Indiana RadioWatch: March 1, 2018
Welcome to March. Next month, IRW visits the NAB Show in Las Vegas.
Northeast
In 2000, we wrote that Alec Dille's Fallen Timbers Communications purchased the CP for 106.7fm, licensed to Hicksville Ohio from GMA Broadcasting for $512,000. Fallen Timers Communications merged with Talking Stick Communications at the beginning of 2012. After several format changes and call letter changes, the station now runs ESPN sports, as WFGA. Talking Stick recently struck a deal to sell "ESPN 106.7" to Steve Swick's Swick Broadcasting Company for $300,000 cash. This station will add on to Mr. Swick's other radio stations and translators in northeastern Indiana, southern Michigan, and northwest Ohio. The exclusive broker for the transaction was Jason James of Patrick Communications.
Where Are They Now? Former WPTA-TV Reporter/Fill-In Anchor Rachelle Spence now is a weekday morning anchor and reporter for WEYI-TV/WSMH-TV in the Flint, Michigan TV market.
Central
In December, Nexstar's CW affiliate/WISH-TV (Channel 8, Indianapolis) news anchor David Barras retired, after 37 years. Later this month, WISH-TV will welcome Mike Barz as their evening co-anchor (alongside Brooke Martin), beginning a month from today: Monday March 26. Mr. Barz graduated from Indiana University, and his career took him to:
Rock Island, Illinois (WHBF-TV)
Green Bay, Wisconsin (WLUK-TV)
Chicago, Illinois (WGN-TV)
ABC's Good Morning America (Weather)
Chicago, Illinois (WFLD-TV)
Jacksonville, Florida (WAWS-TV and WTEV-TV)
Denver, Colorado (KDVR-TV)
Tribune Broadcasting's FOX affiliate WXIN-TV (Channel 59, Indianapolis) debuted a new news set. Viewers may notice a larger anchor desk, a larger weather set, and the weather wall goes from a green wall to a 3x3 monitor wall. FOX 59 donated their former news set to Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter High School.
We missed this then, but in December, "FOX 59" added a digital subchannel (Charge!) on Channel 59.4.
Trinity Broadcasting's WCLJ-TV (Channel 42, Bloomington) will relinquish their Channel 42 with the upcoming spectrum repack. Last March, WCLJ went to half power and filed for an STA, which they renewed twice. Just before Christmas, they went off the air, due to an equipment failure, and came back on the air just after the beginning of 2018 at half power.
Southwest
Vincennes-based The Original Company rolls out a new radio logo for their radio clusters in southern Indiana and southern Illinois.
That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.
Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch
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