Rob Ferrett has been in radio for decades, but that was never his aim.
“I kind of backed into it,” he said. “I never intended to get into radio full time.”
Back in 1991, Rob moved from Michigan to Wisconsin to attend grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But it wasn’t to study in the field of broadcasting.
“I wanted to be an academic,” Rob said.
His preferred field? Cultural Anthropology.
It was that curiosity of human nature that led Rob to start working part time in community radio, helping tell the stories of the people around him.
It wasn’t long before he started to make radio broadcasting his new career.
By 1999, Rob was married and began a new job at Wisconsin Public Radio. He started out as a producer on the “Tom Clark Show.” Over the years he worked his way up to being a fill-in host, and eventually the full-time creator and host of “Central Time” on The Ideas Network.
Rob started a new chapter at WPR as the co-host of “Wisconsin Today” on the WPR News Network in 2024. Together, he and co-host Kate Archer Kent bring a human element to the news of the day. He says his curiosity and love of people continues to drive him every day.
“What I love about it is whether it’s a serious topic or lighter stuff, getting to talk to people who are doing great things for their community,” Rob said.
“People who see a problem and find a way to fix it or work some magic in their community.”
When he’s not hosting, Rob turns to the world of music. He plays saxophone in a local rock band (the group has even put out a few albums) and recently started experimenting with electronic music.
And if you’re lucky enough to meet or talk with Rob, you’ll notice one thing above all else.
“I really hope my colleagues appreciate my sense of humor,” he said. “If I’m half as funny as I think I am, I’m pretty funny.”
