Our Mission at WGEN Radio and Wild World Media, Inc. is Simple. 

We strive to improve people’s lives by providing high quality educational and charitable programming to the northern Illinois broadcast area.

Wild World Media (WWM) accomplishes this through a variety of education programming designed to meet the needs and interests. WWM offers the following four broadcast educational programs and one technical educational program in order to provide services across a wide array of interests and needs:

1. Community News & Services Educational Program: WWM informs residents of news, services and resources in the local area for those in need. These include, but are not limited to: relevant news from the community of licensure, discussions about entitlement programs for low-income families, veterans’ issues, support for victims of domestic assault, and other social issues and concerns.

2. Family & Financial Educational Program: WWM educates residents in the listening area on relevant parenting and financial skills from childhood nutrition to retirement planning.

3. Humanities Educational Program: WWM provides a humanities education program to interest and inspire residents to learn more about music and literature. Broadcast programming will educate listeners on the history and development of different musical genres. Literature and literacy will be promoted as written works in the public domain for both children and adults are broadcast to listeners.

4. Outdoor Educational Program: WWM educates listeners on a wide array of outdoor topics to promote an active and healthy lifestyle and respect for the planet and the creatures we share it with. These include, but are not limited to outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing, domesticated animal care, agriculture, gardening, and conservation.

5. Radio Technical Educational Program: Lastly, WWM provides opportunities for individuals to participate and learn across the spectrum of radio broadcasting from programming and engineering to station management. WWM offers these opportunities through volunteering in various capacities and internships with the station.

Values
Fire fundamental values are the foundation of WWM. The values of Community, Communication, Optimism, Respect, and Empowerment are the very “CCORE” of how WWM conducts operations every day.

• Community: This is who we serve. All actions should make our station, our neighborhood, and our world better.

• Communication: This is how we serve. We serve our community by providing information to make people’s lives better.

• Optimism: This is how we communicate. WWM adds hope for those who are in need.

• Respect: This is how we treat our community and ourselves. Human dignity is invaluable to those in need.

• Empowerment: This is what we provide. By providing information and training, people can achieve their dreams

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A Message from our Founder, Georgia Graber:

I grew up in a small town listening to the radio. Everywhere. in my room at night, in the car, in the garden, working. I studied communications in college, worked for newspapers, did some PR work, married, raised my children and then, found myself divorced after 25 years.

With no real resume to fall back on, I did some voice over work, and I was an unhappy property manager who wanted to use her education. It had been an abusive marriage. My confidence did not exist.

One day, I wandered into an LPFM station and offered to write the news for them FOR FREE in exchange for a good reference if they felt I had earned it. I figured it would freshen my skills, add to the resume. Put me in my area again, rebuild my life. They laughed. Everyone there worked for free. They had me write the news, then I was reading it every morning, then I was doing some voice work for their sponsorship spots on the air. Then, the morning guy left, and less than two months after I wandered in, I found myself, terrified, doing the morning show. Alone. I did it for about 5 years. I went to the internet, I grew an audience.

I loved waking people up. I loved helping people. I met, good, kind, caring people who wanted to make the world a better place. I wanted to do more. But to do that, to really get educational programming on for children, to help other non profits as they helped our world, I needed to do it better.

This is my attempt at that. I agreed to continue to do the show for three years, every morning, Monday through Friday, from 5 am to 10 am, to help secure the sponsorships for such a station.

I formed a non profit, the Board of Directors waitied patiently as we found a station, purchased her, and are now putting all the pieces together to bring my dream to Monee, IL. I am grateful for the kind help and assistance of many people on this journey and with the help of our listening communities, our volunteers, and some luck, and a lot of hard work, we can really be the change we want to see in this little corner of the world. One show at a time, one volunteer at a time, one day at a time.

I want to do for others, what was done, so graciously, for me....I want to train volunteers to do radio shows. I want them to feel the joy of helping others. I want to thank all those who have helped me become so much stronger by helping others. I want to continue to introduce and interview other people in the world who are working to help their fellow man.

Yes, WGEN-FM is a pay-it-forward effort. If you will allow us, I think we will entertain and inform you. If you'll help us, we will make you smile and fulfill our mission. For that opportunity, you have my gratitude.
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Biographies:

Georgia Graber:

Georgia Graber was born in Louisville, KY and graduated from Arcadia High School, Arcadia, OH. She attended the University of Toledo, Toledo, OH receiving a degree in Communications.

Ms. Graber has worked in the communications field as a stringer, reporter, associate editor, editor, photographer, voice over artist, radio show host, producer and on air personality. She has been working in the Communications field since 14 years of age.
Her interests include music -- singing in her bands, flower and vegetable gardening, her pets, hiking, biking, sport shooting, children, education, teaching, veterans causes, volunteering, cooking, knitting, reading, travel, fishing and being on or near the water.

She formed Wild World Media, Inc. to further her educational vision through the Communications field and to return the many kindnesses shown her over the years by working to assist her fellow man. She credits her 10 years in broadcasting, both internet and radio with her ability to thrive and return good work to her community.

Ms. Graber is President and founding member of Wild World Media, Inc. and is responsible for the day to day operations of WGEN-FM, Monee, as well as Hosting and Producing This Morning With Georgia Lee, weekdays.

Scott Hallstrom:

Scott Hallstrom is a lifelong Illinois resident.  He attended the University of Illinois pursuing a business degree. He joined a National Recruitment Organization, as a professional Recruiter serving the high technology industry in 1975 and advanced into ownership of same firm in 1983. Since then, he has continued to run the same firm and services a wide range of corporate clients including large Business, Defense, Semiconductor and Aerospace companies in the US. He holds a wide range of interests including business and many outdoor activities.

He joined the Board of WGEN-FM in 2016 to support its mission to develop educational programming, to support the local community of record and meet the needs and interests of residents.

John G. Krampien:

John G. Krampien is originally from Lake Villa, Illinois and received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 2006 and an MPA from the University of South Carolina in 2016. From 2006 to 2014 John was employed as a leader and manager in a large public organization in positions of increasing responsibility. John is currently employed as a strategist for the same public organization.

John’s interest in Wild World Media has grown out of his commitment to public service, especially to the Chicagoland community and hopes that WWM can make a difference to the local community in areas like literacy, blood donation, and veterans’ issues. John has been married for ten years and has two daughters.

He received his undergraduate degree in political science and was commissioned an armor officer from the United States Military Academy in 2006. He is a 2016 Graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Master’s degree in Public Administration. While attending graduate school, he applied for transfer into his employer's strategist functional area and was accepted.

John Webb:

John Webb was born in Newport, AR, and attended Zion Benton High School, graduating in 1966. He attended Lake Forest School of Management obtaining his Associates Degree in 1980. He has been in business since 1983 and has owned and operated Intrepid Molding since 1995.

He is interested in cars, racing and Sudoku puzzles.

He joined the Board of Wild World Media, Inc. in 2015 to support the educational mission of the organization and to act as Treasurer on the Board of Directors.

Wild World Media, Inc. ByLaws