WMUK’s second news director, Andrew C. Robins, died suddenly on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at his home in Kalamazoo.
A familiar voice on the station for more than three decades, Robins retired just four years ago.
You may have heard him on WMUK recently, in messages he recorded for a membership campaign. In one spot, Andy talked about WMUK’s news internship, a program that he founded.
“I think that’s very important to involve students here at Western and other area colleges, to get some experiences in electronic media and radio in particular,” he said.
Robins was concerned about the decline of local media coverage in Kalamazoo and across the country. The internship was one way to push in the other direction.
“Support for the radio station is also support for education of students who want to go on to be media professionals. And I think that’s an important aspect of the station,” he added.
Robins first worked at WMUK while studying at Western Michigan University in the late 1970s. His full-time career at WMUK began in 1985. He led the news team for more than two decades, from 1998 until his retirement in 2021.
While recording the fundraising spots, Robins described his work on a 2008 documentary as a highlight of his career.
“Called ‘Golden Days and Friendly Faces,’ it’s about the unique musical traditions on Beaver Island, which is the largest island in Lake Michigan. It’s northwest of Charlevoix,” he noted.
Robins was also proud of helping to launch the WMUK show now known as Storybeat.
Plans for a memorial service are in progress.