JEFF ROBBINS
Cottage Grove,WI
Summary
Executive leader with 25+ years of media and communications experience in diverse environments including municipal communications, broadcast TV and radio, and broadcast communications. Proven success with developing and implementing communication strategies, leadership and team development, content creation, budgeting, management, utilizing digital platforms to grow audience reach, marketing, and media production and direction. Achievement-focused professional with proven ability of cultivating relationships with work teams, communities, and sponsors to increase both content and revenue.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Production Engineer
UW-Madison/Wisconsin Public Radio
04.2024 - Current
- Orchestrated live technical direction and operational support for Wisconsin's longest-running radio call-in show, ensuring seamless broadcasts for 2 hours daily.
- Authored engaging articles for website and newsletters to reach diverse audience demographics and increase program visibility.
- Researched trending topics and developed compelling interview questions resulting in engaging and insightful conversations.
- Curated music selections aligning with program themes, orchestrated the posting of show content for re-airings and on-demand streaming, and created and edited promos.
- Converted hours of radio segments weekly into digital formats, guaranteeing content accessibility for growing online audience.
Volunteer Program Host/Producer
City of Monona/WVMO
08.2024 - Current
- Directed all aspects of a bi-weekly talk show, from initial concept and guest outreach to on-air interviews and post-production refinements.
- Executed all audio production tasks, from operating the sound board to integrating music to editing content for information and entertainment.
Interim Executive Director
Wisconsin Community Media
12.2023 - 04.2024
- Conceptualized and delivered comprehensive digital marketing campaigns encompassing newsletters, social media posts, and website content.
- Orchestrated logistics for 10+ conference workshops through surveying organization members and securing expert speakers.
- Identified, recruited, and secured corporate and community sponsorships.
Executive Director
Sun Prairie Media Center, City of Sun Prairie
03.2014 - 12.2023
- Daily administrative management of 24/7 broadcast and cablecast operations; provided administrative management and support for board and city operations.
- Increased local programming by 400 percent from 515 programs/year to over 2,600 programs/year.
- Managed annual $450K budget; raised program revenue by over 425% from $15,000 to $79,000.
- Transformed the local media landscape by spearheading the construction of a community radio station that offered a platform for underserved voices and annually generated 1,300+ hours of original content.
- Revitalized organizational vision by facilitating the creation of a five-year strategic plan through gathering insights from 20 stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive plan for sustainable growth.
- Lobbied city leadership and city council for funding and other organizational assistance.
- Expanded live remote broadcasts featuring local sports and community events; extended organizational reach to previously untapped audiences and demographics.
- Improved program distribution through establishing a presence on new digital platforms, resulting in greater availability of crucial civic information.
- Managed dozens of live and pre-taped remote broadcasts annually; trained 50+ volunteers to operate broadcasting equipment.
Assistant Program Director
WISC-TV/Channel 3000
06.1998 - 03.2014
- Generated weekly on-air broadcast schedules for two network TV affiliate stations.
- Produced local broadcasts; wrote news and promotional content for social media and website platforms.
- Negotiated entertainment and paid programming contracts with broadcast syndicators and media agencies; tripled station revenue earned through infomercials.
- Spearheaded the electronic filing of FCC reports and the electronic distribution of weekly broadcast schedules, saving hundreds of dollars annually in mailing costs and hundreds of hours annually in labor.
Promotions Coordinator
Knowledge Unlimited
03.1997 - 06.1998
- Wrote and edited copy for educational books, posters, and periodicals.
- Conceived of promotional material, including catalogs, brochures, news releases, and website content.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism, Communication Arts
- Double majored in Journalism and Communication Arts
- Graduated with Distinction
Skills
- Content creation / editing
- Audience growth and engagement
- Audio / video production
- Change management
- Social media / Website content creation and management
- Employee and volunteer leadership and training
- Advocacy and lobbying
- Media relations
- Conference & event planning
- Budget management ($450K)
- Strategic communications & marketing
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Adobe Audition
- Pro Tools Studio
- WideOrbit Automation for Radio
- TelVue Broadcast Servers
- TriCaster Video Switchers
- Microsoft Office
- Google Drive
- Google Analytics
- OnBase Agenda Online
- Munis financial software
- X
- Slack
- Constant Contact
- Squarespace
- WordPress
- Mailchimp
- MemberClicks
- PowerPoint
- Canva
- Exceptional communication
Timeline
Volunteer Program Host/Producer - City of Monona/WVMO
08.2024 - Current
Production Engineer - UW-Madison/Wisconsin Public Radio
04.2024 - Current
Interim Executive Director - Wisconsin Community Media
12.2023 - 04.2024
Executive Director - Sun Prairie Media Center, City of Sun Prairie
03.2014 - 12.2023
Assistant Program Director - WISC-TV/Channel 3000
06.1998 - 03.2014
Promotions Coordinator - Knowledge Unlimited
03.1997 - 06.1998
University of Wisconsin - Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, Communication Arts