Dylan Eckhart, who graduated in May from UW–Oshkosh, is working on-air for WAOW TV in Wausau.
Just a few months ago, Dylan Eckhart, ’25, was behind the mic at UW–Oshkosh’s Kolf Sports Center, calling Titan basketball playoff games for campus radio and TV. By late July, he was in Green Bay for WAOW-TV 9 in Wausau covering the first day of Green Bay Packers training camp—where players ride kids’ bikes through crowds of cheering fans, a beloved Packers tradition.
Hired less than a month after graduating in May 2025, Eckhart jumped straight into professional broadcast journalism, bringing with him the real-world experience and confidence he built through UW–Oshkosh’s radio TV film program.
Dylan Eckhart, left, and fellow radio TV film student Jacob Link, traveled to the
UWO Women’s Basketball Final Four game in Salem, Virginia,
in March 2025, to broadcast the game live on WRST.
The Bristol, Wisconsin, native stepped into the role with confidence and with good reason. At UWO, Eckhart immersed himself in the University’s radio TV film program, gaining hands-on experience in both radio and television. From play-by-play announcing on WRST to directing and producing a season of Hot Wings Hot Takes for Titan TV, he left campus with a strong portfolio and real-world skills.
His work at UWO didn’t go unnoticed. As a student, Eckhart earned multiple awards for excellence in broadcast journalism, including honors from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and College Broadcasters, Inc. He was recognized for both his on-air delivery and behind-the-scenes production. Now at WAOW, he’s putting that experience to work as a one-person news team–shooting, editing, writing and reporting daily stories for the evening broadcast.
RTF instructor Wendall Ray, general manager, 90.3 WRST-FM, wasn’t at all surprised that Eckhart landed a plum on-air gig.
“Dylan was an outstanding RTF student,” said Ray, who Eckhart lauds as a great mentor and instructor. “He exemplifies what can happen when students immerse themselves in the opportunities provided by WRST and Titan TV.”
Justine Stokes
Titan TV General Manager and RTF instructor Justine Stokes said Eckhart, who had focused on radio the first three years at UWO, came into the TV realm late in his college career.
“Dylan brought a wealth of knowledge of producing and was comfortable on the mic; he was just missing the TV broadcasting experience,” she said. “I think some students pigeonhole themselves to one area of the major, and don’t always see the benefit of working across different mediums. Dylan really saw the benefits of working in both radio and TV— and how that could make him highly desirable when he graduated.”
Eckhart credits his experience at UWO for preparing him to face the challenges of the fast-paced world of local TV news.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without UW Oshkosh,” he said. “Everything I’m doing now in the newsroom, I learned first through Titan TV and WRST.”
In this Q & A, Eckhart shares more about his first job out of college, the classes and mentors that shaped him and the UWO experiences that laid the foundation for his career.
Dylan Eckhart peers out of the media booth at Titan Stadium as he calls a
UWO football game for WRST, the campus radio station.
What did you want to be when you were a kid, and what led you to choose this field?
As any little kid growing up, I wanted to be a professional athlete. I played baseball and football when I was young and thought I’d be playing them all my life. But the older I got, the more I realized that probably wasn’t going to happen. That’s when I started thinking about other ways to stay involved with sports. I found an interest in being the guy who could talk about it, someone who could tell the story. From there, I found a passion for play-by-play announcing, and that’s something I still want to pursue full time. It became clear pretty quickly that this was a way I could still be part of the action, even if I wasn’t the one out on the field.
What made you choose UW–Oshkosh?
I knew coming out of high school that I wanted to go into sports broadcasting. When I looked into programs, UW–Oshkosh stood out immediately. The RTF program had a reputation for being hands-on from day one and I saw that students were doing real-world work. I wanted to be somewhere that would let me jump in right away. It became a no-brainer; UWO was the only school I applied to.
How did your classroom experience at UWO connect with what you’re doing now?
It’s honestly kind of wild how closely what I do now mirrors what I learned in the classroom at UW–Oshkosh. My job at WAOW right now is a solo operation; I’m out there every day as a one-person crew. I shoot all my own videos, I write my own scripts, I edit the footage, and I record my own stand-ups. That might sound like a lot, but it’s exactly the kind of training I got through UWO’s Radio TV Film program.
One of the classes that had the biggest impact on me was Studio Production with Justine Stokes. Before that class, I didn’t really understand how a full studio environment functioned, how all the pieces came together behind the scenes. That class opened up a whole new side of broadcasting for me. I learned how to think like a producer, how to anticipate problems, how to communicate clearly on a team and how to handle pressure when something went wrong. It pushed me to be adaptable, which is one of the most valuable skills I have now.
Wendell Ray
Then there was sports broadcasting with Wendell Ray. That class was huge for me because it connected directly to what I was most passionate about, play-by-play and live game coverage. But it wasn’t just about calling the action. Wendell taught us how to prepare professionally. We learned how to do deep research on teams and players, how to craft compelling storylines that went beyond the score, and how to approach interviews in a way that builds trust with your sources. He helped me understand the importance of being thoughtful and deliberate in my prep work.
What was your first week on the job like at WAOW?
I started on Monday, June 23, and for the first couple of days, I was shadowing some of the other reporters. I was learning the editing system, learning the software and figuring out how everything worked. That gave me a feel for how they do things here.
By Friday, I was already out in the field by myself. (Note: You can read/watch Eckhart’s first solo assignment here.) My work day is like this: I come in at 9 a.m., get my assignment, make phone calls, arrange any interviews and figure out where I need to go. Sometimes everything’s already lined up, and I can just go meet the person and knock the interview out right away. That’s a whole skill in itself, being able to talk to someone comfortably and ask good questions.
Dylan Eckhart, a May 2025 graduate of UW–Oshkosh, reported from Lambeau Field just weeks
after starting with WAOK TV in Wausau.
Then I shoot the B-roll, write the script, position myself for the stand-up and record everything I need. I’m usually back at the station in the afternoon, around two or three, writing and putting the whole story together. It’s a lot, but honestly, I felt prepared.
A big reason for that is UW–Oshkosh. Through WRST and Titan TV, I had already done all those things. The experience I got there made the transition to this job feel a lot smoother.
What was one of your favorite memories from your time at UWO?
There are a lot of memorable experiences I had with sports alone, but my favorite was covering the women’s basketball team in the NCAA Playoffs (Spring 2025). They hosted the first round at the Kolf Sports Center, and there was an electric feeling with each game that the broadcast team was able to feed off of. We got to travel to Salem, Virginia, to call the team’s appearance in the Final Four, which was such a neat experience. Being in an environment that is filled with passionate fans, family members and players, makes it so much easier to have a good call, and live in the moment.
Dylan Eckhart, center, who graduated in May from
the UWO radio TV film program, pauses for
a photo with his brother Dane; father Jake;
mom Julie; and brother Drew.
How did your family react to you getting this job?
They were absolutely thrilled. There was a lot of uncertainty before graduation and I didn’t know whether I’d end up in radio or TV. My parents kept asking, ‘What’s next?’ and for a while I didn’t have an answer. So when I got the offer from WAOW, it felt like a huge relief. Now they watch my stories online whenever they can. My mom’s always posting them on Facebook. They’ve been so supportive.
Think back to your freshman self, what advice would you give that first-year student or students thinking about going into radio, TV or film?
I would tell myself to try to get involved in everything the major has to offer. I was mostly involved with radio my first couple years and didn’t really get super involved in television until my senior year. At the start of senior year, I felt as if I was playing catch-up, and having to learn and review things I felt I should have already got involved in. It obviously worked out, as I landed a job in television, but it was overwhelming at first. That’s the main thing I would tell my freshman self, or anyone thinking about Radio TV Film: get involved in as much as you can.
How has your education at UW–Oshkosh helped with what you do now?
I wouldn’t be where I am today, or the rest of my life, without my education at UW–Oshkosh. Everything I do on a daily basis, I have had experience with because of the radio TV film program. At WAOW, I am shooting video, interviewing, writing scripts and reporting every day. All that experience began in the WRST or Titan TV studios.
Learn more:
UWO RTF alumna leads off with Red Sox media team less than year from graduation
Written by Grace Lim
Link to original story: https://www.uwosh.edu/today/127751/hes-already-a-tv-news-guy-uwo-radio-tv-film-alum-lands-on-air-spot-weeks-after-graduation/