Wisconsin State Journal
WisconsinEye CEO Jon Henkes.
WisconsinEye CEO Jon Henkes: 'Our ability to operate is severely at risk.'
Even as WisconsinEye announced Nov. 20 it would soon shut down due to lack of funding, the demand for its services did not let up.
In just four days, Nov. 17-20, 30 events vied for coverage by WisconsinEye, the state’s nonprofit version of C-SPAN that has provided unedited coverage of Capitol policies, politics and personalities for 18 years. There were Assembly and Senate sessions to broadcast, and pre-session press conferences of leaders of both parties to record. There were also five legislative committee meetings. When deciding what to cover, WisconsinEye prioritizes legislative sessions and committee hearings.
Those four days also included five meetings of task forces appointed by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a meeting of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board, a meeting of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, an update on the state labor market, a press conference on clean water, and separate forums on the health care needs of western Wisconsin and potential uses of AI by governments.
The network’s six staffers scrambled to cover as many events as possible, compile the popular Morning Minute videos and social media posts, and prepare for the Friday morning taping of the network’s weekly Rewind show.
Despite the demand, WisconsinEye’s dedicated small staff faces an uncertain future if the organization cannot meet a Dec. 15 deadline to raise $877,000 to cover its 2026 operational budget. More than 30,000 hours of archived footage will also go offline. [Disclosure: I worked for WisconsinEye, recording interviews with newsmakers and candidates, from August 2009 until February 2021.]
Eve Galanter, a veteran of local and state politics and founder of the Civics Games that brings high school students to the Capitol to compete over their knowledge of government and its underlying principals, is among those who see the organization as an essential public service.
“WisconsinEye provides what we all need and deserve these days — a firsthand look at government in action,” says Galanter, a former executive director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and senior aide to former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl.
“WisconsinEye is a part of what I believe is the essential civic and cultural engagement that we don’t want to lose,” she adds. “WisconsinEye’s determination to be independent is invaluable.”
WisconsinEye launched in 2007, supported by donors that included Ken and Diane Hendricks, founders of ABC Supply in Janesville. After Ken’s death in 2007, Diane Hendricks continued to help fund the network. Former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow, who died in 2022, also championed the network.
No long-term funding plan was ever found. The idea of a small surcharge on cable TV subscribers was never seriously considered. An unpopular paywall was taken down in exchange for state aid. State officials gave WisconsinEye $250,000 in the current budget and a mid-2026 deadline to qualify for up to $10 million if it could match that amount.
WisconsinEye has livestreamed events of all three branches of government, including Supreme Court oral arguments followed by national law firms.
Legislative leaders of both parties have benefitted from WisconsinEye coverage. Republicans who have controlled the Legislature since 2011 argued for and passed their priorities in real time, while out-of-power Democrats got to message their opposition and outline their alternatives.
Lobbyists, meanwhile, could monitor Capitol developments on WisconsinEye and adjust their schedules — and billable hours — accordingly.
WisconsinEye is governed by a board, whose members include former Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch and Wisconsin Counties Association President Mark O’Connell. WisconsinEye CEO Jon Henkes told Wisconsin Public Radio on Nov. 21 that the board decided the network’s financial model “in the current environment is not working for us, so we need to take a pause and we need to figure this out.”
“Due to a difficult philanthropic landscape — marked by donor fatigue, competing campaigns, record-breaking political fundraising, and economic uncertainty — our ability to operate is severely at risk,” Henkes explained. Having lost federal funds, public TV and radio outlets also stepped up fundraising.
“WisconsinEye is not tethered to deep-rooted institutional support or local service missions,” he added. “This puts us at a significant disadvantage in today’s competitive funding environment.”
Because of uncertain finances, WisconsinEye has cut expenses. It gave up space in its office one block from the Square, lowering rent. It suspended Newsmakers interviews on important topics. It limited its number of trips outside Madison.
The Wisconsin Examiner reported that the network offered three options to state officials: Provide $1 million to maintain programming. Fund the network at $1 million per year for three years, giving it more time to fundraise. Fund the network for calendar 2026, leaving its future beyond that unresolved.
Galanter told this story of the network’s reach: A foreign exchange student competed in a past Civics Games contest in the Capitol and the high school student’s parents — in Germany — watched the competition on WisconsinEye.
“I know there are many foundations — and individuals — whose primary purpose I hope would be stepping up,” Galanter said. “I sent a donation. Have you?”
Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com.
