining” down in the Chippewa Valley area, and you have the chance to see them. Two of Prince’s guitars are on display at UW-Eau Claire’s Blugold Radio Station until 5 p.m. on Friday. (Watch Video)
Blugold Radio parties it up with Prince
tribute
Clara Neupurt – Sept 12, 2017
The folks at Blugold Radio are ready to party like it’s 1999 — and every Eau Claire student, facility and community member can join them. Blugold Radio is hosting Partyup, a Prince tribute concert to coincide with their studio’s grand opening complete with guitar displays and demos. (Read More)
Blugold Radio Presents: Nick Anderson & The Skinny Lovers + Chamber Noise + Sleeping Jesus
Lee Butterworth – Sept 11, 2017
Nick Anderson plays reflective music that digs deep into the emotion of the millennial dreamer. He was joined at Toy Car Studios on Saturday, Sept. 9 by Chamber Noise, a brand new Eau Claire psych/rock band, and Sleeping Jesus, an indie-rock outfit from Winona, Minn. (See Photos)
Blugold Radio’s grand opening Sept. 14-15 to feature guitars from Prince’s collection
UWEC – Sept 8, 2017
You might call it a grand opening fit for a king, or more appropriately, a Prince. Blugold Radio, located a guitar string away from McIntyre Library, will hold a special grand opening celebration Sept. 14-15 that will give UW-Eau Claire students, faculty, staff and the public the chance to admire two guitars from the collection of the late superstar Prince. (Read More)
Blugold Radio grand opening planned
Lauren Hovde – Sept 5, 2017
What used to be a forgotten corner of the McIntyre Library is now home to the campus’ own radio station, 99.9 FM Blugold Radio. The station just celebrated its 14-month anniversary and has an eventful grand opening planned for Sept. 14 and 15. (Read More)
Indie Radio in Action
Andrea Paulseth – Aug 23, 2017
Local independent radio station Blugold Radio 99.9FM is kicking off this fall semester with a stellar pair of one-of-a-kind music events including a patio concert at Haymarket Landing and a tribute to the late great Prince. (Read More)
History project showcases icons of local music scene
Judy Berthiaume – Aug 21, 2017
While Eau Claire’s reputation as a music hot spot is growing thanks to Justin Vernon’s success on the world’s stage, the music and arts scene in the Chippewa Valley actually has been thriving for decades. Now a team of UW-Eau Claire public history students is working to share the stories of the artists, producers, publicists and others who are longtime contributors to the city’s eclectic music scene. (Read More)
Blugold Radio, Confluence hope to crank up local tunes
Katy Macek – Aug 20, 2017
In just 20 minutes, Haymarket Landing’s Patio Show with seating for 250 people overlooking construction on the city’s Confluence Arts Center sold out. Was it the live music featuring local bands Dames, Idle Empress and Heart Pills? Or maybe the new venue itself, having yet to be used for such a purpose? Kevin Miller, executive director of the Confluence Arts Center, which partnered with Blugold Radio 99.9 FM to put on the show, thinks it has to do with the city’s bigger picture. (Read More)
Blugold Radio to celebrate its grand opening, host Prince tribute concert
Jesse Yang – Aug 18, 2017
A local radio station will soon celebrate its grand opening while paying tribute to the late pop star Prince.On Wednesday, Blugold Radio announced it is hosting a two-day studio grand opening and showing of two guitars from Prince’s collection. The event will be held on September 14 and 15 at Blugold Radio, located near the entrance of UW-Eau Claire’s McIntyre Library. (Read More)
Confluence Arts Center and Blugold Radio partner for unique patio concert at Haymarket Landing
Community for the Confluence – Aug 9, 2017
The Confluence Arts Center, in collaboration with Blugold Radio 99.9 FM, announces a special outdoor concert at Haymarket Landing overlooking the building site of the new Arts Center on Friday, August 25th at 7 pm. The concert will feature Eau Claire Bands Dames, Idle Empress and Heart Pills. (Read More)
Confluence Art Center, Blugold Radio to host free Eau Claire concert
K.C. Brown – Aug 8, 2017
A free outdoor concert is happening in downtown Eau Claire later this month. The Confluence Arts Center is partnering with Blugold Radio to put on the show Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. The concert will feature Eau Claire bands Dames, Idle Empress and Heart Pills, all free of charge. It’s being held to showcase local art and music. (Watch Video)
The (re)making of Eau(x) Claire(s)
Joey Grihalva – July 12, 2017
In the spring of 1999, trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis stood on the Jazz at Lincoln Center stage in New York City. “The next band is from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Am I pronouncing that right?” Bruce Herring, Eau Claire Memorial’s music director at the time, recounts the story. “We’re calling them the $25,000 band,” Marsalis went on. “Because their community kicked in to get them here.” That was the first year one of Herring’s bands would compete at the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. The Jazz 1 band was featured on the front page of the local paper and the community covered their trip to NYC. Among those young musicians was an 18-year-old Justin Vernon, who would go on to become an internationally renowned artist as Bon Iver. (Read More)
Prex Claires Rocked Downtown
Downtown Eau Claire – July 11, 2017
On Thursday, June 15th Downtown became the scene of an amazing night of celebrating the kickoff to Troix, the third edition of the Eaux Claires Music Festival. Eleven venues held some type of music or art performances led by Oxbeaux, the Summer Concert Series, and the Baroque. (Read More)
“Prex Claires” celebration in downtown Eau Claire
WQOW – June 15, 2017
A pre-celebration to kick of the 2017 Eaux Claires Festival is happening in downtown Eau Claire Thursday evening. Prex Claires is a pre-festival celebration of local music in downtown Eau Claire, taking place June 15 immediately preceding Eaux Claires. (Read More)
Prex Claires kicks off pre-festival celebration
Brooke Schwieters – June 15, 2017
For the first time, local organizations teamed up to put on a pre-festival concert series throughout downtown Eau Claire. A sold out concert featuring Justin Vernon at the Oxbow Hotel, was one of the many shows featured at Prex Claires Thursday evening. Prex Claires is a brand new event this year providing a pre-celebration for what is to come tomorrow at Eaux Claires Music Festival. (Watch Video)
Grand Prex
Eric Christenson – June 14, 2017
This year, in the shadow of Eaux Claires comes a collaborative effort between Downtown Eau Claire Inc. and Blugold Radio 99.9FM which hopes to shine a collective light on all of the pre-fest events happening on June 15, the night before the big fest, when you can catch local music at different venues across downtown Eau Claire. (Read More)
BOUND FOR EAUX CLAIRES? MAKE THE TRIP A DAY EARLY AND CHECK OUT PREX CLAIRES
Eric Christenson – June 7, 2017
For all of the music and art that actually happens at the two-day Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival (June 16-17 this year), the last two years have seen plenty of activity before the fest, with local musicians and show organizers throwing events all over the city on the previous Thursday, hoping to attract festival-goers who arrive in town early. (Read More)
PREX CLAIRES: Live Local Music on the Eve of Eaux Claires
V1 Staff – May 8, 2017
For all of the music and art that actually happens at the two-day Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival (June 16-17 this year), the last two years have seen plenty of activity before the fest, with local musicians and show organizers throwing all kinds of events all over the city on the Thursday before, hoping to attract festival goers who showed up early. Not to mention the festival itself has thrown shindigs of their own with Phil Cook both years – at the Whispering Pines campground in 2015 and The Lismore in 2016). (Read More)
Blugold Radio will relocate to an updated studio in the coming months
Hillary Smith – Mar 8, 2017
Though Blugold Radio is just over nine months old, the privately funded indie rock radio station based out of UW-Eau Claire is expanding. Construction for a new studio, which will be located across from the circulation desk in the W.D. McIntyre Library, is currently underway. (Read More)
Blugold Radio Seeking Donations for New Studio
V1 Staff – Mar 7, 2017
Campus-based independent radio station Blugold Radio (99.9 FM) has launched a crowdfunding effort to pay for a new studio. The nonprofit station, which is owned by the UWEC Foundation, went on the air last summer from a temporary studio in Hibbard Hall. (Read More)
Blugold Radio fundraises for new studio
Claire Sarafin – Mar 1, 2017
Construction is already underway, but Blugold Radio needs your help moving to a much-needed new studio. The station is hoping to raise $7,000 for a bigger, better studio — emphasis on bigger! They kicked off an online campaign on Tuesday and have already brought in more than $2,000. (Read More)
Blugold Radio Coming to McIntyre Library
Eric – Feb 24, 2017
Blugold Radio, the Chippewa Valley’s only indie rock station, is moving into McIntyre Library. The radio station will be located near the library’s mall entrance on the first floor. (Read More)
Successful UW-Eau Claire Foundation campaign raises more than $73 million
Julie Poquette – Feb 16, 2017
A new campus-community arts center now under construction. A major events center in the planning stage. Hundreds of new funds providing ongoing support for University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students and faculty. The launch of the Chippewa Valley’s first indie rock radio station. There is no question: The impact of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation’s recently completed fundraising campaign will be felt by every UW-Eau Claire student and by residents throughout the Chippewa Valley for years to come. (Read More)
From Austin to Eau Claire
Eric Christenson – Nov 30, 2016
Earlier this year in July, when the Texas summer was whipping up a full-on heat assault, audio engineer Justin Green and his family had enough. After living most of their lives in Austin, they figured it was time to head north – for good. “We couldn’t handle the heat. We were just complaining every day,” Justin told me. “Then it just hit us: ‘We don’t have to be here; we don’t have to take this anymore.’ So we decided to get the hell out.” The Greens knew they needed a final and swift reprieve from the trappings of the Lone Star State’s ever-so-hip capital city, but didn’t quite know exactly where they wanted to plant new roots. So they busted out the map, started crossing off states they weren’t interested in, and ultimately landed on Wisconsin. (Read More)
Downtown Eau Claire Preps for Massive New Year’s Eve Celebration Fundraiser
Eric Christenson – Nov 29, 2016
This New Year’s Eve, a new collaborative undertaking in the heart of Eau Claire will make the night magical in ways it hasn’t been in years – and it’s all to raise funds for the forthcoming Confluence Performing Arts Center. Through a multitude of symbiotic events and community partners, downtown will light up with music, entertainment, joy, and togetherness. The idea is to create an all-out party in Eau Claire that locals as well as people from beyond the geographic confines of the Chippewa Valley will want to come enjoy year after year. (Read More)
Blugold Radio Picks Up Song Of The Soul!
Mark Helpsmeet – Nov 8, 2016
For the first time, Northern Spirit Radio’s music-focused program, Song of the Soul, will have an outlet in the Chippewa Valley! The Valley’s own student-run FM station, Blugold Radio 99.9 FM, will be broadcasting Song of the Soul on Sundays from 8 to 9 a.m., starting this Sunday, November 13th. (Read More)
Blugold Radio is on the air thanks to support from host of partners, collaborators
Samantha West – July 5, 2016
At exactly midnight July 1, not only was it the start of a new month, but it was the very first time Scott Morfitt signed on to Blugold Radio, officially making 99.9 FM home to the Chippewa Valley’s first indie rock station. Not only will the station pump out an eclectic collection of the finest indie rock, it will provide UW-Eau Claire students yet another high-impact, educational opportunity. Thanks to Mid-West Family Broadcasting’s generous donation to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, students will be able to complete their service-learning requirement and gain valuable internship opportunities working with a real radio station. (Read More)
Tuned in: Blugold Radio 99.9 FM brings indie rock, alternative tunes with local focus to airwaves
Emily Miels – July 7, 2017
Station manager Scott Morfitt calls the new Blugold Radio at 99.9 FM a “labor of love.” “This is bigger than us, and this has been a long time coming,” Morfitt said of the station, which launched late last week. Blugold Radio is a noncommercial station bringing local, national and international indie rock and student-produced programming to the local airwaves. Morfitt said the format of Blugold Radio will be adult album alternative, similar to KEXP-FM in Seattle or KCMP-FM (89.3), commonly known as The Current, from Minnesota Public Radio. (Read More)
Scott Morfitt named station manager for Blugold Radio
UWEC – Mar 23, 2016
A local professional with a wide background in radio, music and the arts has been named the first station manager for Blugold Radio. Scott Morfitt, Eau Claire, will assume the station manager role April 18. Currently he is the marketing director for the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation recently received the donation of the station license and other related equipment that will be called Blugold Radio (see related story). It will be owned by Blugold Radio LLC, a subsidiary of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. (Read More)
Big Donation to Give Radio Station to UWEC Students
Tom Giffey – Mar 21, 2016
The benefits of a recent gift to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation will be heard far and wide – literally. Midwest Family Broadcasting of Eau Claire plans to donate one of its radio stations – Federal Communications Commission license, 25,000-watt signal, 390-foot tower, and all – to the foundation, allowing UWEC students new opportunities to hone their broadcasting skills in a real-world environment. (Read More)
Signaling a new era for Blugold radio
Michael Roemer – Mar 10, 2016
Mid-West Family Broadcasting gave the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation control of 99.9 WDRK-FM, a radio station out of Cornell. The $1 million gift announced Tuesday, March 8 transfers ownership of the radio license, transmitter, tower and related equipment which CJ students will get to use first hand in classes and through student media outlets like Blugold Radio. “We are excited to be a part of this because the radio capacity will enable the university as a whole,” UW-Eau Claire Foundation President Kimera Way said. “I’m pleased to be able to facilitate the addition of another resource for the university’s benefit.” (Read More)
UW-Eau Claire receives radio station worth $1 million
Alyssa Anderson – Mar 10, 2016
Sometimes, answering the phone pays off.
Kimera Way, UW-Eau Claire Foundation president, said she usually makes the calls that land donations for the university. But a phone call last December from Mid-West Family Broadcasting has netted the university a $1 million gift in the form of a radio station. “We are excited to be a part of this because the radio capacity will enable the university as a whole,” Way said. “I’m pleased to be able to facilitate the addition of another resource for the university’s benefit.” (Read More)
Broadcasting company gives radio station to UW-EC
Leader-Telegram Staff – Mar 8 ,2016
The gift of a radio station from Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Eau Claire to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation will mean expanded educational opportunities for UW-Eau Claire students and new avenues for university outreach to a wider audience. Mid-West Family Broadcasting and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation announced the gift March 8. The gift includes the radio license, transmitter, tower and related equipment for operation of the commercial station 99.9 WDRK-FM. The approximate value of the gift is $1 million. (Read More)
Mid-West Family Broadcasting gifts radio station to UW-Eau Claire Foundation
Julie Poquette – Mar 8, 2016
The gift of a radio station from Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Eau Claire to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation will mean expanded educational opportunities for UW-Eau Claire students and new avenues for university outreach to a wider audience. Mid-West Family Broadcasting and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation announced the gift March 8. The gift includes the radio license, transmitter, tower and related equipment for operation of the commercial station 99.9 WDRK-FM. The approximate value of the gift is $1 million. (Read More)