[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 168 (Tuesday, November 10, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11340-S11341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TIM JOHNSON

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, a voice familiar to thousands of 
Vermonters was singled out for special recognition this past weekend.
  Tim Johnson, a broadcaster who has long made Brattleboro's WTSA Radio

[[Page S11341]]

his home, was honored by the town of Brattleboro and the Vermont 
Association of Broadcasters.
  Tim's love of radio and community affairs brought him to radio in 
1974, and he has faithfully provided local news to listeners in 
Brattleboro and in Springfield, MA, ever since then. I have enjoyed 
knowing him and his work for several decades as we often meet at 
community meetings, conferences and press conferences in the 
Brattleboro region and across Vermont.
  Brattleboro proclaimed Saturday, November 7, 2009, as ``Tim Johnson 
Day'' and celebrated with a cake. The same day, at their annual meeting 
the Vermont Association of Broadcasters heralded Tim for his 
distinguished service. Distinguished service helps sum up Tim's 
importance to southern Vermont. His contributions to his community and 
to Vermont broadcasting have been of the highest quality, and they have 
been steady. His many hours in the studio each week ensure that 
residents in Brattleboro receive news that is important, relevant and 
timely. It is regrettable that today's broadcasting environment 
sustains less of that kind of community service and community presence.
  I know Tim will continue on this path of excellence, and I know that 
all Vermonters join me in expressing appreciation and admiration for 
his good work on WTSA.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of an article from The Rutland 
Herald be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Rutland Herald, Nov. 8, 2009]

               Brattleboro--On-Air Celeb Johnson Honored

                          (By Susan Smallheer)

       Brattleboro.--Tim Johnson is the Energizer bunny of 
     Brattleboro radio: he's on the air day and night, whether 
     it's reporting breaking news, broadcasting local football 
     games and or promoting local food shelf fundraisers.
       In fact, Johnson was on the air Saturday morning, not even 
     taking a break on ``Tim Johnson Day,'' hoping to garner some 
     donations for ``Project Feed the Thousands.''
       Johnson, 53, a longtime radio newsman for WTSA AM & FM, was 
     honored by the town of Brattleboro last week with a 
     proclamation and a cake. The proclamation was paired with the 
     Vermont Association of Broadcasters announcement that Johnson 
     was honored yesterday for distinguished service at the 
     organization's annual meeting.
       Kelli Corbeil, owner and general manager of the radio 
     station, nominated Johnson for the award.
       ``He's the hardest worker at the radio station,'' said 
     Corbeil. ``I'm so glad he's on my team.''
       By Johnson's own estimation, his love of community radio 
     lands him in front of a microphone anywhere from 60 to 80 
     hours a week.
       Corbeil, who along with her late husband Bill purchased the 
     station in 2007, said that Johnson's devotion to local radio 
     news was obvious to everyone in Brattleboro and deserved to 
     be recognized statewide. ``I think he has a love and a 
     passion for it. He loves the community and I think the 
     community is important to him,'' she said.
       Johnson first got into radio back when he was a senior at 
     Brattleboro Union High School, and as the representative of 
     the Future Farmers of America, appeared on a WTSA talk show 
     by Larry Smith, Johnson's predecessor at the news desk. He's 
     been doing radio news ever since, a total of 36 years.
       Smith, who left TSA in 1997 for a job at Entergy Nuclear, 
     said that even at 17, Johnson had a noticeable voice.
       ``Local radio news is a dying art as more stations are 
     purchased by conglomerates,'' Smith said.
       ``If anything, Timmy has expanded the coverage. I don't 
     know what he doesn't cover. Every time I listen, he's been to 
     a meeting or a community forum. It's wonderful,'' he said.
       ``With so many stations, you're lucky if you get the local 
     weather,'' Smith said.
       After high school, Johnson landed a part-time job as an 
     announcer at cross-town radio rival WKVT in 1973, and 
     eventually left Brattleboro for four years to work at WCFR in 
     Springfield.
       Johnson said he came back to his hometown in 1985 to WKVT 
     rather than go to a bigger market because the area was deep 
     in his heart, his parents' health was failing and then-owner 
     Dave Underhill was ``a news junkie just like myself.''
       ``Bright lights? Big city? This is my home,'' he said.
       Town Manager Barbara Sondag wrote the proclamation for the 
     Selectboard, and she said until she did the research, she 
     didn't grasp the scope of Johnson's community work.
       ``I had no idea of all the boards he served on,'' said 
     Sondag. Johnson is currently working hard on Project Feed the 
     Thousands, the local food drive, as well as the local United 
     Way, Warm Hands Warm Hearts. In addition to that, Johnson is 
     also the town moderator in his hometown of Vernon, and also 
     serves as the moderator for the Brattleboro Union High School 
     annual meeting.
       ``Tim Johnson has for 36 years continuously provided 
     accurate, reliable, respectful reporting of the issues 
     important to the citizens of Brattleboro,'' the proclamation 
     said.
       ``Tim can be found at all emergencies, celebrations, 
     meetings and buffets across Windham County, regardless of 
     time,'' the proclamation went on with a touch of humor.
       Johnson has a well-known proclivity for free food, she 
     said, as well as multi-tasking.
       While covering selectboard meetings, he also ``watches'' 
     Red Sox games on his computer, and keeps people posted on the 
     score, Sondag said.
       And Johnson, whose real name is Tim Arsenault, has an 
     uncanny ability to report accurately on a meeting despite a 
     predilection for cat naps during late-night meetings, the 
     selectboard couldn't resist adding.
       As the morning show anchor and news director, Johnson gets 
     up at 3 a.m. and heads into WTSA's studio in ``the new north 
     end'' of Brattleboro by 4:30 a.m. He is on the air by 5 a.m.
       He works at least until mid-afternoon.
       On a recent day, Johnson was busy juggling family, news and 
     his community commitments, aided greatly that day by instant 
     messaging.
       Johnson and his wife Sue's 16-year-old granddaughter 
     recently started living with them, and there's plenty to 
     organize and do.
       Smith, who actually hired Johnson to replace himself at 
     WTSA, said that Johnson is a consummate radio professional, 
     and overcame a stutter, as well.
       ``The first time I ever heard him on the radio, there was 
     no stutter. He does commercials, he overcame that--quite an 
     accomplishment,'' said Smith.
       In radio, the hardest thing, he said, is doing commercials. 
     ``You really have to concentrate and Timmy's production is 
     unbelievable and his ad libs are great too,'' said Smith, 
     himself a 30-year radio news veteran.
       ``I'm delighted for him,'' Smith said.
       ``This is really what I enjoy doing,'' said Johnson, his 
     newscast devoted this day to the local hospital's reaction to 
     the swine flu epidemic, a major water main break in town, the 
     upcoming Winter Farmer's Market and Feed the Thousands.
       ``This is really what I enjoy doing and I want to do it for 
     50 years,'' Johnson said. ``That's another 14 years.''

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