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A native of Decatur, Indiana (southeast of Fort Wayne), I have been in media related positions throughout virtually my entire career. It must have been in my blood, for my parents, Kenneth and Bette Ferro Singleton, met at a radio station, WTRC in Elkhart. Dad was chief engineer and my mother performed regularly as a singer on the station.
I am a graduate of Indiana University, with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Radio and Television. Between those two degrees I spent four years with the USAF (one year at the Armed Forces Radio-TV station in King Salmon, Alaska). Also between degrees I married Barbara Houk, also from Decatur, though born in Winchester, Indiana. We have three children, born in Tucson, Arizona, Bloomington and Fort Wayne. Our children have given us six grandchildren (and counting) who are now spread from Logansport, to Norman, Oklahoma, to Palm Coast, Florida. They are the joys of our lives.
After completing my school work, I was employed for three years as Coordinator of Instructional TV at the Bloomington campus. We then moved to Fort Wayne, where I became an instructor (and subsequently Assistant Professor) in the Communication Department of IPFW. I was also responsible for supervising the radio and TV studios at IPFW.
While in Fort Wayne, I had the opportunity to become manager of WBNI, Fort Wayne’s public radio station. After that we left for Albuquerque where I took over as manager of the University of New Mexico’s public radio station, KUNM. Finally, in 1989, I was selected to manage the public radio stations at Eastern Kentucky University, WEKU, Richmond, and WEKH, Hazard.
Barb has been a program consultant at the Kentucky Department of Education, a job which she has really enjoyed. She has an EdD from Ball State University. She also directs the handbell choir at First United Methodist Church in Richmond, KY. Our choir has performed in a number of locations throughout central Kentucky, including three performances with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra.
WBAA has, as I know you recognize, a dedicated staff committed to providing you with the finest service possible. I am privileged to be the manager of WBAA and look forward to many years working with a great staff and conversing with you, our loyal listeners.
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Kristin Malavenda
Morning Edition Host & News Producer
765-496-3037
kmalaven@wbaa.org |
Prior to moving to the Lafayette area in 1998, I lived most of my life in Connecticut. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1991 (Go Huskies!) with a bachelors degree in communications and absolutely no intention of going into radio.
After working in childcare for about one year, and quickly realizing that I did NOT want to work with children, I landed my first job in radio. The news director at a small commercial station near UConn hired me basically because his wife told him to. I worked at WILI AM/FM for a little over 5 years before moving to Lafayette when my husband, Pablo, took a job at Purdue.
I took 6 years off to be a stay-at-home mom to the two cutest kids ever, Max and Zoe.
In my free time, I like to -- oh, who am I kidding? I have two small children. I have no free time. I love movies, but if it's not animated, I haven't seen it. I love to read, but find myself reading classics like Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, and Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. As far as TV goes, thanks to DVDs it's a non-stop "Full House" and "Saved by the Bell" fest at my house. And I love every minute of it!
Despite having to get up before the sun (and most farm animals!) I love working at WBAA and look forward to being here for a long time.
Growing up, my life could be summed up in one word...SPORTS. Football, baseball, basketball, and track (I learned golf later). At Central Catholic High we were 1976 state champs in football when I was a sophomore. In 1977 I started center field for Lafayette's first Colt World Series champion (baseball). Onto Ball State, where college football was much of my life. After I realized I was not going to play for the Yankees or Cowboys, I decided on a career in marketing.
I have 11 years commercial radio advertising sales experience. I am certified by the Radio Advertising Bureau in New York. I also spent some time working with my brother, for whose company I still provide marketing support. I'm now with WBAA... Public Radio from Purdue. This is fantastic because as corporate support manager, I can be more marketing- and client-focused than ever before.
I am married to Colleen, who is in the athletic department at Purdue. She does numbers stuff (yuck!) plus some post-season travel for women's basketball and some football. We have two children, Courtney and Travis — both athletes! If you like pizza, we can be great friends.
I left my hometown to attend Purdue and never looked back.
I joined the WBAA staff in 1957 and soon became the recording
engineer and eventually the chief engineer.
I built my first crystal set when I was six. My Dad did
part time radio repair (which brought into the Mogridge
basement dozens of Atwater Kents, old Philcos, and a few
Zeniths). My clarinet repair man was a "ham,"
and my older brother played Stan Kenton and Nat King Cole
Trio 78s all the time. It's no surprise that such influences
charted my early years with a certain unwavering steadiness.
And I should mention that my mom would close herself off
in the kitchen every Saturday afternoon to listen and sing
to the Met. Need I explain more? Case closed.
But passionate involvement of recording and the subsequent
playback of music developed later. With it has come a richness,
many unforgettable experiences, and the evidence that music
is a balm for the soul.
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David Bunte is Program Director of both WBAA-AM and WBAA-FM.
David
has loved radio since he was five years old. He used to sit on the
floor next to the console radio in his parents living room, leaning
against the speaker so his older sister would not be pulled into
the world of The Shadow, The Whistler, and other
radio drama of the late '40s. At age seven he built a crystal set,
and placed the headphones inside his pillowcase so he could listen
after his parents assumed he was soundly asleep.
As
a seven-year-old, David also began listening to 78-rpm classical
recordings available at home. Chopin was his favorite and is still
very special to this day. He never got caught up in the pop music
craze that captivated so many of his teenage peers. In fact, he
heard about Elvis Presley for nearly two years before ever actually
hearing the idol sing.
A fascination
with the ability to communicate without wires drew him to amateur
radio in his early teens, and he became a licensed ham operator
in 1957. Other hobbies include woodworking, and pocket billiards.
David
attended Wheaton College and Elmhurst College, both in Illinois,
before transferring to Southern Illinois University, where he earned
his bachelor's degree in radio & television. During his freshman
year at Wheaton College, while working at the campus radio station,
he met Mary Carol Beversdorf, and the expression "love at first
sight" may be best understood in the context of their relationship,
which led to marriage in December of 1965. They moved to West Lafayette
in June of 1967 when David began working at WBAA as a graduate assistant.
Both David and Mary earned graduate degrees at Purdue — hers
in art education his in management. Mary is an artist who retired from the Tippecanoe School Corporation in 2007.
David and Mary have three daughters and are active members
of the West Lafayette Christian Church.
I was first introduced to public radio in college at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (WSIU) and knew this is what I wanted to do as a career. After working in newsrooms at public radio and commercial television stations, I am happy to be settling into my job at WBAA. I enjoy getting out and reporting, which allows me to meet people and learn new things about the community. I look forward to getting to know WBAA listeners better, so please say hello if you see me out and about, or at a station-sponsored event.
Away from the job, my wife, Jamie, and I are fixing up our house. It's a real adventure, since neither one of us have much home ownership experience. When I'm not doing that, I spend time running, reading a good biography, watching a movie, or cooking.
Jan Simon hosts classical music on WBAA 101.3 weekday
afternoons from 8 until noon.
The original catalyst for my passion for classical music
was "the world's greatest music appreciation teacher".
Although I majored in music education in college, I spent
a fair amount of my time chasing after male broadcasting
majors. Eventually landing a spot on the local campus station,
I abandoned all thoughts of being a music teacher and opted
for a career at the microphone instead.
I've hosted classical music programs for nearly 25 years,
beginning at KUOW at the University of Washington, and KING
in Seattle. I then headed south and worked at KFAC and KMZT
while residing in Los Angeles. From there, I traveled east
and joined the staff of XM Satellite Radio's "XM Classics".
In between classical jobs, and just for variety, I once
worked as a radio news anchor and reporter in Las Vegas.
I've also hosted and produced programs that showcase my
love of big band swing music and jazz.
One of my other passions is travel. A few years ago I made
a special pilgrimage to Vienna, intent on visiting as many
of Beethoven's dwellings as possible. Beethoven either left
or was thrown out of various lodgings numerous times; and
of his nearly 60 known Viennese addresses, I've made it
to about half a dozen so far. This could end up proving
to be a long-term project
WBAA was the first job I ever had, and 29 years later I’m
still here! I joined the WBAA staff in 1977, fresh out of
high school and as a temporary account clerk, wanting a
job with “variety” and “something interesting”.
I quickly became the permanent account clerk and then took
on the duties of the secretary and receptionist as well.
I had a lot of fun working at WBAA, but over time I realized
I wasn’t using my secretarial skills. Instead, I found
myself doing radio production. I started taking classes
at Purdue and in 1990 I achieved a bachelor's degree in
electrical engineering technology.
Wanting
to do something different with my knowledge (catch the trend?) I
moved into Operations officially and have been working with equipment,
helping others understand equipment and training/supervising students.
In my spare time I enjoy helping Maurie Mogridge with recording
of arts events. I’m an aspiring artist. I like to dabble
in fiber and anything else I can get my hands into. I’m
fond of glass lamp working, photography and I try to draw.
For vacations, send me somewhere I can go on day hikes and
enjoy the outdoors.
Thirteen years old… gunpowder accident... Dad says,
"Gotta get you into something useful." He got
in touch with DeVry Technical Institute. I was interviewed
and allowed to enroll in radio and television servicing
by correspondence.
I graduated from DeVry and high school simultaneously and
then enrolled at United Electronics Laboratories in Shively,
Kentucky. December 1963 found me with a diploma and an FCC
license in hand. I answered an ad for operators at WBAA,
was hired January 1964, and I'm now one of the "old
timers." |
