Terry Baun
Terry Baun
1947 – 2022
Terry Baun, an accomplished broadcast engineer who enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experience, succumbed to health issues and passed away on January 1st at the age of 74.
Terrence Baun
1947 – January 1, 2022
Terry graduated from Marquette University, entering the broadcast industry in 1967 at WFMR-FM, Milwaukee.
Over the years, he built his reputation as a sharp engineer who was willing to help others in Wisconsin and nationally. In addition to operating his own consulting firm, Criterion Broadcast Services, he worked for Sudbrink Broadcasting, Multimedia Broadcasting, Cumulus Broadcasting, and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
Starting in 1995, Terry was the Chief Inspector for the ABIP in Wisconsin, as well as active in doing inspections in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. His emphasis on helping stations achieve compliance was matched by his willingness to mentor more than find and cite violations. Another of his accomplishments was setting up an “engineering hotline” in 2000 that he answered 24/7 to help others in difficulty.
Many broadcasters know Terry from his years as an active SBE member: he was President (1995-97), Board Member, Certification Committee member (and Chair) – certified CPBE, AMD, and CBNT – Chapter Chairman, and later named a Fellow of the SBE (1999). It was at the SBE that he met his future wife, Linda (Godby), whom he married in since September 2002.
Richard Rudman, another former SBE President notes: “I first met Terry when I served on the Board of Directors of the SBE in the 80’s. Terry was an able and strong supporter of SBE to the benefit of all broadcast engineers. Terry will be remembered by his friends and fellow engineers as a patient, warm, caring person who was a real friend as well as a colleague.
“I know that Terry believed in the importance of radio as a medium that not only entertains and informs, but can save lives and property with timely emergency information when all else fails. Terry never failed us, and I will continue to remind myself of Terry as well as all our colleagues who have passed who invested of themselves in our profession’s survival and its future.”
Richard Hyatt added: “Terry Baun was one of the “best-of-the-best.” He wrote the formative engineering mission and vision statement for Cumulus Broadcasting, which had at its core a foundation of personal and professional integrity, and excellence in everything. Terry hired me to oversee the engineering for the CMLS facilities in the state of Maine, and there was no doubt as to his commitment to the growth of his personnel, as much as to “his” properties.” … “he will genuinely be missed, wherever gentlemen broadcast engineers may gather.”
Terry was also a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE), and the IEEE.
Over the years, Terry authored a number of articles in the trade press, and was also a co-author for an NAB Engineering Handbook chapter on facilities documentation. He “retired” in 2017.
Among his awards: 1991 SBE Broadcast Engineer of the Yea; 2003 SBE Educator of the Year; 2004 Wisconsin Broadcasters’ Association Foundation Hall of Fame; and 2010 The SBE John Battison Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Among his avocations: trains, Rock artists Fleetwood Mac and the Beatles, classical music, Football (especially the Packers), and family. Terry is survived by his wife, Linda, stepdaughters Leslie (Wood) and Stacey (Overman), and their five grandchildren.
His final request was for a party … (on January 16, 2022) … to bring all his many friends together to remember him and his contributions to the industry.
A nice video about Terry’s broadcast life is on the Wisconsin Broadcasters’ Association site. The WBA was also source for some detail and the pictures.
– – –
You are invited to subscribe to the one-time-a-week BDR Newsletter.
It only takes 30 seconds right here – and we promise not to flood your inbox.