August 1997
History
Craig Karmazin forms Good Karma Broadcasting, LLC (GKB).
GKB purchases WBEV-AM, WXRO-FM and WYKY-FM in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
December 1997
The first annual WBEV/WXRO Children’s Radiothon airs in Beaver Dam; over $27,000 is raised for local Dodge County children’s charities. Over the years, the Radiothon has raised over $1.9 million dollars.
July 1998
WYKY flips to “FM Talk 100.5 WTLX,” and becomes the company’s first sports station.
August 1998
GKB begins a lease on WEFL-AM (West Palm Beach, FL); the station switches to ESPN Radio.
March 2003
GKB purchases WAUK-AM (Milwaukee, WI); the station is branded as ESPN Radio 1510.
May 2004
GKB purchases WWGK-AM (Cleveland); the station becomes ESPN Radio 1540.
October 2006
GKB purchases WKNR-AM (Cleveland); the station is rebranded as ESPN 850 WKNR and WWGK becomes Cleveland’s AM 1540 KNR2.
February 2007
GKB purchases WRRD-AM (Milwaukee, WI); the station takes the call letters WAUK and begins operation as 540 ESPN.
January 2008
1510 AM in Milwaukee becomes ESPN Deportes 1510. This marks the first Spanish language station for GKB. Two months later, the station originates a Milwaukee Brewers game, the first major professional league broadcast for GKB.
May 2008
WTLX in Madison, WI flips to ESPN, becoming the 6th ESPN affiliate for GKB.
January 2009
ESPN 760 and WPTV begin a groundbreaking partnership in which GKB operates the NewsChannel 5 sports department. A year later, the partnership is extended and expanded to include operation of WFLX – FOX 29’s sports department.
January 2010
Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers agrees to a multi-year partnership with GKB to provide exclusive content on-air and online at ESPNWisconsin.com
February 2011
GKB Events purchases the first of its eventual three house purchases adjacent to Lambeau Field; which marks the start of the Tundra Trio, the only luxury entertainment experience in Green Bay.
September 2011
GKB Wireless is formed as the company's first foray into retail. The stores would later close in 2020 for GKB to continue to focus and expand their partnership with ESPN Radio & Digital, as well as continue to operate local radio stations.
March 2012
GKB Events produces the first-ever Wisconsin Sports Awards event, a red carpet affair with appearances by several professional athletes.
April 2012
GKB Wireless opens its first store in Beaver Dam, Wireless Zone of Beaver Dam, a Verizon Premium Wireless retailer. Today, GKB operates a Verizon Wireless store in Beaver Dam and West Bend, WI, providing concierge service.
June 2012
ESPN West Palm begins broadcasting on 106.3 FM
February 2013
Craig Karmazin is recognized by SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” list; he joins the ranks of top team, league and network executives.
March 2013
ESPN Cleveland announces that its station, ESPN 850 WKNR is the new home for Cleveland Browns football, in one of the most expansive broadcast rights deals in the NFL.
March 2013
GKB Events executes the second annual Wisconsin Sports Awards event, drawing a red-carpet worthy lineup of athletes. Fox Sports Wisconsin partners with GKB to televise the event a minimum of 20 times throughout the year.
April 2013
GKB Events executes an industry-first sports marketing campaign for Fanatics.com, placing conditional media buys based on game outcomes in markets during the NBA Finals. GKB Events will later execute similar campaigns during the World Series & Super Bowl.
June 2013
Bill McCollum (“Uncle Bill”) celebrates 50 years with WXRO/WBEV in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
July 2013
ESPN West Palm announces the launch of ESPN Deportes 760, West Palm Beach’s first Spanish-language sports station.
September 2013
GKB Events kicks off the Tundra Trio’s first season with a 200 person tailgate event for the Washington Redskins. The Tundra Trio will host 17 events in its inaugural season.
September 2013
ESPN West Palm announces with ESPN, the creation of the first-ever Boca Raton Bowl Game, to be held at FAU’s stadium in Boca Raton. ESPN West Palm will handle the local sales of the bowl game.
October 2013
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach honored ESPN Deportes 760 with the Triunfo! 2014 Business Enterprise award.
April 2014
The Home Market, an interior design business and home furnishings store in Milwaukee becomes part of Good Karma Brands and oversees the design of the Wisconsin Sports Awards, the Tundra Trio, GKB’s wireless stores and offices.
June 2014
The Milwaukee Bucks announce that Craig Karmazin is a new minority owner of the team.
June 2014
Inaugural Boca Raton Bowl
December 2014
GKB is named a Top Workplace for the fifth consecutive year by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, placing in the Top Ten for small businesses. GKB is also awarded a “New Ideas” honor for emphasizing innovation among its team.
June 2015
Good Karma Brands expands relationship with ESPN, allowing GKB to offer marketing partners the opportunity to reach the largest digital audience in its local markets.
August 2015
GKB opens an ESPN Digital office in Baltimore, MD, to offer local marketers the opportunity to access ESPN’s digital inventory on a geo-targeted basis.
November 2016
GKB opens its second ESPN Digital office on the east coast, with a location in Washington D.C.
February 2017
ESPN West Palm offices move to downtown West Palm
June 2017
The City of Beaver Dam renames Stoddard Street “Bill McCollum Way” after WBEV’s Uncle Bill
July 2017
DailyDodge.com launches in Beaver Dam as the community’s top premium website for local news, information and events.
October 2017
GKB celebrates 20 years with GKB Week, a celebration of teammates, partners and fans across all of our divisions.
November 2017
The Tundra Trio hosts ESPN’s Monday Night Football live from the backyard of our houses.
November 2017
GKB and the Wisconsin Sports Awards host the first, large-scale private event at Fiserv Forum, the new Milwaukee Bucks arena
August 2018
GKB expands ESPN Digital footprint to Nashville, TN
September 2018
GKB expands ESPN Digital footprint to Atlanta, GA
October 2018
Monday Night Countdown returns live from the Tundra Trio
October 2018
GKB purchased two legendary Wisconsin radio stations – WTMJ & WKTI
November 2018
ESPN Milwaukee moves over to Radio City
November 2018
GKB expands their ESPN affiliate relationship and enters into a Local Marketing Agreement with ESPN Chicago.
September 2019
GKB announces the launch of 101.7 The Truth, a local radio home for Milwaukee’s black community.
November 2020
Good Karma announces the acquisition of ESPN LA and ESPN New York
March 2022
ESPN Beaver Dam launches and legendary WBEV moves to FM.
August 2022
ESPN Chicago becomes the official home of the Chicago Bears
March 2023
GKB agrees to handle sales and sales operations of ESPN Radio Network
August 2023
