Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Thursday, July 03, 2008
Gilbertson, Walby bring radio listeners the action
When two people have covered as many games as WVRQ's sports broadcasting duo, Gary Gilbertson and Pete Walby, in 40 years, you're bound to hear a couple of stories — a couple hundred, actually, give or take a decade.
Walby said between him and Gilbertson, they've broadcasted more than 5,000 high school spring baseball and softball, summer Legion, football, volleyball, girls and boys basketball and wrestling events.
From late August, with the advent of football, to the state Legion tournament in early August, Walby and Gilbertson broadcast between 160 to 165 games and matches. This comes out of eight sports in 11 schools in and around the area.
 Pete Walby (left) and Gary Gilbertson do play-by-play at a recent Viroqua American Legion baseball game. Walby and Gilbertson have called games together for Viroqua's radio stations for 40 years. (Jennifer Wieman photo) |
At 61 and 65 years old respectively, Gilbertson and Walby have broadcasted to several generations of listeners. It is the youth they cover, they said, which has kept them young at heart. Laughter is a big part of that, too.
All the stories Gilbertson and Walby tell include the funny ones, like that trip to Tomah, where they took an illegal U-turn in front of the State Patrol headquarters; or the emotional ones, like covering the WIAA State Wrestling tournament after the death of Viroqua wrestler Cory Henry in 2002.
Of course, with Walby and Gilbertson, there’s just the plain odd — such as when they came over a hill driving into Fennimore only to see a bull standing in the middle of the road.
"We could talk forever," Walby said. "Because when you've done that many ball games and driven that many hundreds of thousands of miles together and done so many things together, there is so much out there."
Their partnership started in March of 1969, covering a boys basketball regional final. Walby got a sense from Gilbertson right away that he was working with a fellow "Norwegian goofball." Gilbertson said those first few games were all business. That’s where they gauged each other's personalities and also to see how well the other could take a joke.
"We still can't take a joke," Walby said with a laugh. "But we got to know each other real fast, and in all honesty, I think we are more like brothers than we are like friends."
That's not to say they don't disagree on certain points.
"One of the few things we don't agree on is coffee," Gilbertson said.
In 40 years, Walby has downed only three cups of coffee. He likes the smell of it, but he can't stand how it tastes. Gilbertson, meanwhile, drinks it every day.
Their broadcasting style is suited to give the audience a real feel for the venue and emotions of the contest.
"In my case, I can't speak for Gary in this area, but I always try to make it as interesting as possible and bring the person to the event, so if they're there, they can see what I'm talking about," Walby said.
They’re also both known for being brutally honest, on both play and officiating
“Walby said if there's an error at third base, he's going to report on the error at third base.
Over the years, Walby has written on note cards the miles and distance from Viroqua to practically everywhere they've broadcasted. Walby adds to the list with each new place he and Gilbertson travel. Darlington, for example, is 95 miles and an hour and 45 minutes from Viroqua.
Walby used to have a full-time job at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse until his retirement in 2000.
"I'd get up early in the morning, drive to work, work an eight-, nine-, 10-hour day, jump in the car and go broadcast a ball game.”
That was usually three or four nights a week.
When Walby retired, he began helping Gilbertson with the softball and baseball games.
Gilbertson is sports director and also involved in sales at WVRQ.
When asked what games stick out most in their minds, Gilbertson said it's hard for him to pinpoint just one.
"So many fantastic things have happened," Gilbertson said. "…Like we remember the first state football championship for De Soto from 1976 and Westby two years later in '78, Viroqua boys (basketball and baseball) went to state in 1980… Kee High going to state in baseball."
But the one which Walby will always remember, wasn't even a game or a match. It was the ovation from the crowd at the state wrestling tournament at the Kohl Center for Viroqua’s Cory Henry in 2002. Almost two weeks prior to the state tournament, Henry, died in a vehicle accident.
Walby said after the awards were all handed out, the wrestlers placing first and fifth paid hommage to Henry by holding up his warm-up jacket over the first place stand on the podium.
The sight left everyone at the Kohl Center speechless.
"Then 17,000 people came to their feet in one standing ovation that lasted for minute after minute after minute," Walby said.
What composure Gilbert-son and Walby had after seeing that, was gone.
"Just listen," Walby told the listening audience that night.
Gilbertson and Walby credit their radio longevity to their loyal listenership, their sponsors, and more importantly the support of their wives, Judy and Sue, and their children.
"Our kids put up with a lot time that we weren't with them, so we could bring broadcasts of other people's kids to the airwaves," Walby said.
And people have listened, and will keep hearing Gilbertson and Walby bring area athletes to life over the airwaves.
WVRQ ON THE AIR FOR 50 YEARS
Community radio got its start in Viroqua when the switch was flipped on Feb. 25, 1958, starting WVRQ’s broadcasting tenure.
It was only a 500-watt daytime station. In the early 1960's, WVRQ upgraded to 1,000 watts and in 1967 expanded to FM with Q102.
Parks Robinson started the station. Jim Graham, 71, who today works part time at the station said they went on the air that afternoon.
David Robinson, who took over as the station's manger when his dad, Parks retired, said his family scouted a station in Minnesota before settling in Viroqua.
When they arrived in Minnesota, they found the station had been sold. On the drive back, David said his parents, Parks and Lenore, looked at other communities, which could support a radio station.
Then one morning they had breakfast in this small, traditional, but in a lot of ways progressive, city called Viroqua.
Driving through, David's parents noticed that they didn't see any sign of a radio tower.
"So they turned around and went back and asked somebody where the radio station was," David Robinson said.
When Parks found that Viroqua didn't have one, his interest perked up.
David's parents came back later after that initial drive through to do the preliminary engineering work and make an application for broadcasting over the airwaves.
Helen Endicott, who is a resident at Bethel Home in Viroqua and in her early 90s, has been a faithful listener of WVRQ .
Recently, Endicott called Gary Gilbertson to compliment him on his "Old Time Music Show." Flattered, Gilbertson asked Endicott if she'd been listening to the radio for a while.
"She started laughing," Gilbertson said.
"I remember the day they threw the switch on. I could hardly wait," Endicott told Gilbertson.
The station has retained two original staff members from 1958, Jim Graham and Dwain Munyon. They still work at the station. Graham was the first one Parks hired. Munyon was the second.
Gilbertson said the station’s personality came from Parks Robinson.
"He wanted it to be an area station, not a Viroqua station," Gilbertson said. "Parks was always concerned about the area."
Graham said the station had programming, such as the “Good Morning Show,” which he hosted, news programs, a stock report, “Around Vernon County,” “Around the Coffee Cup,” which catered to the ladies in the county, Graham said; Wisconsin and local news, “The Mail Train” which was big with the younger generation, calling in song requests, as well as “The Birthday Club,” which took birthday requests.
David said his parents had talked to other radio broadcasters who also looked at Viroqua as a possible site. They thought it was too small to support a station.
"Parks had the last laugh on that, didn't he," Gilbertson said.
"Yeah, he sure did," Walby said.
Some time this summer, Vernon Communications will install audio and visual equipment, which will televise WVRQ radio programs like Ernie Betts' morning show, “The Old-Time Music Show” and the noon hour from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m on community channel 14, which will be exclusive to people who have service through Vernon Telephone, Howard Sherpe, marketing manager for Vernon Communications said.
“I think it is pretty unique,” Sherpe said. “We’re going to give a try and see what happens.
Just another example of the evolution of WVRQ.
All stories copyright 2006 Vernon Broadcaster and other attributed sources.