A longtime Oshkosh Media producer and former Oshkosh Media board member is the Your Monthly Community News’s March Producer of the Month.

John Nieman has been volunteering and producing his shows “Helping Hands” and “The Place To Be Oshkosh” for a combined 21 years. After serving on the Board of Directors plus two other committees, John decided to switch roles and become a producer at the facility. “I was on the Board, and the PR and Special Events Committees. Then 21 years ago, I decided upon a new venture and produced my very own show in our wonderful community. My show has been on for 21 years [and] won quite a few awards. [It’s great to have] not just me, but my family has grown up in Oshkosh Media and I’ve been able to cover their fundraising events and parades.”

John says people interested in making shows or getting involved in community media should not worry about it being difficult. “Speak with your local access station. They are so very kind and helpful. It’s a great way to get involved with and support your community.”

Nieman tells us there is now and probably always will be a role for community media across Wisconsin. “It’s so very important to be informed. At Oshkosh Media, we have Council meetings, School Board meetings, County Board meetings, City Manager updates, and then all of our wonderful community shows. They also cover local events and all of our parades. I’ve been very fortunate to be the commentator for the 4th of July parade for many years – just because someone asked me.”

John also says that he really enjoys what he does with Oshkosh Media and is thankful for the opportunity to help get the word out about smaller groups in the area. “I truly love the crew at Oshkosh Media and the passion they have to cover our community. During my 21 years hosting “Helping Hands” and then “The Place To Be Oshkosh” I have been able to offer PR to a lot of smaller non-profits who don’t have the means to get the word out. My show runs 5 of the 7 days of the week for the month. It’s a great way to get the word out and also spotlight all those wonderful groups and organizations in our community.”

In one of Ed’s earlier interviews he talks with John Holland from the Oshkosh Fire Department about fire safety for people with disabilities.

When Ed Kastern decided three years ago that he wanted to do a show with Oshkosh Media, he was a little nervous about approaching them. He wanted to make a long-term commitment to do the show, but he wasn’t sure how it would go. Ed has cerebral palsey, which has put him in a wheelchair. “At UW-Oshkosh I majored in Theater and minored in Radio/TV, so this was a dream of mine and I really had to get my nerve up to ask,” said Ed. Thirty shows later, it’s clear Making It Happen has carved out a niche in the talk show genre. His shows have a frank directness that brings out the same in his guests. The show’s name, "Making It Happen," surely reflects his own approach to life and the lives of those he routinely interviews.

He talks to a variety of people, but all of them in some way have been "making it happen." American Idol contestant Franki Moscato shared her latest music video, talked about her efforts to combat online bullying, and sang a little for Ed. Pam Schedivy, the Exalted Ruler of Oshkosh 292 Elks Club, talked about leading the club as a woman and what it’s like to be legally blind. In another episode, his guest Tanner talked about what its like living with schizophrenia. During the pandemic, Ed couldn’t do the show from the Oshkosh Media studio, so he did it from home on Zoom. One of his guests during that time was Oshkosh bar owner Mark Schultz, who was hospitalized with COVID and documented his experience with a series of videos.

The first guest Ed had on his first show was Joe Sosinski, his Special Olympics coach. Ed has been participating in Special Olympics for 33 years, so it was a natural choice. Ed knows his way around Special Olympics, having competed in bowling, basketball, track and field, gymnastics, and power lifting. He’s about to begin a part-time position with Special Olympics as part of the Unified Leadership Task Force, teaching classes online and soon in-person. Jeanne Hrovat, Ed’s supervisor at Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI), said of Ed’s new position, “SOWI is thrilled to have Edward Kastern on staff sharing his unique perspective on inclusion through his role on the Unified Leadership Task Force. As Edward’s supervisor and colleague, I am constantly learning from him and I am certain that he makes me a better employee and citizen. For almost 50 years, SOWI has been leading the way for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) to be included on the sports field and in their communities. Edward’s leadership, both within the SOWI community and the greater Oshkosh community, is a perfect example of what our athletes are capable of when inclusion is the name of the game. We couldn’t be more proud of Edward for being highlighted as WCM’s Producer of the Month.”

Jake Timm, Operations Coordinator at Oshkosh Media, who has worked with Ed over the last several years said of the show, “Making it Happen is a great title for Ed’s show, because he is someone who makes things happen in this community and in life. He and his crew work hard on the show and Oshkosh Media is very proud of community producers like Ed who highlight the good that is going on in our city.”

It was inevitable that during the interview for this article, Ed turned the tables and started interviewing me, but since he was almost to his destination – he was headed to Wisconsin Dells for a dance competition – he was only able to get a few questions in!

Ed Kastern interviews Olympic speed skater Brian Hansen, who won a silver medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics.