Allan is Wisconsin Original

Lance Allan is a rarity in television journalism. He was born, raised and has spent his entire career in Wisconsin.

The TMJ4 sportscaster Allan recently shared insights about television journalism to a classroom of students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

From his childhood on, he sustained an interest in sportscasting. Allan started his career at his hometown’s local radio station in Rice Lake, Wis. It was there that he learned how to read for the radio.

“I tend to be persistent to the point of being annoying,” said Allan. That persistence helped him to advance his broadcast career as he entered college at UW-Madison. Allan obtained an internship, then took a job doing the weather forecasts on television in Rhinelander.

In 1996, he finally came to Milwaukee to work at WMTJ. He has spent seventeen years at the television station as the sports news anchor.

“I’ve been one of the lucky ones,” said Allan regarding his entire career spent in Wisconsin.

Allan emphasized the changes he has seen in TV journalism, including the switch from recording the news on three-quarter-inch tape to high-definition memory cards. He recalled the old Associated Press wire, which spewed out rolls of news stories throughout the day.
“It has come a long way,” Allan said.

He stressed to the students the importance of not simply being the first to report a story but to be accurate.
Allan is a husband and father of three children.

Ariele Vaccaro is a student in the JAMS 500 Advanced Reporting class.