Indiana RadioWatch: March 8, 2018
Northeast
The Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame will induct five new members at their annual luncheon on May 19. The only radio broadcaster in that group will be a posthumous induction: Hilliard Gates. Mr. Gates passed away in 1996 at age 80.
Mr. Gates didn't begin broadcasting in Indiana; he actually started in Muskegon Michigan in 1937. The Hoosier State called him in 1940, when he became a staff announcer for Westinghouse Broadcasting-owned WOWO (1190am) and WGL (1250am) in Fort Wayne. When William Kunkel (from the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette) signed WKJG (1380am) on in 1947, Mr. Gates became the station manager and also did sports reporting. Mr. Gates later became VP/GM for what was then WKJG-TV (Channel 33), an NBC affiliate. Mr. Gates also had a role in the 1986 movie "Hoosiers."
Rebecca Green joins Northeast Indiana Public Radio as their News Director. Before joining NIPR, Ms. Green worked for 15 years as an award winning reporter for The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
Northcentral
After 42 years, John "JT" Thompson (no relation) departs mornings at Mid-West Family Broadcasting's Talk and Sports/WSBT (960am, South Bend) also heard on translator W241AD (96.1fm, South Bend). Mr. Thompson began hosting mornings ("JT in the Morning") in late 1975. ESPN Radio's syndicated Golic and Wingo (Mike Golic, Trey Wingo) will succeed him in morning drive. Here's more from The South Bend Tribune.
Northwest
If you lived in Lafayette, and had cable TV in the 1970s, you had several local TV choices.
CBS affiliate WISH-TV (Channel 8, Indianapolis)
ABC affiliate WLWI-TV (Channel 13, Indianapolis)
NBC affiliate WFBM-TV (Channel 6, Indianapolis)
CBS affiliate WLFI-TV (Channel 18, Lafayette)
Fast forward to today, where some of that has changed: WISH-TV now airs the CW format, Channels 13 and 6 swapped network affiliations and changed call letters. Comcast recently dropped Indianapolis ABC affiliate/WRTV (Channel 6) and Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR (Channel 13) from the Lafayette cable lineup, as Star City Broadcasting entered the market with NBC affiliate/WPBI-LD in 2016 and the ABC affiliation in August 2017. Over the air, WPBI-LD airs FOX on their Channel 16.1, NBC ("LPBI") on their Channel 16.2 and ABC ("WPBY") on their Channel 16.3. Here's more from the Lafayette Journal and Courier.
Central
From the Update Desk: meteorologist Brittney Rainey just joined FOX affiliate WTVT-TV in Tampa, Florida. We reported in our Monday issue that Ms. Rainey exited WXIN-TV, after joining them in November 2015.
3 Towers Broadcasting signs on a second translator for their CHR/WSVX (1520am, Shelbyville): Meet W292FH (106.3fm, Shelbyville). The 170 watt translator is on a tower that's north of Greenfield.
That's all for this issue. Thank you for your continued support.
Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch
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