Bob Schmidt

         I love doing things for my community.  I believe that community starts at home; from the neighborhood, to the city, to the state and beyond.  The neighborhood we live in is great. Every year on the last Saturday of the month of April we have a neighbors-helping-neighbors day.  We have done everything from painting, to window washing, to garage painting, to yard work.  I live in the neighborhood most dream of.  Our community is excellent.  We have great organizations that do many things for the people of La Crosse and beyond.  I belong to the La Crosse Jaycees, am a founding member of the Friends of La Crosse, and serve on the committee for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge.  

      I have been in the Radio business from 1988 to October 2, 2009.  It all started in the Twin Cities at Brown Institute.  While attending Brown, I interned at KJJO Hot Rockin 104, and then at 101.3 KDWB.  I actually used their jingle package for my first tape.  I was also working weekends in St. Cloud, Minnesota at Rockin 101 WHMH.  It was located at 66 Golden Spike Road (weird, I think).  From the internships and part-time jobs I went to my first full time job in Mason City, Iowa  at 106.1 KLSS, a Hedberg Broadcasting station.  At the time, I was working the Overnights and that was real fun.  Ok, it really was fun as I look back at the crazy stuff I used to do........

      From there I quit radio for a while and worked for a group home.  I missed radio, and when Marcia and I married, we went on our Honeymoon to Scottsbluff, Nebraska for a job interview at KMOR, KOAQ and KPNY, part of Tracy Broadcasting.  We spent 2- 1/2 years there and had a lot of fun being the "social directors."    In 1992 a job opened closer to home, so we moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin as a stepping stone to the Twin Cities (yea right).  I fell in love with the La Crosse area.  Anyhow, I got a job at KQEG and worked there for a year-and-a-half.  I had a no compete and was out of radio for the 3 months, exactly as my contract called for.  As I sat out of radio, I worked for Stanfield Vending as a chip jockey (meaning I filled the vending machines).  I then worked part-time for Magic 105, and CC 106 as a part-time DJ.  That lasted for a few weeks until we had a bunch of weddings to attend that summer and they needed someone who could work weekends.

      In 1994 I got a job doing free lance commercials for Z 93.  Wow!  I am finally working for the big dog in La Crosse.  I really wanted a full time job here, but did part-time for a while until an opening for producer opened up on WIZM am.  I thought, at least I would be in the same building as Z 93.  In 1995 the kids started; we now have 4. 

      Well, here it is 2009 and I am no longer in radio. Radio has changed in many ways over the past 18 years.  For example, no one uses albums any more and lots of music is now on a computer hard drive. 

      Now that I am not on the radio, I build websites for others with my company Kooler Productions (named after Artie Kooler, the name I used in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, a name Humble Billy Hayes from KDWB came up with in 1988).  It is amazing; as you get older, you get more and more opinionated.  I realize also that there are a lot of people out there who have no clue and don't even know it.

    reach out.....contact me

      Bob Schmidt

      P.O. Box 3035
La Crosse, WI
54602

608 785 0555

      bob@laxwi.com