Indiana RadioWatch: April 22, 2000

Welcome to our new home. We're working on a companion website to the RadioWatch which will have comprehensive information on radio stations in Indiana. We don't know for sure when that will be up, tho. If one of your colleagues hasn't subscribed yet, please encourage them to do so. Just e-mail us at irw@well.com

Northeast

News-Talk/WOWO (1190am, Fort Wayne) turned 75 on March 31. From humble beginnings as a 500 watt station above the Main Auto Supply Company, WOWO grew into a 50 kilowatt Westinghouse-owned station. WOWO was later sold several times, reducing its power in the late 1990's to accommodate co-channel WLIB in New York. WOWO is now owned by Federated Media of Elkhart.

Also in Fort Wayne, Homestead High School's WCYT (91.1fm, Lafayette Township) is off the air, due to a transmitter failure. Station officials and the school board are deciding whether to fix the transmitter or replace it with a new one.

Lori Swihart is now General Sales Manager for WBTU (93.3fm, Kendallville). Swihart was last at the Artistic Media Partners' properties in South Bend. Artistic recently purchased WBTU.

We only told you half the story concerning Hot AC/WMEE's (97.3fm, Fort Wayne) new airstaff. You'll recall that it now looks like this:

Mornings: Charly & Lana
Middays: Chris Didier (PD)
Afternoons: John O'Rourke (OM)
Nights: Boomer (MD)
Late Nights: John Matthews

All of this started a few weeks ago with liners saying that "WMEE will make the change on Thursday morning". Speculation spread amongst competing stations as to a format change. IRW received calls from 7 stations, in fact. Theories ranged from Rhythmic Oldies to Rick Dees adding WMEE as an affiliate for mornings. To add fuel to the 'format change' fire, OM John O'Rourke had the station go jockless after Charly & Lana completed their morning show, Wednesday morning. What really happened, you ask? Thursday morning began the Arbitron ratings period, so the station kicked off "WME-Easy Money" ("making the change"...money...get it?) IRW saw coverage of this in several major industry publications. The other major 'change' is that nights are sounding more fresh -- Destiny's Child, Blaque, and the Bloodhound Gang are among the additions we've heard.

Kovas, Part 1: PD Kyle Guderian exits Alternative/WEJE (96.3fm, Churubusco) for similar duties at AAA/WEQX in Albany, New York.

Kovas, Part 2: In order to fully understand the latest promotions at several Kovas Communications stations, you need a chart.

                       	Old                     	New

Phil Grosch     	MD/WEJE         		PD - WEJE & Rhythmic Oldies/WYSR (94.1fm, Roanoke)
J.J. Fabini     	Mornings/Prod. Director 	Mornings/APD/MD - WEJE
Travis Meyer		A.M. Producer           	Production Director
Matt Goshert 		Part-Time               	Assistant MD/Mid-days (Interim)/Webmaster (WEJE)

Run For the Border, Part 1: Family Worship Center (a.k.a. WJFM Baton Rouge LA, a.k.a. Jimmy Swaggart) applies for 89.7fm in Van Wert, Ohio. They also apply for 89.7fm in Bluffton.

Run For the Border, Part 2: The new allocation on 106.7fm in Hicksville, Ohio is awarded to GMA Broadcasting Corp.

Where are they now? Former Rhythmic/WCKZ (102.3fm, Auburn) night guy Jo Valentine heads to CHR/WABB in Mobile, Alabama.

Northcentral

South Bend news: At Rock/WAOR (95.3fm, Niles, Michigan), John Vance is their new PD. Vance replaces Pat Redd, who was Operations Manager. Vance was GM at WIRX in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Federated Media's Oldies/WNIL (1290am, Niles, Michigan) flips format to ABC's "Lite 2000" satellite format. Also flipping is sister station WTRC (1340am, Elkhart). WNIL was doing oldies using Jones Radio Network's "Good Time Oldies" satellite format, while WTRC was doing WW1's "MOR" format. Also, Federated's Rock/WAOR (95.3fm, Niles, Michigan) is moving studios to Edison Road in Mishawaka where they'll be with WBYT, WRBR, etc.

Mark Durocher takes the GM position at LeSea Broadcasting. Durocher will oversee their 5 shortwave stations (Angel 1 through Angel 5), WHME (103.1fm, South Bend), WHPZ (96.9fm, Bremen), and WGTC (102.3fm, New Carlisle).

Family Worship Center applies for 88.7fm in Sturgis, Michigan, while Pensacola Christian College (a.k.a. WPCS/Pensacola, Florida) applies for 88.5fm in South Bend.

Northwest

The application by St. Joseph's College station WPUM (90.5fm, Rensselaer) is denied by the FCC. That would have moved the station to 88.5fm and raised the power from 11 watts to 1000 watts.

Kevin Murphy, production director for WAZY(AM) & FM (1410am & 96.5fm, Lafayette), WGBD (95.7fm, Attica), and WLFF (95.3fm, Brookston) departs for Millennium Media's Gallup, New Mexico properties where he'll be production director and do mornings on KKOR.

We neglected to mention that Rock/WKHY (93.5fm, Lafayette) was a finalist for the NAB Crystal Award. Congratulations!

Pensacola Christian College applies for 88.3fm in Rossville while Great Lakes Community Broadcasting applies for 88.9fm in "Deer Creek Township" (near Delphi).

Central

A lesson to all you budding TV journalists: This isn't the way to do it. As Marion County Sheriff Jack Cottey was driving away from the Marion County Jail, he noticed he was being followed. According to The Indianapolis Star, Cottey said he was being followed by different vehicles all day, even being followed to his house. Cottey's initial suspicion was that the pursuant was from a militia group that had been calling his office. The following afternoon, sheriff's deputies stopped a van at a local service station. Who was inside the van? Sy Jenkins, a reporter from WRTV (Channel 6). Meanwhile, at the same location, another deputy was pulling over a car. Inside the car? Jeremy Rogalski, a reporter from WTHR (Channel 13). Both reporters claimed they were working on competing stories about contractors working near Cottey's home. Both reporters were questioned and released. What were they really working on? Both stations' news directors wouldn't comment.

We also neglected to mention that News-Talk/WIBC (1070am, Indianapolis) was also an NAB Crystal Award finalist. Congratulations to them also!

Weekend guy Matt Carter will exit Indy's Country/WGRL (93.9fm, Noblesville) for Millennium Media's Gallup, New Mexico properties. Carter will be Music Director and do some on-air work at KXXI.

Muncie news: Delta High School's WWDS (90.5fm, Muncie) increases power from 30 watts to 100 watts. Production Director Matt Miller, afternoon guy Phil Dashler, and overnight guy Chris Green all depart CHR/WLBC (104.1fm, Muncie). Dashler and Green were let go as the station moves to automation and voice-tracking. Miller departed to pursue other interests.

In our March 25th issue, we told you about WOOO(AM) (1520am, Shelbyville) switching to WKWH(AM). We forgot to tell you that WRCR-FM (94.3fm, Rushville) is now WKWH-FM.

"Zack" at Imaging Kid Productions is handling the imaging liners for the new CHR/WNOU (93.1fm, Indianapolis). Also, WNOU has their brand "Nou" website up: http://www.radionow93.com<.

Westcentral

CHR/WMGI (100.7fm, Terre Haute) adds Angie Baines as co-host for mornings, alongside PD Steve Smith. Baines is also an on the airstaff at Indiana State University's WISU (89.7fm, Terre Haute). Also, Chad Edwards is now Music Director. The rest of the lineup has changed slightly:

Middays: Chad Edwards (MD)
Afternoons: Chad Lueckie
Nights: Ben Davis (from part-time at WSNY/Columbus, Ohio)
Overnights: Aaron Green

Family Worship Center applies for 91.7fm in Shelburn.

Southeast

WWWY (104.9fm, Columbus) flips formats from Soft AC to Hot AC. Rick Reed heads to PM Drive at sister Country/WJCP (92.7fm, Austin). PD Devin Marsh is now doing mornings. Syndicated night show Delilah is also history at "Magic 104.9".

Religious/WAUZ (89.1fm, Greensburg) debuted a new morning show on April 3. "The Breakfast Club" features John Lang and Scott Stewart. Lang is PD of WAUZ and sister Country/WTRE (1330am, Greensburg), where he continues to anchor afternoon newscasts. Stewart is a pastor at the Greensburg First Christian Church.

Family Worship Center applies for 91.1fm in Madison.

Southwest

Evansville news: CHR/WSTO and Country/WKDQ (96.1fm, Owensboro, Kentucky; 99.5fm, Henderson, Kentucky) both move their studios to the Brill Media corporate headquarters on N.W. 5th Street in downtown Evansville. WKDQ was in Henderson, Kentucky; WSTO in Owensboro. Also at WSTO, Dr. Dave Michaels is now PD. Michaels was the longtime PD and midday jock at CHR/WKFR in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Cumulus' Classic Rock/WTRI (94.9fm, Mount Carmel, Illinois/Evansville) is now known as "K-Rock 95"

Family Worship Center applies for 90.3fm in Jasper and 89.5fm in Loogootee.

That's it for this issue! See you in two weeks...

Blaine Thompson
Indiana RadioWatch

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All pages Copyright Blaine Thompson. Articles, photos, corrections, and other contributions should be e-mailed to the editors.