Title: Herbert F. Young Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1969-1975

Creator:

• Young, Herbert F., 1946-

Call Number: U.S. Mss 187AF; Audio 1936A

Quantity: 0.2 cubic feet (1 archives box) and 21 tape recordings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Correspondence, memoranda, and advertising and programming files of Herbert Young, a former program director for Radio Free Madison, WIBA-FM's experiment with rock music format during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Tape recordings consist of commercials, public service announcements, and programs for Radio Free Madison, circa 1970-1973.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0187af

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Herbert F. Young was born December 6, 1946. After study at Lawrence University from 1965 to 1967, he transferred to Northwestern University, where he graduated with a major in radio, television, and film. In addition to formal course work, his education included a variety of broadcast experiences: internships with the Voice of America and WGN (Chicago), production and managerial positions with radio stations at both Lawrence and Northwestern, and production work with Com/Track, Inc., a commercial music firm in Chicago.

Shortly after graduation in 1969 Young was hired as program director for WIBA-FM in Madison. During almost four years with the station, he worked on Radio Free Madison, an experimental broadcasting format which reflected not only the changes within music which took place during the 1960s and 1970s, but also many of the deeper changes within society. Young also appeared on the air as “Stryder,” one of several disc jockeys for the daily evening program which featured progressive rock, folk, blues, and jazz recordings; conversation; and limited advertising as an alternative to the usual AM offerings. As program director, Young also produced Survival, a weekly series of interviews on environmental topics. He resigned from the station in 1973 in order to begin study for a medical degree at the University of Wisconsin.

Young's papers are a small collection that provides a few glimpses of WIBA's experimentation with alternative rock format. Most informative about this are a group of internal station memoranda which are filed as part of the CORRESPONDENCE, (1969-1973)-1975. These include the original proposal for Radio Free Madison submitted to WIBA by James Robinson in 1969 and a 1970 program policy statement. Also useful are a number of explanatory notes prepared by Young when the collection was donated in 1975. While the majority of these are appended to correspondence, there are some scattered throughout the collection. In addition to the correspondence, which is primarily comprised of exchanges with listeners and advertisers, the collection includes biographical material and advertising, and promotion, and programming files.

The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 1969-1974, consists of a 1969 résumé and clippings about Young and his work with Radio Free Madison. ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION, 1969-1971, undated, which was a major part of Young's responsibility as program director, includes rate cards, charts, surveys, data on audience size, a selection of printed matter used for advertising purposes, and a few examples of the low-key advertising which characterized Radio Free Madison. Of particular interest is an unpublished survey of Madison radio listeners made by an unidentified university student. PROGRAMMING, (1969-1973)-1975, primarily relates to public service broadcasting done as a part of the RFM format. These include notes, schedules, and introductory scripts for Issues in Conflict, which was sponsored by the Center for Conflict Resolution. For Survival, there is a somewhat more complete collection of introductory scripts, notes, and reference material.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Herbert F. Young, Madison, Wisconsin, March 18, 1975. Accession Number: MCHC75-025

Processing Information

Processed by Carolyn J. Mattern, January 1980.

U.S. Mss 187AF Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical material, circa 1969-1974
Box   1 Folder   2	Correspondence , (1969-1973)-1975
	Advertising and promotion
Box   1 Folder   3	Surveys, audience data, and publications, 1969-1971, undated
Box   1 Folder   4	Copy, 1971
	Programming
Box   1 Folder   5	Schedules and logs, 1969-1973
Box   1 Folder   6	“Conversation from Wingspread,” 1973
Box   1 Folder   7	Issues in Conflict, 1973, 1975
Box   1 Folder   8	Miscellaneous spots, 1970-1973
Box   1 Folder   9	Survival, 1971-1973
Audio 1936A	Tape recordings
1936A/1	Audition: Dave Benson, later program director / 2 60-second commercials, circa 1972 Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/2	Audition: Gary Bond, 1972 Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/3	Columbia Records interview with Tom Rush distributed to radio stations, undated Physical Description: 6 minutes, 4-inch reel
1936A/4	Beatles collage for background of spot promoting special Beatles program, undated Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/5	Interview with rock group "Crow" by announcer Dave Guzman, circa 1970 Physical Description: 10 minutes, 5-inch reel
1936A/6	Public service announcements for Drug Information Center, announcer: WISM's Jonathan Little, undated Note: Not used on Radio Free Madison, but possibly used on sister station WIBA-AM.
1936A/7	Five 60-second radio spots for the album series, Cruisin', 1972 Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/8	Audition: Dave Guzman (hired), undated
1936A/9-10	Demo tapes from AltoFonic, undated Physical Description: 7-inch reels
1936A/11	Environment Wisconsin, interview with Bob Richardson and Sue Harris, 1973 July 4 Physical Description: 7-inch reel
1936A/12	Conversations from Wingspread, show R-22: "Balance of Power v. International Organization," undated Physical Description: 7-inch reel
1936A/13	Air check (Jim McInnes), Pizza Pit commercial, Copps Ry Cooder commercial, interview with Coalition to End the Air War, Wisconsin Music Festival commercial, Virgil Fox at Fillmore West - music, 1972
1936A/14	Public service announcement for Free Kitchen, undated
1936A/15	Commercial, music bed for Ry Cooder commercial, Reprise Records for Copps, undated Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/16	Music bed for commercial (Allman Brothers), undated Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/17	Audition: Jim Charne, Columbia Records student rep, undated Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/18	Audition: Dale Weber, undated Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/19	Commercials by Jim McInnes: Natural Habitat Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/20	Commercials for Sly Stone concert, 1972 January 6 Physical Description: 5-inch reel
1936A/21	Commercials for Copps WEA, undated