Michael Feldman to Speak at Wisconsin Public Radio Eau Claire Listeners Dinner

Michael Feldman, host of the nationally syndicated comedy quiz-show Whad’Ya Know?, will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 Wisconsin Public Radio Listeners Dinner on Wednesday, April 30 at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie.

Due to heavy demand, the dinner is sold out, but tickets are now available for listeners who would like to attend only the program from the stage of the Landmark Theater at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 715-839-3868 or 800-228-5615 during regular business hours. Checks may be sent to Wisconsin Public Radio, 1221 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI, 54701. Tickets are $5, and spots must be reserved by April 23. Seating is limited.

Whad’Ya Know? originates from Wisconsin Public Radio, and is heard on more than 300 stations around the United States. In western Wisconsin, the live broadcast is heard each Saturday 10 a.m.-noon on 88.3 WHWC/ Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7 WRFW/ River Falls. A repeat of that program is heard Sundays at 8 p.m. on 89.7 WUEC/ Eau Claire and 90.7 WVSS/ Menomonie.

Feldman got a start at Wisconsin Public Radio with a weekly show on Saturdays called High Noon. In 1985, he was offered a live weekly show with a live band, audience and call-in, that was designed for national release. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Whad’Ya Know? was born, and Feldman’s show can now be heard on public radio stations across the country.

At the beginning of each show, Feldman ritually asks, “Well, whad’ya know?” The studio audience yells back in unison, “Not much! You?” Feldman’s show starts with “All the News that Isn’t,” a series of jokes about the day’s happenings. Next, he may do an offbeat interview or phone-out. In “Thanks for the Memos,” he reads actual office memos. One example corrects an error in medical check-up guidelines —"No, we are not recommending prostate exams for females."

Feldman’s sense of humor and wacky style are sure to please any crowd and his keynote speech at the Listeners Dinner is sure to be entertaining.

In addition to Feldman’s keynote, attendees will hear updates about Wisconsin Public Radio from Phil Corriveau, Director of Radio; Dean Kallenbach, Regional Manager; Kathy Stahl, host of Spectrum West; and Mary Jo Wagner, host of The West Side.