By Taylor J. Hale
Staff Writer

STEVENS POINT – Many longtime readers of the Gazette look forward to Jim Schuh’s weekly column. Whether the topic is food waste or the American economy, the local personality has a strong following that he has developed over the last several decades of working in local media and education.

Schuh first started in the news industry in Milwaukee at WMVS-TV in 1957. The young broadcaster worked his way through his bachelor’s degree while reporting metro area news, graduating from the Marquette University College of Speech in 1962. Just a year after his graduation, Schuh took a plunge and moved to Stevens Point.

“I arrived from Milwaukee in October 1963,” Schuh said. “Lived in Point until 1987, then moved to (my) present location in Plover.” He started at WSPT/WXYQ – Stevens Point Broadcasting Company – as an on-air personality and later acquired the role of news director.

After working his way through the different roles required at a news organization, Schuh started as an adjunct professor at UW-Stevens Point in the communications department in 1982.

“I taught broadcasting courses at UWSP for 32 years and enjoyed lots of community service,” Schuh explained.

Schuh, however, did not fully delve into writing until he was in his 60s. “Most of my career was in broadcasting. The newspaper phase began in 1999. Stevens Point Journal Editor Debbie Bradley started me in writing a newspaper column when she asked me to do it after we sold WIZD in early 1999.

“A longtime friend, George Rogers, part of the Journal ownership and editor, then asked me a short time later if I’d like to join with him and others, including Gene Kemmeter, in re-establishing the Gazette. I invested and became part of the ownership and also managed the paper for a time. I also switched the weekly column from the Journal to the Gazette, and I’ve written the column ever since.”

Whether you know him as a professor or a Stevens Point commentary, Schuh has made an imprint on the Stevens Point community. His role in developing the Gazette has helped create a legacy of local news in the city.

Schuh, and other founding members, developed the Gazette with one simple goal in mind: “The Gazette founding group felt local news was getting short-shrift. So, we joined in and started the Gazette,” Schuh stated.

See Schuh’s weekly column in the Commentary section of this publication.