About WTIP

WTIP is the first and only community radio station broadcasting on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Here, visitors and residents spread out over 1500 square miles of woods and waters come together through WTIP, a non-profit organization that provides an arena for information-gathering, discussion, and expression.

WTIP was launched by a small group of pioneering volunteers sitting around a kitchen table who believed that community radio in Cook County could play an important role in building a sense of shared community.

Since our inception in April 1998, the need and demand for WTIP’s services has...

In the summer of 2009, WTIP partnered with the Northwoods Food Project to create a community garden on site at WTIP. The project was in direct response to community needs, and was funded by the “Engaging Communities on the Economy” grant from the National Center for Media Engagement.
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Rose at LC storytelling July 09  03.jpg
Rose has been a volunteer with WTIP since Valentine's Day 2009.  She is the creator and voice of the Saturday Morning Story, featured on North Shore Weekend.  Some...
Ann Possis
Volunteer since: 
2001   

All the ways I contribute to WTIP...
AM Community Calendar host,...
Fred Smith
Volunteer since:
2008

All the ways I contribute to WTIP...
the creator and voice of...

The WTIP Board of Directors works to uphold WTIP’s mission at all levels of the station’s operations. The Board of Directors meets at WTIP on the third Thursday of every month at 4 p.m. and all meetings are open to the public. For more information about the board contact Deb Benedict.

Current members:

Ann Possis –  President                 3/2014
Greg...
The Community Advisory Board meets annually to discuss WTIP programming as well as the station's integration in and service to the larger community.

As of Fall 2012, CAB members are:

Anna Hamilton   
Bill Hansen   
Dave Seaton       
Deb Westby   
Jennifer Schulz   
Mike LaVigne   
Sue Hakes   
...
Winners in the 2012 Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters news contest have been announced. WTIP is in a class for stations with more than one and less than three full time staff in the news department.

The station took First in the “Feature” category for... See all »
AMPERS
AMPERS, Diverse Radio for Minnesota's Communities, is the second largest public radio network in the state of Minnesota and one of the largest public radio networks of its kind in the United States. Each member station is independently licensed and managed, locally responsive, and community-based. Ampers is comprised of 12 independent public radio stations across our... See all »
Carah Thomas
Carah joined the WTIP news team as a reporter in the fall of 2009. Carah has a background in photojournalism which includes a student internship with the Miami Herald, freelance work for the Associated Press, and two years as a staff photographer at a large daily newspaper.  Carah has also...
Cathy Quinn
Cathy Quinn has been working and volunteering at WTIP since the station went on the air in 1998. She started off hosting the AM Community Calendar and has worn many hats at the station since then.  Currently she's the music director and host of the station's weekday eclectic music show...
Deb Benedict
Deb Benedict has been WTIP’s executive director since 2001. Under her leadership, the station has grown to over 800 members and now numbers over 70 on-air volunteers and eight staff. All this growth lead Deb to pursue the purchase of a new home for the station, nearly tripling the size of its...
Jana facepainting at 2011 Radio Waves
Jana started at WTIP in November of 2007 as the Development Assistant.  Since then she's morphed into the Office Administrator (as Deb likes to say...) and continues to amaze some of her co-workers with her knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, and her ability to create last-minute...
Jay Andersen
Jay was born in a log cabin near Springfield Mo. In 18--- wrong bio.
Jay Andersen joined WTIP as a news reporter in June of 2008. He has a long background in news gathering, having previously been editor at two community newspapers. Between editing jobs Andersen worked as a ...

Jeff Nemitz
Jeff Nemitz is WTIP’s engineer extraordinaire. Jeff’s skills and abilities keep WTIP’s signal on the air. When not trouble shooting technical problems, Jeff can be found sailing around Devil Track Lake...
Kelly Schoenfelder
Kelly joined WTIP in April of 2010 as an intern, and then eventually graduated to the position of production assistant after she finished her B.A. in journalism at the University of Minnesota. She became WTIP Program Director in March...
Matt Brown
Matthew has been volunteering at WTIP since the early days and is currently the host of "Side Tracks". He likes the variety of the radio station, all the local music and Lake Superior. His dog is Jasper.
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Melanie_Steele
Melanie has been WTIP's Development Director for several years. When she isn't writing grants, thanking donors, or planning the next membership drive, she can be found hiking with her daughter, gardening, or writing by the lake.
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