On the River’s Edge: Building Bridges Through Community Media

Conference Announcements

Rebecca Smith is a powerhouse in the media landscape. As a filmmaker, photographer, and entrepreneur, she brings over two decades of experience to the stage. She is the founder of BFRESH Productions and the CEO of SPEAK MPLS. In her session, "Meeting the Moment: Community Media on the Frontlines," Rebecca Smith will take us through the remarkable journey of SPEAK MPLS. Launched in 2020—a year defined by a global pandemic and a profound call for social justice—SPEAK MPLS had to find its footing during a period of collective grief and urgent local need. Rebecca will share how her team mobilized to provide real-time information, opened their studios for vital community conversations, and amplified messages of resilience.

Rebecca’s insights into navigating uncertainty and community recovery are more relevant than ever. This is a chance to see how public access can evolve from a traditional broadcast model into a dynamic, frontline community resource.

We're excited to share that Brian Utter is the selected inductee for 2026 in the Wisconsin Community Media Hall of Fame.

 Since beginning his career as a high school volunteer in the late 90s through his 15 years with McFarland, as the Cable Director, Brian's passion has consistently been to serve and advocate for community media. From keeping local channel programming visible on a preferred tier, to rebuilding head-ends for other community stations in neighboring communities such as Fitchburg, Stoughton, and Sun Prairie; Brian has consistently answered the call to support his fellow broadcasters when they need assistance.

 Brian continued to champion our mission beyond the confines of the station after leaving his position as Cable Director for McFarland in 2011. He took his advocacy efforts to the Village Board where he ensured that the values of community media were an integral part of the village's local governance.

Wisconsin Community Media is proud to honor Denise Rolfe with this year’s Friend of Access award. Denise has stood out as a steadfast champion for our work, ensuring the success of community media stations across the country. The award recognizes that our stations don't exist in a vacuum—they thrive because of people like Denise who advocate and support our stations and programming.