Otto Schlaak
1919-2008

Biographical Information:

Otto Schlaak was born in March 1919. For more than thirty years, he played a key role in Milwaukee educational television. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in speech and dramatic art and radio at the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in mass communications and Ohio State. He then taught speech and radio at Oregon State College and directed radio programs at Ohio State University.

Schlaak’s career in Milwaukee began in 1954 as the educational television coordinator at the Milwaukee Vocational School, a job he held until 1960. In 1957, he helped put station WMVS on the area. Three years later, he became the general manager of stations WMVS and WMVT, succeeding Paul Taff. He held this job until 1986, and he served as Dean of Telecasting for the stations' licensee, Milwaukee Area Technical College (formerly the Milwaukee Vocational School). During his tenure, WMVS/WMVT became one of the earliest stations to add a UHF station (WMVT). In addition, it was the first public television station to regularly broadcast in color as well as the first station in the Milwaukee market to receive programs via satellite and to broadcast regularly-scheduled programs in stereo.

Schlaak was also an advocate of local programming, especially WMVS/WMVT's production of children's, arts, instructional, and how-to programs. Live coverage of events such as the Circus Parade, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concerts and newsworthy trials became hallmarks of programming during Schlaak's leadership.

Otto Schlaak also served on many organization boards, including the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB) and the National Association of Public Television Stations (NAPTS). Along with Jack McBride, Ed Morris and Martin Busch, Schlaak helped form the Central Educational Network. He also helped form the National American Public Broadcasting Consortium.

Otto Schlaak died on December 15, 2008.

Bibliography:

Articles:

• Schlaak, Otto. "A Suggested Outline for Planning a Series of Educational Classroom Telecasts." Exceptional Children, Vol 21, No. 7 (April 1955): 266-268.
• Schlaak, Otto and James C. Wulliman. "Our ETV Color Formula Works!" NAEB Journal, Vol. 24, No. 4 (July-August 1965): 63-67.

Books:

• Schlaak, Otto. Me and I: Adventures and Escapades of Twin Boys Growing Up in a One-Horse Town. New York: Vantage Press, 2001.